NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Ford Fusion. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the back-up camera occasionally failed to work as needed and intermittently went black while reversing. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who confirmed that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V644000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the owner of the vehicle indicated while operating the vehicle the engine would overheat and the engine coolant needed to be added daily. The vehicle was taken to the local service center which diagnosed that the engine coolant had leaked into the engine oil. The cause of the failure had not yet been determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The local dealer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 116,823.
Lug nut shattered and unable to remove the nut to safely replace
antifreeze loss that allows coolant to enter into the cylinders of the engine.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the trunk inadvertently opened. The contact stated that the trunk open warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the trunk would inadvertently open while driving at various speeds and had become a recurring failure. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer nor an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
The front brake hoses broke. We received a Customer Satisfaction Program notice from Ford the week before this happened. I called the dealer to get information and wanted them to check my car, but they said it was not necessary. The car was driven on a major highway, the brake fluid came out and not even a mile later, the brake fluid light came on, and i could not stop the car. The brake pedal was to the floor! Luckily, and I mean luckily, I was able to turn into a parking lot. The car was towed to the dealer, where they determined the above. The car has been repaired with "newly designed" hoses. Ford was surely aware of the problem, but did not issue a recall. Truly unbelievable!
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle was experiencing rough starts and would overheat while driving at various speeds. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that engine cylinder #2 was misfiring and coolant was leaking into the engine block and cylinders. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer who provided the same diagnostic information and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the steering wheel loosened and wiggled from side to side. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while making a right turn the steering wheel became dislodge and loosened. The contact stated that the steering wheel was not functioning correctly. The dealer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V167000 (Steering) and offered no additional assistance. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the bolt in the steering column was worn. The steering column bolt was replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 130,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion with a Salvage Title. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The vehicle was scheduled for the recall repair appointment at the local dealer; however, the dealer then called the contact to cancel and informed that the manufacturer would not cover the costs due to the vehicle having Salvage Title. The manufacturer was then contacted and confirmed they would not cover the costs due to the Salvage Title and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
On September 13, 2022, car was parked and idling. Heard/felt small pop. Pressed brake pedal to put vehicle in gear and pedal felt much softer than usual and was able to press to floor without effort. Noticed that AC air warmed up was well. Eventually noticed smoke wafting up from engine compartment on passenger side. inspected right front tire and saw oily spots on to inner side of wheel rim. popped hood and oily substance all over inside passenger side of engine compartment, particularly on serpentine belt, explaining the warming air from AC. While I could build up brake pedal pressure it never lasted long and pedal would become soft and press to the floor. Carefully drove car to local dealership and was informed about a "Customer Satisfaction Program" for the vehicle allowing for a one-time replacement of the front brake flexible hoses. Vehicle is currently being repaired.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated when he started the vehicle, there was noticeable shaking and vibration from the engine. The contact stated the "check coolant" light was illuminated. The contact stated he was able to shift the vehicle into drive (D) and it continued to shake and vibrate from 5 MPH up to 35 MPH and eventually smooth out and operate normally. The failure began as a random occurrence and had eventually become constant, with the vehicle having stalled several times on the road. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the head gasket and one of the cylinders needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera image was blurred, black, green, or blue. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rearview camera had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure was initially occurring intermittently but had become persistent. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but no assistance was provided. The contact referenced an unknown recall but the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
Flex plate “Flywheel” has been replaced 3 times due to cracking. First time replaced the end of 2021 the two other replacements have occurred in 2022. There is a re-call for the same issue but only on the 1.5L and 1.6L Ford Escape Ecoboost. This recall should have been across all models with these motors. This issue causes a safety hazard due to motor running rough and loosing power and stalling while operating. Nov 21, September 22 and December 22 months of occurrence.
