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 horn had malfunctioned and no audible sound was present when the horn was pressed. The contact indicated that the failure was intermittent initially but eventually became a permanent failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the local dealer who were both unable to determine the cause of the failure. The local dealer recommended that the vehicle be taken to an electrician. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 83,700.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated, with smoke coming from the exhaust tip. The service engine soon warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine block needed to be replaced because of coolant intrusion; however, the contact was advised to take the vehicle to a local dealer for the repair. The vehicle was then taken to a local dealer, who confirmed the independent mechanic's diagnostic result. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). 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 approximate failure mileage was 90,000.
My back up camera is blue all time , I saw so many people have the same issue, ford need to publish a recall on 2016 ford fusion as well, they did a recall on other vehicles recently, but not on this 2016 ford fusion
I am writing to let you know of my current difficulties in fixing my Ford Fusion 2016 that had an issue with the door latch. As this problem prevented the door from closing, which raised a safety concern while driving. A recent recall from Ford under the recall number 20S15 (attached) was released on March 24, 2020, to fix this issue for Fiesta, Fusion, and MKZ. My car fits exactly the affected vehicle's description in the recall. Yet, the certified dealer and Ford decided not to include this in the recall, and I had to pay out of pocket (attached) as the current condition is not safe to drive the car without fixing the door latch. I believe my car should be included in this recall as it is affected by the same problem they described in their announcement.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, he became aware that the steering wheel was loose. There was no warning light illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V167000 (Steering) which he linked to the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
December 2021 right front brake hose failed. Was replaced. July 2022 left front brake line failed . in shop to be replaced. Brake failure puts all in vehicle at risk as well anyone in vehicle i was following. there was no warning just a "pop" and no breaks when pedal was pushed. December 2021 occurred at 87437 miles July 2022 occurred at 94040 miles this is a serious safety issue and needs to be addressed by NTSA. it is not the only report of this failure on this vehicle or vehicles of prior years and Ford Motor Company doesn't seem to care about the failure or the safety of their owners.
I went to get oil changed and tires rotated. Expected to just pay for that. However, was told my lug nuts were swollen and ended up having to get them replaced as a safety issue. I have never heard of this issue before. I only have 50,000 miles on my car. I am retired, an have fixed income. Therefore, the price of $120 plus tax put quite the dent in my grocery allowance. This should be a recall. And all that have experienced this should be reimbursed. I have been a Ford owner all my life, but next car will be asking more questions about the lug nuts. Can't afford to do this every 4 or 5 years.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated with DTC: P301 (Cylinder #1 Misfire). The contact stated that he replaced the spark plugs however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that coolant was leaking into the engine and that the engine and the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the VIN was not under recall and advised the contact to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 64,000.
Head gasket failed at 75,000 miles and allowed coolant to mix with oil causing the engine to fail and needing to be replaced. Needless to say this is a very costly repair that I feel is Ford Motor Co. responsibility. This is far too frequent issue not to receive compensation
This past July my front passenger door would not latch, I was unable to close and secure the door. I called San Tan Ford, and they initially said this was a known problem with my make and model and that there was a recall on the door latches. When I went down to have the repair I was told that my particular car was not included in this recall, even though they agreed I had the exact door latch failure. I went ahead and had the door latches repaired at my own cost since I had no way to keep my door closed and locked. Would like to be reimbursed for this cost $828.63 and need to be sure that anyone else who has my make and model of car be aware of this being a problem for them as well. If you are not able to help, would appreciate being directed to someone who could. Thank you
Symptoms include - rough idle, car sputtering and dying, miss fire cylinder 2, loss of coolant. Followed the recommendations from the codes after the check engine light came on. Changed the spark plugs & coils, reset check engine light. Came back on within a week. Took to Ford on 8/22/2022. Diagnostic came back on 8/25/2022 as a known issue TSB 19-2375. Faulty design of the short black, coolant intrusion into the cylinders. There is a class action lawsuit already in motion. It's unfortunate and truly unacceptable that Ford knows the old design of the short block is defective and failed to communicate this to car buyers posing safety concerns with car fires and months of vehicles being out of commission due to parts being in back order. Currently the car is being repaired once completed I can provide a detail work order exceeding $8000.00 if needed.
