2016 Ford Fusion Complaint Log

When placing the vehicle in reverse, the backup camera image intermittently turns to a black screen with a message saying to contact the dealership.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated when starting the vehicle in the morning, the vehicle idled roughly and was emitting white smoke from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that once the vehicle had warmed up, the vehicle ran normally. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that coolant was leaking into the cylinders. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin Number: 19-2346 Coolant in the Cylinders (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

I put my car in park and it stayed in drive even though I remove the key and there was no chime or warning. It would roll away unless the emergency break was applied. it seems to be the same exact issue as recall numbers: 18S20, 19S16 and 18V471.

On February 15th 2022 I experienced to failure in my powertrain system regarding the transmission center cable. I had my vehicle in park in a public lot and it began to roll away towards oncoming traffic. Thankfully I noticed and was able to get back into my vehicle and apply the emergency break before anyone was hit or injured when I looked closer I realized my gear shifter was in park but the dashboard read that my car was still in drive. When I tried to move the shifter It was completely stick in place and I had to get my vehicle towed to a Ford dealership. I spent $256.59 to have the transmission shifter cable replaced. In doing research on the issue I have learned there have already multiple recalls for this exact issue on 2016 Ford Fusion but when speaking to the dealership and looking on this website I was informed that my specific vehicle was not included in this recall therefore the repairs would not be covered. Also in my research I learned many other Ford Fusions who were not included in the recall have experienced the same exact system failure and safety concern. The Ford dealership that did the repair said it was the same part failure that resulted in the recall of the other vehicles. No warning lights messages or other signs appeared prior to the failure or notified me that a failure had occurred.

Cable from gear selector and transmission failed. Car countined moving once put in park. This problem is known to affect 2016 Ford Fusions. No. No warning lamps or sounds, the car just continued to roll.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering assist failed, causing the steering wheel to make a loud screeching sound. The steering wheel then seized. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

Check engine light came on but no symptoms at that point. Mechanic pulled codes and replaced plugs. Car started skipping and starting harder, so brought in again. Replaced coil on cyl 4. And also used fuel cleaner in case fuel injector was clogged. Still no change except that the heat was not working. After a week or so. Called mechanic who said it sounded like coolant may be low so filled it and made appt. To replace fuel injector. Replaced that and noticed that coolant was low again. Star still skipping and starting hard. Brought it back and he mentioned coolant may be leaking into cylinder and they’d check if gasket blown/cracked. I expressed frustration and asked if I should bring to Ford. He said yes and actually reimbursed me $638. I made appt at Ford but they were a month out. Then I brought to friends mechanic and told him story and he determined it was definitely leaking into cylinder and likely will need new engine. Told me about TSB and all the complaints. Said I should bring to Ford to do work in case recall is issued and I’d get reimbursed.

While driving the vehicle made An alert sound and the “park hill assist” unavailable sign came on. No other warning lights on dashboard.Once I got to the destination I realized all of the parking brake were still on even though the vehicle was turned off. Also noticed a little plastic piece was in pieces under the brake pedal on the floor. The vehicle now does not engage out of park or the brake lights turn on. Dealer said there’s no recall at the moment for the vehicle of any kind in regards to brakes. They are asking to take the vehicle in to pay for a diagnostic. Seems silly that something that involves safety such as brake light switch pad stopper would be defective and the dealer not want to make it right

The shift cable clip broke and vehicle is stuck in neutral. There is a recall for this problem for ford fusion's 2013 - 2016. We have a 2016 but the vin # is not included in the recall, unsure why it is not included.

On Saturday Feb 5th, while driving our vehicle on the highway, the steering wheel started coming loose. By the time we parked the car in our driveway, the steering wheel was rocking in all directions at an inch. We had the steering wheel bolt replaced in 2018, because of this part being recalled. After being towed to a dealership, their claim is that it was caused by the bolt not being properly torqued during the recall. That seems unlikely, due to the time that has passed.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while in the reverse, the vehicle would move forward. The contact placed the gear shifter into drive and the vehicle stalled with the "transmission not in park" warning message on the instrument panel. The contact then placed the vehicle into the park and the vehicle began to roll backward. The contact immediately applied the parking brake and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. Once at the dealer, the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective transmission cable bushing. The contact was informed that her vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V362000 (Power Train). The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated while starting the vehicle. The contact also stated that the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where several speed sensors were replaced. The contact then stated that while driving in stop-and-go traffic, the vehicle stalled with white smoke coming from under the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to a parking lot where it was later towed to an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

The shifter cable has degraded and detached from the transmission, allowing the transmission to be in a shift state other than what the shifter lever shows. Although there is an existing recall for this exact issue, my vehicle falls outside of the specified manufacture dates and Ford is unwilling to remedy the issue. As a result I need to fix the issue out of pocket in order to prevent severe injury or loss of life.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred intermittently. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that it was a known failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into a cylinder, which reduced the amount of coolant and left a possibility for the engine to overheat. The independent mechanic also diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the repair was not covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 63,180.

