2013 Ford Fusion Complaint Log

I was driving the vehicle and a warning message came on related to the power steering module not functioning correctly. Immediately after the steering column locked up and was stiff and to tough to continue driving. I looked into repairs and notice a recall # 19S26 was issued in 2019 with my specific vehicle in the list by year, brand and model for the exact problem described. When I contacted Ford, they advised me that my VIN # was not included in the recall. Wanted to file complaint due to the lack of coverage Ford offers for cars specifically covered under the recall.

The steering locked up while driving. I was unable to turn the steering wheel. My self and my brother were in the vehicle. At this time, I am contacting the dealer to look at the unit. It will not turn and is stuck in my driveway. I am being told the electronic steering rack may have failed. Why does this not break way and allow some turning like the old hydraulic models? If I had been driving highway speeds, this would have been a serious accident.

The transmission shift cable bushing at the transmission end of the shifter cable has completely degraded and detached, which is a component available for inspection upon request. This failure caused a significant safety risk as the gear shifter inside the cabin moved freely while the transmission remained in its last gear, creating an immediate rollaway risk and preventing the vehicle from being shifted into Park. The safety of others was put at risk because the vehicle could not be secured and could have moved in an unintended direction. This specific problem has been confirmed by a Ford dealership, yet the dealer refused to perform the necessary repair under Recall 22S43 (NHTSA Campaign 22V413), claiming the VIN was not covered despite the vehicle exhibiting the exact failure and being within the recalled model year and assembly plant range. Prior to this total failure, there were no warning lamps or messages, though the instrument cluster occasionally showed a gear position that did not match the physical shifter before the bushing finally disintegrated. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer or insurance representatives.

Power steering / power steering assist failure. Complete loss of power steering

Brakes went out while driving. Brake fluid reservoir is full.

1. My car began to produce white smoke after a burning smell. Then caught fire under the hood in engine area. The car is buried in snow/ice, not available to access. 2. The car caught fire. 3. The problem has not been reproduced nor confirmed by anyone (dealer/independent service center) 4. No, due to weather conditions. (Blizzard) 5. Only the burning smell and white smoke.

See attached document for complaint.

The power steering module/rack, passenger side air bag Safety is a risk due to steering not working properly/ seat belt constantly locking Yes Yes others inspected Seat belt sensor has been on several months Service steering assist/Lane keep system malfunction service required and steering assist fault - all came on when it got cold and steering won’t work now

I own a 2013 Ford Fusion SE with a 1.6L EcoBoost engine. Prior to the incident, the vehicle displayed a “Check Charging System” warning and the engine overheated. After parking the vehicle and shutting it off, a fire started under the hood in the engine compartment. The fire occurred shortly after the overheating warning and while the vehicle was not running. The fire appeared to originate in the engine bay area and caused significant damage. There were no prior accidents or modifications to the vehicle.

Vehicle: 2013 Ford Fusion Mileage: ~165,000 miles Issue Type: Engine stalls / loss of power My 2013 Ford Fusion has experienced intermittent engine stalling and hesitation since early ownership. The vehicle will stall or “putter” when slowing down or coming to a stop, often without warning. When this occurs, the engine shuts off and the vehicle must be put into park and restarted. Restarting is sometimes delayed or hesitant. This issue occurs without any warning lights or diagnostic trouble codes appearing on the dashboard, making it difficult for dealerships and mechanics to diagnose. The problem has persisted for years and has occurred multiple times under normal driving conditions. This defect presents a serious safety risk, as the vehicle can lose power unexpectedly while in traffic, at intersections, or during braking. Loss of engine power in these situations creates a high risk of collision. The vehicle has been inspected multiple times, including by dealerships, but the issue could not be identified due to the absence of fault codes. This appears to be a design or component defect that does not reliably trigger diagnostic warnings. I am reporting this as a safety-related defect involving unexpected engine stalling and loss of power. The date I marked you asked below is the most current but as I stated it’s been happening since a month after purchasing the car brand new.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine overheated. The contact was informed that there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle. The contact was called for help. The contact arrived at the location and inspected under the hood, and became aware that the coolant level was low. The coolant reservoir was refilled, and the contact became aware that coolant and oil were leaking onto the manifold. The vehicle was driven to the residence with the persistent burning odor. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to bring the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure; however, the VIN was not under recall. The contact stated that the oil and coolant leaking onto the manifold was a fire hazard. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.