Lug nuts are swelling and tires will not come off.
When shifting in to any gear (reverse, neutral, drive, or speed), the shifter does not click into place. While shifting, the dash does not illuminate with the corresponding gear. The car stays in park regardless of acceleration being applied or not. This poses a safety hazard while driving as this can switch at any point, posing potential harm to other drivers as well. I am filling out this form prior to contacting the dealership. I am unsure at this time of the specific issue.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the dealer had previously replaced the passenger's side rear door latch assembly; however, the failure recurred on the passenger's side front door. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
Coolant leaking into engine. Engine light on. Engine needs to be replaced according to service center. Known issue with 2016 Ford fusions with 1.5L ecoboost engines. Safety at risk due to overheating.
My 2016 Ford Fusion Titanium with the 2.0 EcoBoost has 75k miles. A couple of days ago, it started misfiring on cylinder 1 while driving. The vehicle started jerking when trying to accelerate onto the interstate. White smoke started pouring out of the exhaust and the vehicle was violently shaking. The check engine light illuminated and started flashing. I was stranded on the interstate waiting for a tow truck as the vehicle wouldn't start after I turned it off. The shop the vehicle was taken to stated the was a crack on the engine block causing coolant to get into the cylinder. Now I have to pay over $6k out of pocket for a long block replacement. This is a common issue with EcoBoost engines, and now the consumers are stuck forking the cost of a replacement. Ford knows this is an issue... More importantly, the fact I was stranded on the interstate with people passing me doing 85 mph and the hazard that it caused it what infuriates me the most. I really hope somebody is able to get Ford to remedy this.
At about 108,000 miles I had coolant intrusion into the engine. I was quoted $8,800 to replace the short block. My car was only worth $10,000 as quoted by CarMax so I will not be making the fix which is what most people with this issue are doing.
Started noticing white smoke come from exhaust looked for a coolant leak and couldn’t see any. Was topping all fluids after oil change in July 2022 this is all when I started noticing the white smoke. Come to find out there is coolant intrusion in one of the cylinders. Talked to 3 master techs from different ford dealerships and they all had said that there is not amount of preventative maintenance that could have been done to try and stop the issue. If I would have known about issue before buying would not have bought the car. Ford says that if you replace the head gasket and there is no damage to from intrusion that the issue will happen again. But if you buy there new long block kit that will fix the issue. Not sure why this isn’t a recall when there was nothing that could have been done.
Vehicle has been diagnosed with water intrusion in cylinder #4. TSB from Ford shows an known issue that requires replacing the block. Even though my safety was not in question, this know problem should be up for a recall. Thank you.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where the mechanic diagnosed that engine coolant was present inside cylinder #2. The engine short block was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. Recently while the contact’s son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that coolant was again present inside cylinder #2, and the engine needed to be repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure and needed the same repair on two separate occasions. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 68,146.
Recall on the shift cable caused my vehicle to completely stop working/ moving while I was out with my son. No notification was ever giving to me in regards to this problem. This has caused so many issues, specially not given a rental car to be able to to move around. My vehicle is not drivable all because of a recall from Ford company. Ford refuses to provide a rental or any assistance. Being a single mother, Making it hard for me to go to work or even see my kids.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into park(P) however, the instrument panel displayed that the vehicle was shifted into Reverse(R). Additionally, the vehicle was unable to restart. The vehicle was towed to the contact’s residence. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The dealer informed the contact that NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) was associated with the VIN; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
After owning this fusion my dashboard is severely warping I’m assuming due to outside summer temperatures. It’s caused it to warp in a way that my windshield defroster is lacking to clear my windshield of any condensation, my HUD collision warning light and passenger airbag light are not being visible at all times when driving.
When we put the car into reverse there are times the transmission jerks a bit.