My son was driving home from work and his engine overheated setting off steam and displaying red warning icon. He pulled over to side of interstate which happened three times from his work to independent car repair service. Blessed he was not hit sitting on side of interstate or that engine didn't lock up potentially causing loss of control. Both of these issues would have put my son at risk of death or bodily injuries. Both Independent Car Service and Ford Dealership confirmed failure caused by engine head gasket flange design flaw allowing coolant into cylinder head. This resulted in having to have the engine replaced which Ford declined to cover. Ford has recently changed this flawed head gasket flange design to prevent coolant from entering cylinders. It's difficult for me to understand why Ford or NHTSA hasn't taken action on this issue that can potentially put lives at risk. There are multiple years of Ford Vehicle platforms and engines that have this same faulty design. I have multiple children driving and I will make sure not to put them in a vehicle that puts them in potential harm. Regards

My Fusion would shift into park using the shifter, but was actually in neutral allowing the car to roll forward and backward even though the shifter was in park. It is at the dealer now and they said they shifter bushing failed. There is a recall for Fusions (reference # 19s16), but the dealer says it does not apply to my vehicle. The recall is for Fusions with the 2.5 motor and I have the 2.0 motor. However, I asked the dealer and both vehicles use the same bushing, so I think my car should be covered. Luckily no one was injured in this incident but it could have been avoided if my car was included in the recall. This occurred in Provo, UT where my son is using the car for School.

The contact owns 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear driver’s side door flew open without warning. The vehicle was taken a dealer where it was repaired out of pocket. After the initial repair was performed, the front passenger’s and rear passenger’s side doors both failed to operate as needed. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V177000 (Latches/Locks/Linkage). The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 33,290.

The APAM system which controls the blue tooth speaker phone access has quit functioning and FORD offers no solution. This is a safety hazard since several states have outlawed holding a cell phone for calls. A vehicle this age should not have experienced this type of failure and the cost of repair is rather large.

Coolant Intrusion I bought the 2016 Ford Fusion 1/8/2022. Three days into ownership, check engine light came on. Ed Morse Ford of Lebanon, MO diagnosed the car and determined "Coolant Intrusion". Due to the flawed design of the engines small block, coolant was allowed to enter into the pistons and sparks plugs. Result of the coolant intruding into the engine components, the engine was getting excessively hot and at serious risk of catching on fire and major component malfunctioning. Ed Morse Ford at their cost, did replace the engine small block and updated some seals and belts. Dealership reported the newly updated small block design was installed. The new design removes the pin holes from the top of the small block moving below the surface. Original design is a fire bomb waiting to happen and has happened.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed with the fuel tank half-full, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure reoccurred after refueling the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

THE TRUNK ON THE FUSION RANDOMLY OPENS ON IT'S OWN, THE KEY FOB CAN BE HANGING INSIDE THE HOUSE, IT OPENS WHEN IT'S SUNNY, CLOUDY, DARK, WHEN THE CAR IS PARKED OR WHEN I AM DRIVING THE CAR, WHICH IS A SAFETY HAZARD AS IT CAN BLOCK MY VISION BEHIND THE CAR. IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. NO WARNING LIGHTS ALERT OF THE SOON TO POP OPEN TRUNK. LOOKED FOR SOLUTIONS AND NONE ARE AVAILABLE, MANY EXPERIENCE SAME ISSUE AND HAVE GONE TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY AREN'T ABLE TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM

Coolant leak into cylinder 3 due to defective 2.0L Ecoboost engine. Requires complete engine replacement.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the power steering assist and traction control warning lights illuminated. The power steering assists then failed. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 38,898.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while his wife was driving through a fast-food drive-thru, she shifted into PARK however, the gear shifted independently into neutral. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that an employee from the fast-food restaurant assisted with pushing the vehicle into the parking lot. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer while speaking on the phone. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V362000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