Rear view camera intermittently works. Blackout when reversing. Car is in reverse camera starts then stops

The car is experiencing jerks between gear shifts. Almost hit another car due to this car movement when it shifts between gears

Turn signal prematurely cancels intermittently, in middle of turn or prior to starting turn. This is after the signal stalk switch has been locked into the continuous on position, not the momentary position. The slightest movement of the steering wheel back away from the direction of turn will induce this. Not a full 1/8 of a turn back, but a very minute amount, as little as 1 or 2 degrees of steering movement. This is a known issue by the manufacturer, as they have service bulletin instructions for dealership technicians to reprogram the steering column signal switch, however, this repair is cost prohibitive at dealership rates. It is a safety concern, as the signal sometimes cancels without immediate driver awareness, as attention is being focused outside. This should be a recall repair covered by the manufacturer.

The rear view camera intermittently stops working, giving a message “camera unavailable” in a black screen. This has happened many times during use and caused near misses during vehicle reversing.

A couple of weeks ago My Steering wheel locked up and the codes were reset which unlocked the wheel so i was able to turn it. Mechanic said it was moisture getting to the part and then the power steering light came on & it became Hard to turn the steering wheel while driving. There was no indication of a issue before it started.

UNKNOWN - I was driving the car on a highway, there were no alerts and my engine light was not on, and my car started smoking and within 5 minutes my car was completely on fire. After the fire was put out, the whole front of the car was gone and then engine looked melted.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was abnormal white smoke coming out of the tailpipe. The contact stated that upon inspecting the oil dipstick, the contact noticed that there was coolant in the oil, and the contact also noticed that there was a small amount of oil in the coolant reservoir. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), for which the VIN was included. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the recall repair would be performed on the vehicle; however, the contact was concerned that the recall remedy would not correct the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,200.

My rear camera will go out while in reverse. Sometimes boxes appear on the screen or it will be completely black.

Vehicle ran very well, however engine caught fire while exiting highway. Insurance adjuster states common issue with Ford EcoBoost engines. Reported to Ford whom dismissed issue of engine fire

My car was parked in my driveway. I realized that I didn't have my key on me. So I quickly ran in the house to get my key. I went outside to find my car rolling down my driveway into my neighbor's brick house. My 11 year old was messing with the gear shift from the back seat and was able to change the gear to neutral with no brake engaged and no key in the ignition. When I went to the dealership, an employee was able to tell me that it was a bad shifter cable bushing. I checked to see if there is a recall and there was for our year, make, and model; unfortunately, our VIN is now registered under the recall.

I have replaced my struts and shocks three times and I am still having trouble with my stability trac

1. After vehicle is given gas it won’t crank. 2. Tire sensors won’t turn off. Even with brand new tires and mounts. 3. Random electrical malfunctions. (Flickering dash lights, delayed engine start after turning the key, light bouncing back and forth between gears, etc.)

Unknown and it's whole electrical system is failing and constantly keeps shutting the car off saying no key detected and strands me more places than I can count it's stalled out in the middle of the road and said no key detected and I had to wait for it to basically let me start the car back up after like being shut off for 20 mins or if I unhooked the battery and hooked it back up then it would start and only go for a day or so and the heat only works if it's raining outside

The contact owned a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the message "Coolant Over Temperature" was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact then exited the vehicle and raised the hood and there was black smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact backed away from the vehicle and approximately 3 minutes later the vehicle caught on fire. The Fire Department was contacted and arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire. A Fire report was filed however, the contact had not received a Fire report number. The Police also arrived on scene and collected information from the contact; however, the contact was unaware of a Police report being filed. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The contact was made aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

I believe my car was missed in the steering rack recall. There’s a decent amount of side to side play that just moves the steering wheel not the wheels. The car will be all over the road. Also when I’m accelerating with my foot on the gas the steering stiffness up & goes back to feeling like normal under load. As soon as there’s no driving load it loosens back up. Today it randomly almost felt like the steering got stuck for a second while going straight then quickly jerked itself to the right then went back to feeling loose. I’ve replaced controls arms, ball joints, tie rods.I do not want to crash because fords negligence on not including my car in the recall. I’m still making payments on the car and can not afford money out of pocket to fix fords mistakes. Please help! My car needs this recall! I have videos upon being needed, it will only let me upload pictures.

