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 while her husband was driving at 70 MPH, the temperature started indicating that the engine was overheating, with a message “Engine temperature high” displayed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the engine was low on oil, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 102,000.
I went to pick my daughter up from school as usual and the brakes would not work when I tried to stop in the turn loop. It caused me to crash the side of the car into a cement light post.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an abnormal sound coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,100.
Car initially showed a warning alert for failed traction control. Attempted to reset using steering wheel reset, failed. Tried backing car up and steering became extremely hard to do, requiring maximum effort to turn wheel. Steering power assist light lit up on dashboard. Parked car. Made appointment with Heritage Ford, South Burlington, VT. Upon subsequent investigation discovered that 2016 Fusion had been recalled #19V632000 but only when sold in Northern States where salt was being used or currently registered in (Vermont was included). I moved to Vermont to be with family in 2020. Failure occurred about [XXX]. 1). Had this failure occurred, while driving we could have had a fatal accident. 2). Shouldn’t there be provisions for folks who move into northern states originally identified or is Ford dictating these non recalled cars remain in non salt applying states for their life? Shouldn’t all cars have been recalled to prevent catastrophic failures? 3). Failing the recall shouldn’t the cars be supplied with warning placards saying that exposure to excessive road salt could result in catastrophic steering failure? 4). I recently asked the service rep (Amanda) at Heritage if there were any other recalls for this car and she said no. Does that mean this vehicle is exempt from the recall because it got to the state after some arbitrary deadline? Does allowing cars to travel the roads of any Northern state with this defect make sense? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Steering fault indicator on dashboard and then steering loss displayed and now can not steer car
Stamford Ford in Stamford CT said I need to replace frozen lug nuts due to corrosion. they said it is not covered and I have to absorb the cost of $ 300. All service on this vehicle have been performed by ford service department. a recall should have been issued to correct this issue. this is a safety issue and FORD must fix this at their cost, not the customer's.
When I was backing out of my apartment complex and tried to turn left the car just stopped and when you turn the wheel it says service advance trac and hill Start car hasn’t been drove since last Friday
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the engine almost stalled and the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was blinking on and off. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal but the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled over and became aware that the coolant level was low and that the engine was overheating. The contact waited for the warning light to disappear before attempting to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was restart and shifted into drive(D), the vehicle failed to accelerate above 10 MPH. The contact drove the vehicle to the residence and later had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that coolant had intruded into the engine block and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 19-2139 Coolant Intrusion into the Cylinders (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated with the engine overheated message displayed. The contact pulled over to allow the engine to cool down. The vehicle was drivable. The contact was constantly adding coolant to the coolant reservoir and the engine overheating message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with an internal coolant leak in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
After doing research I have found that I am not the only one experiencing this issue,but I have a 2016 ford fusion 1.5 ecoboost engine and I am having problems with my cylinder leaking. I have to constantly refill coolant and the only option to fix this issue is to replace the motor
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that when placing the vehicle into park(P), there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. Recently, the contact stated that upon placing the vehicle into park(P), the vehicle began to roll backwards as the gear shift indicator indicated that the vehicle was in reverse(R). The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was immediately informed that the failure was caused by the shifter cable bushing. The contact was also informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000(Power Train). The vehicle was towed to the dealer for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
The canister purge valve in this vehicle repeatedly goes bad. I had a 2015 and now 2016 both with the same issue. It throws the check engine light on and will just about die everytime putting gas into the car or when stopped for random periods of time. The vehicle uses more gas and you can literally smell the fumes escaping from the flapping gas tank lid. In order to start the car you have to pump the gas petal and occasionally the car will stall out while driving.
My back up camera has the same issues that Ford listed in their recall. My screen is black at times when backing up. My camera doesn't always pop up when backing up, my normal screen will stay on as of I'm not backing up. I have had the black screen with a notice that says my camera isn't working and I need to contact my dealership.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that when he started the vehicle in the mornings he noticed that it would idle roughly and large amounts of white exhaust was issued from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that the check engine light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact noted that the vehicle was consuming unusual amounts of coolant that required him to fill the coolant reservoir every week with approximately one quart of coolant. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant had intruded into the engine cylinders. The contact was advised that the engine block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact had researched online and related the failure to manufacturer Technical Service Bulletin Number: 19-2139 Coolant Intrusion into the Cylinder (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon shifting to reverse(R), the rearview camera displayed a black image, and a message advising to contact Ford Motor Company was displayed on the screen. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that the camera needed to be replaced. The contact purchased the camera from Amazon, and the mechanic replaced the rearview camera; however, the failure recurred. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
I was driving my car when i saw an emergency sign on the dashboard telling to safely park. then the car could only drive using the power generated by the electric battery and when the battery went out of power the car could not switch to gas to use the engine power I was on san mateo bridge when it happen I could feel the car rolling back on a park gear.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer days later where it was diagnosed that the engine was cracked and displayed visual signs of coolant intrusion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Driving on highway and car had serious misfire stalling the engine. No lights or warnings prior. Upon inspection number 1 cylinder has near zero compression.
Head gasket blew, coolant in cylinder 4, needs a new engine. Well know problem that can cause extreme hazards.
COOLANT LEVEL DROPPING WITHOUT ANY VISIBLE EXTERNAL LEAKS.-CREATING OVERHEATING WITH NO VISIBLE LEAK SEEING. WHICH HAS CREATED TO CHANGE WATER PUMP / CHANGE COILS DUE TO MISFIRES AND LOSS OF ENGINE POWER.OVERHEATING AND CONSTANT ADDING OF WATER/COOOLANT.