A few years ago our camera on our 2016 Ford fusion started acting up. Going in and out, sometimes blank. I actually filled a complaint out before. I have noticed recalls on cameras but not our vehicle or even year. Now I saw one yesterday or this morning that listed my year but not model. I forgot to mention above that it also goes completely opposite. This is a major issue and concern. It has almost caused accidents especially in parking lots. No incidents YET. People love walking behind cars backing out and this is a deadly combination waiting to happen
Recall notice 22S43 / NHTSA Recall 22 V413 Car rolls when in park with brake on. Now my car won’t start at all. I don’t know if they are related. I need to know because I can’t waste any money if I don’t have to.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after parking on a slight incline with the engine still running, the vehicle began to roll backward while the transmission shifter was in the park position. After being alerted the vehicle was rolling backward the contact stopped the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal. The contact then discovered that the transmission could not be shifted into drive(D), rendering the vehicle undrivable. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission shifter cable bushing had detached and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The contact also indicated that the vehicle was previously serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V362000 (Power Train) for the same failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated and jerked with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact then stated that she pulled the vehicle over and checked under the hood where she noticed that the coolant reservoir was empty. The vehicle was taken to Auto Zone where it displayed codes: P0302, P0131, P1299, P1450, P0300 and P0303. The contact then stated that she replaced the spark plugs, coils, coolant reservoir, thermostat, and coolant; however, the failure recurred. Additionally, the contact stated that white smoke was coming from the exhaust and the engine became overheated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that coolant had intruded into the engine cylinders, causing the engine to overheat. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Car engine lost power on interstate potentially causing a serious and life-threatening accident. Upon inspection by mechanic, car is losing coolant into the engine cylinder due to design flaw in engine long block and head gasket. Only warning light was immediate and "engine overheating". Ford Motor Company has confirmed acknowledgement of this issue on 2016 to 2019 Ford Fusion and other Ford models but have not issued a recall for this problem. Car has 72K miles with no history of engine failure, overheating, etc. This problem has been reproduced by Ford dealership and inspected with camera to confirm engine coolant within cylinders. Ford also confirms that they've seen this several times and it is due to engine design flaw for ecoboost models 2016-2019.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated the brake lights were continuously illuminated. The contact taped the brake button in to stop the warning light from appearing. The contact also stated that the failure caused the battery to drain. There was also a failure while accelerating with the RPM being inoperable while depressing the accelerator pedal down to the floorboard. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 53,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion equipped with Michelin Tires, Tire Line: Energy Saver A/S, Tire Size: 235/45/R18, DOT Number: (Unknown). The contact stated while driving at MPH, the TPMS warning light illuminated. While the contact was attempting to pull over, the driver’s side rear tire experienced a blowout. The contact was able to change the tire with the spare tire with the assistance of the local authorities. The contact later took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who discovered a nail in the tire which lead to the failure. The tire had been replaced. The tire failure mileage was approximately 20,000. The vehicle failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 65 MPH, the vehicle started jerking and stalled. The check engine warning light and the coolant temperature warning light were illuminated. The contact's wife veered to the side of the road. The contact's wife was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts however, the failure persisted and there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the cylinder head of the engine. The independent mechanic then towed the vehicle to an unknown dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the vehicle was not included in an unknown recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 100,382.
Check Engine light went on, car has under 95k miles. Upon inspection at dealership, they quoted a new engine as the solution due to a coolant leak into the cylinder (#3). Cost of fix is around $11k...not even close to a reasonable problem for a car of this age! Am being told this is a problem with the long block throughout this line. Need Ford to step up and fix this problem.
I've noticed that coolant is leaking from somewhere in the vehicle. There's no obvious drips. I went online to see if anyone else had this issue with the specific model car and it seems as if quite a few people have had this issue. And from what I saw most people said the coolant is leaking into their cylinders. It was actually suggested that I come to this site and make this issue known because a recall is in order if that is the case. Also the recall that was listed for this vehicle before this page was never addressed or fixed on my vehicle. I would like to know how to go about getting it done.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated and lost motive power with the check engine and low coolant warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 121,000.
Car not starting, engine light on. Took to shop, and was a #3 cylinder misfire error. Shop replaced spark plugs and topped off coolant. Over next few days noticed coolant was disappearing. No leaks. Car running rough, loosing coolant. Took to shop again, after several weeks they came back saying coolant is getting into combustion chamber. Decided to take to dealership, they said I need a new engine. Took to dealership I purchased car from and they said the same, new engine. The car only has 77,000 miles on it. Now it is essentially a paperweight. After researching problem, found out this is a known manufacturers defect (grooves in the head that trap coolant and degrade gasket). 2012 Ford ordered a do not drive notice for the exact same problem. I have wrote to Ford and asked for assistance with the repairs, as this is a manufactures defect, but have been unsuccessful.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle decelerated independently. There was no warning light illuminated. The accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact’s husband was able to pull into the driveway. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000. The contact also owns a Ford Escape with the same transmission issues.