Upon start up of the vehicle the vehicle sputtered . I would give it some gas and then a large grey cloud of smoke come out the exhaust.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle was stuck in a neutral position. There were no warning indicator lights illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number:22V413000 (Power Train ). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the bushing continued to pop off. The local dealer was contacted and informed the parts were not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact called another local dealer, Fitts Ford 8000 Auto Dr, Riverside, CA 92504 but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 137,000. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Vehicle is suffering from coolant intrusion into cylinders. This is a widely know and reported issue. Vehicle is overheating which is a serious fire hazard. There is no way that vehicles with the affected powertrain should not be recalled! These cars aren’t lasting 60k-70k miles! Total Ford rip off! They should be held accountable for a repair due to their fault costing over $6k!
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle began to stall. The contact stated that the check manual warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that she made a left turn and the vehicle started to decelerate. The message “Transmission not in Park” warning light was illuminated with the gear shifter in drive(D). The contact stated that the drive(D) icon was intermittently blinking on the instrument panel. The contact was able to coast to a stop at a nearby parking lot. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available. The failure mileage was approximately 68,833.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the gear shifter failed to move out of park(P) without warning. The vehicle was towed to her residence where a mechanically inclined relative inspected the vehicle. A code reader determined that power steering was defective. The DTC codes were reset however, the failure persisted. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that her vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The dealer was notified and the contact was informed that parts for the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer suggested that the contact could pay out-of-pocket for the repair and be reimbursed once the part became available. The contact declined the offer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The engine failed to start due to engine coolant leaking into the engine compartment. While this occurred while the vehicle was parked, the engine could have failed while driving and endangered the driver and any passengers. The problem has been confirmed by a Ford dealer as a complete engine failure requiring engine replacement outside of the warranty but too soon for normal wear and tear. There were warning lamps for overheating and engine misfiring.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in park(P), the vehicle inadvertently moved. While shifting into gear, the shifter moved into another gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.
Never serviced
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while pulling into a parking space the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated there were several unknown warning lights illuminated with unknown messages displayed. The vehicle was towed to the contact’s daughter's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were contacted and stated that the VIN was not under recall. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
I always have my tires rotated at every oil change. This particular time (6/18/2022) the Service Manager (Steve) stated that I needed to replace my wheel nuts because of them swollen and he was afraid that if he takes off the wheels, they might not go back on or if I needed to remove the wheels on a roadside emergency that the wrench that comes with the car would not fit. He stipulated that this is happening more and more and it should be on a recall. We had to pay $9/nut (x20) to replace something that is "obviously" a Ford suppler issue and not the end user. Get this the program, get these recalled and get a better substitution.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving on the highway at an undisclosed speed and attempting to shift to the next lane, the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact was able to get to the side of the highway and turn off and restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the Hill Start Assist Not Available message was displayed. The contact called the dealer to schedule an appointment however, there was no available appointment for at least a week. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000.
I believe this car falls under the coolant leak recall that is still under investigation. The car started losing coolant and had white smoke coming from exhaust. I believe the coolant channels have cracked and caused the leak. It needs a new motor to be drivable again. I have been waiting for the recall to cover my vin. The recall currently covers similar vehicles.
I got a recall notice and called the dealership. They do not have the part until Q4! I rent this car on Turo and have lost revenue because of this.
Lug nuts were impossible to remove as the wrench supplied by Ford would NOT engage the nut. WE spent two hours on side of a busy highway at risk while several people tried to remove the nuts. Finally, the tech from towing service had to beat the wrench onto each nut, destroying the outer shell in each case. After two hours in the Texas heat, spare was attached and we replaced ALL the nuts for $48 plus tax. VERY ALARMING SITUATION as we often travel on remote roads and areas.