I have a 2016 Ford Fusion SE Ecoboost wth 1.5 engine. In December 2021, while driving a block from my home, the engine overheated and I pulled over to find no coolant. There has been no coolant leaking under my car. Coolant was added that day, but has continually needed to be refilled. My check engine light had been coming on stating the sensor 2 ignition cable was bad, but we had replaced it along with spark plugs, but it kept coming up as a bad sensor and we confirmed it wasn't a defect part, it always showed sensor 2 as the problem. I took the car to my mechanic in June 2023 and he found that the fuel injector under that sensor wasn't being fed fuel continually, but skipping. He replaced the fuel injector and discovered the coolant leak was in the engine. I paid for a new gasket, then he discovered the coolant freeze plug was cracked, so ordered a new one from Ford. After being told the part is still on back order for over 8 weeks, I called my local Ford dealership and was informed they aren't making the coolant freeze plug for the 2016 Ford Fusion Ecoboost 1.5 at this time due to quality issues. I then called Ford manufacturing and was told they had those plugs, so they sent one to my mechanic. He currently is attempting to install it but says it appears it will just create the same problem. I am reading online countless individuals with Ford vehicles from 2013 to 2019 with Ecoboost engines having a problem with coolant leaking into the engine, causing car fires and numerous dangerous issues. I have not had use of my car for 10 weeks and if this plug goes in place, I will be afraid to drive it as I'm reading about cars catching fire. All these vehicles need recalled and Ford Motor Company needs to fix these engines or provide us with safe vehicles. I am disabled and cannot afford another car and am still paying for this 2016 Fusion. I've spent a lot on rental cars and ride shares to my appointments and am basically home bound because of this.

During a tire repair at COSTCO (12/15/21) and a tire rotation at Big O Tires (1/24/22), all the lug nuts were difficult to remove and showed damage/warping. I had to purchase replacements for safety and future removal ability. I have the receipts and both dealers can be contacted for corroboration.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon placing the gear shifter into DRIVE, the vehicle began to reverse as the instrument panel showed that the gear was in REVERSE. The contact made multiple attempts to switch the gear shifter until DRIVE appeared on the instrument panel and was able to resume normal driving. The contact then called the dealer and an appointment was scheduled to have the vehicle diagnosed. The manufacturer had been notified of the failure and informed her that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V362000 (Power Train). The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

I replaced the starter battery after the original battery reached the end of its life. Upon installing the new battery, I had dashboard messages showing “Electric Power Steering Assist failed” And other cascaded systems offline because of no steering. Without the steering assistance, the safety of driving the car is questionable. It is more difficult to steer than a vehicle without power steering. It takes all the strength to turn the wheel, even when the vehicle is moving. This vehicle had been serviced for a previous related recall in which the steering bolts would fail. Perhaps the replacement bolts have also failed. Whatever the root cause, the resultant failure mode has a high severity (lack of steering capability by a normal strength person). This could cause an accident.

Common issue with 2.0 ecoboost engines, coolant is leaking into cylinders. Caused engine to over heat causing a possible fire issue. There were no signs other than engine started to run rough. Vehicle still runs but smokes out exhaust.

Canister valve replaced to help the vac system, multiple codes appeared, all relating back to the engine! Coolant linking into engine! Issue has been on going.

Car has intermittent electrical issue that causes ECUs to reboot often times disabling safety systems such as ABS, Airbags, Collision Avoidance, Adaptive Cruise Control, power steering and power brakes. Ford dealer believes that it's a short in a wiring harness. They claim this issue has been seen in several vehicles like mine. Ford was able to reproduce the problem and recommends replacement of a wiring harness ($4k). To date, I have not had an accident, but do not feel safe driving the vehicle if the airbags and other safety systems become inoperable. Yes, all of the dashboard lights come on when this issue occurs - technician states that the whole computer system gets taken down. That's very uncomfortable when you are traveling at highway speed and no longer have safety system. Steering and braking do get impacted but are not inoperable. I can provide videos of the dashboard when these events occur.

As with all other ford 2.0l Ecoboost engine. There apparently is a design flaw causing coolant intrusion into the cylinders. Which would require a new engine per Ford.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that she placed the vehicle in the park position and then exit the vehicle, when without warning the vehicle inadvertently rolled in reverse and crashed into another vehicle. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. A police report was filed. No warning lights was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed. The dealer was not notified. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a Ford dealer for diagnosis but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

When I took my car in for service, I was told that my lug nuts were swollen and had to be replaced.