The OEM lug nuts that Ford supplies are a 2 piece construction that swells and makes it impossible to change a tire on the side of the road because you have to pound the lug wrench to get it to go on. Ford knows about the problem and will not replace them. A set of 20 lug nuts cost over $200. The dealership told me they need replace so they can rotate my tires the next time I bring it in.
RAN ROUGH ON COLD IDLE. ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. P0302, P0316. UPON INSPECTION FOUND ENGINE HAD CRACKING, ALLOWING COOLANT INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER. CAR HAS 115,OOO MILES. WE OWE $4000 AND A ENGINE COSTS $5200. TURNS OUT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM. A TOTAL ENGINE FAILURE SHOULD NOT BE "COMMON".
Driver side door latch failed. Unable to close door. Happened exactly a year ago to the passenger door (repair invoice attached).
Transmission in vehicle causes erratic engine behavior and has a grinding sounds
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine had misfired. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine short block assembly, the evac system, front-end alignment, engine coolant, and cylinder #2 failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the diagnostic result was confirmed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact referenced NHTSA Recall Number 22V413000 (Power Train). The contact stated after the gear shifter was placed in drive(D) and she placed her foot on the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that a friend checked under the hood of the vehicle and noticed that the shifter cable bushing had detached. The contact’s friend was able to reattach the shifter cable bushing and the vehicle operated as needed. The contact then stated that the friend had place his foot on the accelerator pedal to engage the vehicle then immediately engaged the parking brake to park the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission shifter cable bushing needed to be replaced; however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Check engine light continually comes on and off since August 2022. I currently have 56642.0 miles on vehicle and always get routine maintenance and oil changes. Never had this issue untill this year. Please look into this issue Ford. Next week I will have a diagnostic done and will file another complaint if this is a serious and expensive engine service I will need. Thank you.
Approximately 3 weeks ago my teenage driver called me at work to inform me that his display was "black" and he had no radio. When asked to provide more details, he said that the display screen in the care, which is a touchscreen that is divided into 4 sections (phone, navigation, climate, radio) was not functioning like intended. This screen also displays the backup view when in reverse. He also stated that there is no radio, his phone does not connect via Bluetooth as it did previously to allow for hands-free driving. My son said the screen was functioning as intended when he parked his car for the night, but upon starting the next day it was black- no warning or other symptoms of this problem. We had the car evaluated at the Ford dealership and told it could be two things, but unsure which-tech said have to fix one first and if that doesn't work then the other. APIM failure is one of the two potential problems. My son is a teenage driver, the lack of Bluetooth connectivity and the safety net of the backup display poses a risk for (1) driving distraction related to inability for hands-free driving (2) backup rearview display and additional alerts while car is in reverse malfunctioning increasing the likelihood of collision when in reverse. Ford has known issues with APIMs in various 2017 and newer makes/models.
On August the 17th, 2022 at approximately 1 pm our vehicle was rear-ended and was pushed into another vehicle from a dead stop in a traffic jam by a Chevy Van traveling between 45 and 50 mph until impact. Not a single airbag had deployed during or after the accident.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the brake hydraulic line needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). Additionally, the air bag warning light was illuminated intermittently. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while his son was driving 30 MPH, the engine made an abnormal sound and the vehicle started driving rough. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing and the contact was informed that coolant was leaking into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the VIN was not under recall for the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and informed of the failure. The manufacturer confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was 100,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. While attempting to shift into gear, the vehicle shuddered and jerked. The vehicle failed to exceed 5 MPH while driving. The coolant in the engine was over the temperature message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine was cracked. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the repair was not covered and provided no additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
one day my car randomly showed a sign that my engine was over heating. So I pulled over and was able to Uber to an auto part get more coolant for the car. Since that day forward I had to replenish the coolant at least every two weeks when I went to get a diagnostic they told me I had an internal coolant leak and that I was going to need a new engine and then also my head gasket was blown. I only had the car for a little under two years. As I did reasearch I realized this is a major problem among ford fusions and other ford cars in general. I believe ford knows all about this issue and the engine design being faulty.
Brakes failed while driving at low speed. Found brake fluid on inside of drivers side front. Broken brake line
I have this car with a coolanat leak into the Cylinder causing a misfire resulting in fuel/oil in cylinder and white smoke coming from the exhaust. i keep on having codes pop up and my cabin smells like burnt oil my kids are smelling this on a daily basis its bad for their health i know Ford knows about this problem. if my car catches fire because of the oil problem whos responsible, I've changed out spark plugs. coils. fuel injectors. all sensors. an nothing seems to work. when i changed my oil it looks like oil is flooding my motor an covering my entire engine an leaking everywhere its also a road hazard
2016 FORD FUSION. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO TRANSMISSION SHIFTER CABLE BUSHING SAFETY RECALL. THE CONSUMER REQUESTED TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE SAFETY RECALL 22S43/22V413. THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME FAILURE DESCRIBED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED.