My vehicle has this issue and is not in the recall notice. Due to the on going issue we parked the vehicle and have not drove it. The affected cars have an engine block heater that may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short-circuit when the block heater is plugged in, increasing the risk of fire. Customers with affected vehicle may notice coolant spots on the driveway or garage floor, a loss of cabin heat, overheating, smoking or a warning indicator for low coolant levels. No accident or injury has been reported linked to the malfunction, according to Ford.

Delayed/ rough up shift

In 2019, my car suddenly began to leak engine coolant. A low engine coolant signal alarmed, the car started to smoke, and then was un-usable. I took it to a Ford dealership, they ran some diagnostics, and determined that the issue was related to a known recall. They repaired the issue and for 5 years, things seemed ok. This April, the engine coolant warning came back on and the car shut down. I inspected the engine coolant revisor and it was extremely low and the check engine light came on. I took the car in to be inspected and it was noted that the hoses and gaskets were corroded. The hoses and gaskets were replaced and that seemed to resolve all of the alarms and check engine light, but weeks later, the low engine coolant light came back on. This week the same Ford dealership determined that there was an issue with the water pump and that it needed to be replaced. I wondered if anyone else with a Ford Fusion experienced water pump issues and there seem to be two class action lawsuits against Ford siting several vehicle models with faulty water pumps. I can submit my water pump replacement receipt when I receive it from the Ford dealership on Monday.

The rear view camera of my Ford Fusion has started to sporadically function. It started out with an occasional blank screen showing, followed by a message that the camera is not available and to call the dealer. Over the past month or so (July 2025) it is erroring more than 50% of the time. I am afraid of backing up now as I'm so used to using the camera to properly make sure everything is clear behind me. I have already been in a near-miss situation because the camera was not working, and I didn't see the vehicle that was approaching my car in a blindspot. My vehicle has roughly 190,000 miles and only recently has the camera started giving out. I saw on the news a recall of more than 120,000 Ford vehicles within similar rearview camera failure issues and I wanted to make sure that my situation was also recorded with the NHTSA for my particular Year, Make, and Model. Thank you.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel felt loose and was wobbling abnormally. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

Noise from steering column, took to local repair shop. Diagnosed as rack and pinion failure. No alarms or alerts of any kind other that noise that is easily heard when in parking lot or driving on a low speed street. Risk is loss of steering control, at highways speeds could lead to accidents or worse.

The contact owned a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while entering a parking lot, while depressing the accelerator pedal, another vehicle T-boned her vehicle on the front passenger side. No air bags deployed. The contact stated that she sustained a concussion to the head. Medical attention was required. The contact stated that a police report was filed.  The contact stated that the failure was not diagnosed by a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was towed to Copart. The contact mentioned the vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and they informed her that the air bag may not have deployed because the other vehicle did not hit her on the driver's side. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the power steering assist and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn to the left or the right. The contact pulled off the highway and turned off and restarted the vehicle to reset the steering functionality. The contact stated that the steering wheel was still difficult to turn. The contact had not yet taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V232000 (Steering). The contact notified the manufacturer and was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 174,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 202,000.

The contact's granddaughter owned a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated that while her granddaughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver looked in the rearview mirror and noticed black smoke coming from the rear seats of the vehicle. The contact stated that the driver's sons were in car seats in the rear seats of the vehicle. The driver immediately pulled over to the side of the road, exited the vehicle, and took her sons out of the vehicle. The contact stated that the entire vehicle then caught on fire. The contact stated that the driver's side of the vehicle was more burned than the rest of the vehicle. The fire was extinguished by the Fire Department, who informed the contact's granddaughter that the fire might have originated from the trunk of the vehicle. It was unknown whether a Police report or a Fire Department report was filed. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed and could be totaled. The driver's mother transported the driver and her sons to the emergency room due to smoke inhalation. It was unknown whether injuries were sustained. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the odor of fuel was present inside the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered fuel leaking underneath the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the fuel delivery module was cracked and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V227000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 160,000.