Distorted lug nuts

I have a 2016 Ford Fusion SE 2.0L. Got a P0303 code for a cylinder 3 misfire. The spark plugs and coils were replaced to no resolve. Still getting a P0303 code. Short term fuel trims are good so I dont think its an injector issue. The car began to over heat with out warning about a week after the P0303 code started presenting itself. This is dangerous as the vehicle could catch fire.

Engine light came on after car overheated. Took car into local auto service center and was told I had a blown head gasket. I'm filling this complaint due to the numerous other complaints regarding this same issue on the same year make and model of my car. Had I not taken my car to the service center immediately, potential for safety issue could have been high and impacted myself, family, and other individuals driving near me.

Trunk is randomly opening on it's own.

TSB 19-2346 (https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10169807-0001.pdf) needs to include 2016 models of the Ford Fusion. My wife was starting our 2016 Ford Fusion 2.0l EcoBoost when it started shaking violently in idle. The check engine light began flashing. We had it towed into Ford where they are now quoting us a $10,000 full engine replacement for “coolant in the cylinders.” This is the exact same problem the 2017-19 fusions are experiencing, so I am not sure why the 2016 isn’t on this list.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the defroster, HVAC system, and front and rear passenger's side windows and doors were inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer replaced the main control; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 99,800.

Backup camera hasn't worked for years on 2016 Ford Fusion. Recalls were deployed for other vehicles yet not mine. Obviously Ford has a serious problem with their backup cameras and should be required to fix all make and models.

There was a recall for the bushing on the shifter cable for 2013 - 2016 Fusions with a 2.5L engine under recall number 19S15. My vehicle is a 1.5L engine and this bushing failed Thursday 10/28/2021. I never found the part to see how it failed. My wife tried to put the vehicle into park and heard a noise and the shifter went into park but the transmission did not (due to the cable not being attached). I was able to diagnose the issue after a while. I called the Ford dealer I use and they advised that the recall had been addressed. I later found out that this was not the case as the part was not recalled on my car. I was able to replace the bushing but feel this is a huge issue with all of these bushings. The part number is DG9Z 7K340A and is $1.17.

The contact owns a 2016FORD Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 5mph when attempting to put the vehicle into drive the vehicle would not shift gears. The contact stated no warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing shifter cable bushing bearing replaced and was repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with, NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V362000 (POWER TRAIN) however the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Coolant leaking into Engine

The contact's son owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while her son was reversing into a parking spot to park the vehicle, the gear shifter would not move and remained stuck in reverse. The contact did not know whether there was a warning light illuminated. The contact stated that her son was able to move the gear shifter to park, then to drive with assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the shifter cable bushing had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they could not cover the repair since the VIN was not included in a recall. A case was opened. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 65,200.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, a message stating that the engine was experiencing high temperatures illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact continued to drive the vehicle since he was approaching his residence. As the contact arrived at his residence, he opened the hood of the vehicle and noticed that there was no engine coolant; however, there was no evident coolant leak. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 52,000.

Coolant intrusion into cylinders, car barely runs. Mechanic says there is an issue with these particular ecoboost motors.

It’s the power steering it’s hard too turn my steering wheel at times

Lug nuts expand in hot climate and cannot be removed by owner. Discount Tire had to remove. I replaced them all, for $55, so there is no future problem.

I have a 2016 Fusion with a 1.5 L EcoBoost, 54,000 miles on it. I am out of warranty by less than a year. My car told me that the engine was overheating while I was driving down the highway. I pulled off the road, and found there was no coolant in the reservoir. I filled the coolant up and kept an eye on it while scheduling a repair appointment. Every time I would drive the car, it would stutter when accelerating, only when it was cold. Once it warmed up it was not an issue. Every time I would also have to refill the coolant. I took the vehicle in, and found out it was misfiring on cylinder 4, and the coolant was leaking into the engine. Since it is out of warranty, it is $3,000 out of pocket. My car could have started on fire, or started smoking from the engine and caused a major accident had this gone on for too long. The misfire of the cylinder did not cause any warning lights to go on in my car. It would throw a code for a little bit, then disappear, it was a soft code not a hard code.