The engine failed completely needing full replacement @ 110,270 miles. Technical Service Bulletin 22-2322, super ceding TSB 22-2134 (attached file ford gave me) Coolant leak into cylinder 2 due to engine defect. I was getting on the highway when the car suddenly started overheating, the warning light did come on. This was roughly around [XXX], I do not recall the exact date. Then suddenly everything went back to normal. Engine temp was perfect within a second. When I got home, I checked the coolant, and it was very low. So, I replaced the coolant. The next time I started the car it barely started, and White smoke poured out the exhaust. I then parked it in the garage, and it sat. After researching what the issue was. I knew I couldn't afford a $10,000 bill. Recently I had to take a loan and brought the car in to be inspected and repaired. The engine, Turbo, Tires, and some miscellaneous work was all done at the time. It was towed in on [XXX]. The engine was serviced by Van Horn Ford of Sheboygan. Service advisor knew what the issue was before I even brought the car in just from the description. Even said he's seen a few with the same exact issue over the years. I didn't bring the car in initially because I bought it used so it didn't have a warranty and I knew I could not afford to replace it at the time. It costed about $10,074.44 plus some miscellaneous parts. I will have attached the Parts and service list. Not only did the defect ruin the engine, but also the turbo, both recommended to be replaced. This problem could have started the engine on fire if I did not catch it and stop driving the vehicle. I did end up going through all repairs by taking a loan out of my 401K to repair it. I attached both the service / parts list. as well as the Service bulletin the Ford service advisor gave me. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while his wife was driving 35-45 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power and was sputtering. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine was losing compression. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that it was a known failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that though it was a known failure, they could not assist as the vehicle did not have an extended warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 68,176.
The contact's mother owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. Additionally, the vehicle failed to respond while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the engine coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway and turned off the vehicle. The contact restarted the vehicle and shifted to drive (D) however, the failure recurred. Additionally, the vehicle began to vibrate with an abnormal amount of exhaust coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to the residence where an independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was a leak in the coolant system which caused coolant to leak into the exhaust system. The contact was not aware of what repair was performed. The contact stated a week later while driving the failure recurred. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired after the failure. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
I bought a vehicle “as is” and the bumper keeps falling off. I went to go get it fixed a few different times and the last time I went to a mechanic and he told me not to order the parts that were necessary to fix the vehicle because it was a safety hazard to even drive around in it and can be deadly to anyone sitting in the back seat and that’s very unfortunate considering the fact that I always have my nieces and nephew with me. He also proceeded to say that the guy that sold me the vehicle should have never sold it to me or anyone for that matter. The guy that sold it to me refuses to refund me or replace the vehicle. I’ve been experiencing real bad anxiety since knowing that I’m riding in a safety hazardous vehicle. All I would like at this point is a refund because I’ve tried to go about this in a nice manner and the guy doesn’t even respond back to me anymore!
Was in reverse to enter a parking spot, shifted down to drive (lever moved to D) but car stayed in Reverse. I could freely move the lever from Drive to Reverse but the transmission would not shift out of reverse. I moved car to parking spot, moved lever to park (car never shifted out of reverse), put the emergency brake on, then shut the car off. The car will no longer start now because the transmission is stuck in Reverse (lever is in park). Significant safety issue...I could have unknowingly reversed into anything or anyone at first when I "shifted" to Drive remaining in reverse. Upon inspection the bushing/cap did fall off of the shifting cable, which was recalled on thousands of Fords same model and year. Consumer had to pay for a cap and seal to replace the one that was missing.
The bushing that attaches the transmission shifter cable to the transmission has degraded causing the bushing to detach from the transmission.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced an unstated failure and was informed by the dealer that the vehicle might be repaired in October 2022. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Automatic Trans Shift Cable. I put my car into reverse and was backing up- I then shifted into drive and my car started rolling backwards still. I had to slam on my brakes and use my braking brake to stop my car from rolling backward. This was very dangerous and it scared me!
Ford dealer has the part but refuse to repair it for me claiming FORD manufacture hasn’t issued the official recall letter. It has been 3 months that I am not able to use my car. Please let me know when I can get this recall repaired. Thank you!
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked during an oil change, the vehicle rolled forward in the service bay. The contact stated that the oil change shop manager was unable to start the vehicle or place the vehicle in park(P). The vehicle was pushed out of the service bay and into the parking lot and secured with blocks under the tires. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 115,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle after the vehicle had been parked for several hours, the vehicle hesitated and then shifted abnormally into the intended gear. The contact stated that the transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The local dealer was contacted by phone and the contact was informed that the VIN was included in one open recall however, the recall was not related to the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.
The back up camera keeps failing.