The contact owned a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked at the contact's work parking lot, the vehicle caught on fire due to unknown reasons. A security guard discovered the fire, and called the Fire Department extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. No police report was filed. The contact was at work during the incident, and it was not until he finished his shift that he discovered that his vehicle had caught on fire. The contact believed the fire started from the engine area, per witnesses. The vehicle was towed to a local towing yard. The contact notified his insurance company and deemed the vehicle totaled. The fire spread and damaged several vehicles parked nearby. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

Constantly drinks coolant and has been fixed at least once.

The rear view camera will display a black screen or the image will be reversed causing confusion and dangerous reversal actions. Also the camera will go black in the middle of parking or not display at all. The transmission will slip without warning and the vehicle will have have to be shut down and restarted in order to drive correctly.

Right Front wheel speed Sensor replaced and problem continues due to pigtail coming from wiring harness that connects to top portion of wheel speed sensor Water enters the connector and short circuits the ABS system causing the car to disable ABS,Traction Control and Power steering all light illuminated as well

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after her daughter had parked and exited the vehicle, she informed her mother that the windshield wipers had failed. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had been using a spray bottle to clear the windshield. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V117000 (VISIBILITY); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The contact was referred by the manufacturer to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 92,000.

The contact’s mother-in-law owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contacts mother-in-law received notification of an unknown recall in 2016. The remedy included replacing the bolts and applying a wax sealer to the bolts. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while receiving maintenance at an independent mechanic, the mechanic became aware that the electronic power steering rack bolts were fractured, and the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. On another occasion, while the vehicle was turned off, the contact inspected the vehicle and became aware that the power steering rack bolts were fractured. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,450.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the back-over prevention camera image was blank. While reversing, the camera suddenly became inoperable. There was no alert or beeping to warn the driver of an approaching pedestrian when the camera became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The contact called the local dealer and was informed about a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

One day, my steering wheel locked up, and I get the message across my dashboard that says service power steering now I almost had an accident because of it

The factory-installed rearview backup camera on my 2013 Ford Fusion fails intermittently. When shifting into reverse, the display screen frequently goes black, shows a distorted or flickering image with multicolored lines, or displays an error message stating the camera is unavailable. The failure is unpredictable but occurs more often in hot weather or after rain, suggesting a hardware defect. The component that has failed is the rearview camera system, likely the camera module itself, which is available for inspection. This malfunction creates a significant safety hazard by eliminating rear visibility, substantially increasing the risk of a back-over collision with pedestrians, children, or other objects. The failure to display a rearview image is a non-compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer due to its intermittent nature, making it difficult to reproduce on demand. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer or other parties regarding this issue. The symptoms first appeared several months ago and have become progressively more frequent. The primary warnings are the on-screen error messages and the loss of the video feed itself.

My car started making a clicking grinding sound. The dealership says it's the flex plate. My fusion has an eco boost engine. I was quoted 8 to 10k to fix it. I was shocked to find oit this is a known issue with wxi boost but only later models have been recalled.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 55 MPH, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was hot(H). No warning lights were illuminated. The contact exited the highway, however, upon pulling over to the side of the road, the vehicle shut off and coasted to a stop. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine had experienced coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and opened the hood to inspect the vehicle. The contact stated that upon opening the hood, the contact became aware that oil was leaking at the rear of the engine compartment by the firewall. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the cylinder head had fractured. The mechanic determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

Engine was losing power while driving. Upon inspection of engine it was noticed that coolant was being lost. I took it to dealership and was told I needed a new engine. I went ahead and got the engine replaced at the ford dealership. I was told this would fix the issue. After having the car back I noticed I was still losing coolant. I took it back and they claimed to have fixed the leak in coolant system. It was fine for a while but it’s back to losing coolant with no visible signs of where the coolant is going.