I received a letter that there was a recall on my car but that the vehicle was still drivable, so I continued to drive my car as normal. My daughter drove to her friend house where she simply put the car in park, not even turning off the engine, and 5 minutes later when she attempted to put the car in drive the car would not shift. There were no indicators on the dash that indicated what the problem was. This happened at 10:05pm. The car was parked in the middle of a circle in a housing complex. Around 12:03, after not being able to get a tow from anywhere else, we decided to start the online process of dispatching a tow through the Ford website. There were no tow trucks available at the time so my daughter decided to sit with the car until a tow truck was available to insure the car wouldn’t roll off and hit another vehicle. Around 2:27am my daughter woke up to people breaking into cars in the circle. (A police report will be later provided.) THANKFULLY she seen them before they seen her and was able to scare them off without getting hurt. Around 4:31am she received a call from Ford stating that a tow service will be provided due to the recall and that FORD will reimburse for the tow service. (This call was stated as being recorded so there should be evidence on FORD in of this) The original ETA was giving at 5:17am for 180-210 minutes. A tow truck did not come until 10:07. Leaving my daughter stranded in a clear unsafe situation for about 12 hours. It was NEVER suggested by the Ford representative or the website that i will have to get my car towed to the Dealership. After speaking to someone at the Dealership and the Customer Service Relation department i was told not only was it our fault for not getting the vehicle told to the Dealership but i will not be reimbursed for the previous tow (like i was told) but i will have to pay to get another tow to the Dealership. I was also told that they will not be able to provide me with a loan car until OCTOBER!
i spoke to the Ford dealership service department tech about the recall (22S43/22V413) & was told that Ford stopped making repairs as of the end of July for the problem until the customer has an actual problem and has to have the car towed in - then & only then will parts be sent to the dealership for the repair - Ford repaired some cars in July but notified service departments that Ford will not ship out parts until a customer's car is towed in for repairs to be fixed....Ford will pay for the tow and all parts but cars are not to be repaired until they are broken! I spoke to a rep from Ford and their story was totally different - parts are not available until at least October, so my question is - what happens to cars that exhibit this problem? DOES THE OWNER HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL OCTOBER TO GET A FIX - that seems ridiculous - I asked to speak to a Supervisor and have been waiting for over 30 minutes so will hang up now since no one wants to speak to a customer......
My car won’t shift into gear. It’s stuck in neutral
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, he attempted to slow down for traffic and felt as if the brake was not responding as needed. The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the passenger’s side front brake line had split along the length and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact was advised by the mechanic that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The failure mileage was approximately 174,000.
I started getting a check engine light on the car, hooked up obd miss fire cylinder 3, changed ALL the plugs and coil pack for cylinder 3. Cleared codes, ran fine for about 5 days. Misfire on cylinder 3 again, swapped cylinder 2and 3 coil packs, still misfire on cylinder 3 pulled plug, brand new mind you, looked horrible, cleaned it and swapped it with cylinder 2 plug, still misfire cylinder 3, car seemed to run fine when at higher rpm, but at idle was rough. Wife went to leave later in car….. engine coolant over temp came on, I get to the house, and notice that the coolant tank was low, added some coolant, started it back up, coolant seemed to disappear. Checked the dipstick… oil was a milky color so it’s either bad head or bad gasket. Upon looking this problem up there seems to be A LOT of problems with this design on fords motors where coolant is getting into one of the cylinders and ruining the engine.
Brought car into Ford Dealership for check engine light and car cutting off while driving, dealer stated that a ignition coil was bad, had that issue fixed and approx 1 month later has same code and same issues was advised that there is coolant leaking into cylinder causing Check engine light and a dead cylinder and car will need new engine. After talking to service writer was told that it is a ongoing issue with this model car and engine and that there is several TSB letters advising the issue, I advised service writer at Ford, that we purchased the car New and every bit of service has been done at a Ford dealership and was never warned of this issue, service writer stated that Ford is not obligated to warn its customers of a possible issue.
My driver door lock light will not glow when I lock my vehicle. Transmission is slipping and has a recall on it. Front brakes has a recall.