A couple days before scheduled tune-up, noticed that 2016 Ford Fusion(Ecoboost), began to drive differently. Exactly one day prior to service appt. the check engine icon appeared. Long and short, dealership reached out after me leaving car to explain that my 7 yr. old vehicle with regular maintenance, just over 100,000 miles, and no prior issues could not receive a regular maintenance tune-up due to spark plug(s) being wet from leaking coolant and an engine replacement being the only option of repair. Although, I was told at the time and read that this habitual issue was common in my make and model, there were no recalls in place to rectify the issue. Safety at risk based on other Googled reviews and articles with the same known issue with consequences ranging from low coolant to possible total engine shut down or fire. It was those reviews with similar diagnosis and recommendations that led me to this site.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to the dealer for service, he was made aware that the driver’s and passenger’s side front wheel lug nuts were severely deformed. As a result, the dealer declined to complete the service due to safety concerns. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not assist. The failure mileage was 120,000. The VIN was not available.
Ford Dealership is refusing to preform the brake line recall 23S12, if I do not purchase new lug nuts saying that they are swollen, deformed. I called the corporates number and they told me they are aware of the issues with the lug nuts, but also said I would have to pay out of pocket for them to preform the brake line recall. I'm now worried about the condition of the lug nuts since the hold they wheel on as well as the brake line in the above mentioned recall which they are refusing to service without taking payment over a recall !!!
I brought my ford fusion 2016 SE with around 84,000miles on it, into a local dealership for recalls I needed done, my car was running completely fine before that. Ford did a multi point inspection and I passed for everything besides tires and brakes which was expected! Not even 12 hours after getting my car back, my check engine light turned on.. I was so confused on how that was happening. I contacted ford again and they told me my coolant pressure was low but that wasn’t even stated in my multi point inspection. Anyways I had to go to work the next day and my car completely stops in the middle of a main road & my car wouldn’t accelerate. The person behind me almost slammed into my back end. I have never had a complaint about my car, I love my fusion. But after further research this is a very common problem with my specific model and year, so much so that there’s an on going lawsuit for the coolant leaking because of the design of the engine, which can cause over heating, fires, and needing an engine replacement. I was completely shocked, because they didn’t say anything about my coolant until I told them my car stopped driving in the middle of the road.. This is a serious safety hazard, and I don’t have 9k laying around for a brand new engine that was fine before I brought it in, this is a recurring problem that’s happening to so many ford owners. This seems very sneaky and dangerous coming from such a well known company I’m so disappointed.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at 55 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed however, the vehicle failed to properly respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the engine was damaged due to coolant intrusion. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that due to the age and the mileage of the vehicle there would not be a reimbursement for the repair. The approximate failure mileage was 165,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle was driving rough. The contact stated that the vehicle was overheating. The contact noticed white smoke coming from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the short block. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 52,500.
Date of first incident was Nov 19, 2023. I was driving home from taking my elderly mother to the doctor and my engine just shut off. I had plenty of gas, my oil and transmission had been changed, no warning lights came on my dash prior to the engine stopping. The only message I had on my car said the car is not in park. No one can seem to find out why. It has done this at a moderate rate of speed (45mph). My steering wheel locked and I can't steer the car giving me the option to get to a safe place on the road. I have to hit another vehicle or hit a pole. I have good insurance but I don't want to use it to fix body damage. I can't afford that with a 300 dollar car payment. My break sensor error light will come on as well and I went to have the breaks changed and fluid replaced but it doesn't work. I am afraid that I might get hurt or someone else will, but I can't afford another care to help care for my parents or get to the doctor. The Ford dealership will not let me trade it in unless I give them 7000 dollars. The transmission will Jerk when changing gears. I still owe 9000 dollars. I looked online to see if I could find a solution and multiple people are complaining about the same problem.
My trunk pops open by itself, without being activated. So far, if I keep my car locked, it will stay shut, but it has popped open while the vehicle was in motion. This is a safety hazard! It has been happening every day for the last several months.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak in cylinder #4 and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced for the second time. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the engine had previously been replaced; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
On affected vehicles, the steering-wheel bolt may not maintain enough pressure, allowing it to loosen over time. As a result, the steering wheel may detach.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the contact heard a tapping sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the flex wheel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
The car stalls out and stops moving out of no where while driving and smells like fuel as well
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle was at the dealer for a scheduled service appointment; however, the service could not be completed because the bolts were swollen. The contact was informed that the bolts for all four wheels needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 22,545.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, there was dark smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced due to coolant leaking into the engine block. The contact stated believed that the vehicle was associated with an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 132,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while the vehicle was at the dealer for an unknown recall repair, the contact was informed that the rear brake hoses needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 42,792.
ON 23OCT2023 I opened the Driver's side rear door in my garage. When I went to close the door it would not latch. After several failed attempts I taped the door closed and drove the car to the local FORD dealership for service. The latch mechanism was replaced on 27OCT2023. On 01DEC2023 I received an email notice from NHTSA regarding a possible recall for the door latches in my vehicle (2016 Ford Fusion), 23V775.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 5 MPH through a school parking lot, the brake pedal as depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that a school student was almost struck. The contact's wife swerved to avoid striking the student. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was notified of a failure with the rear brake lines. The rear brake lines were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 62,200.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that on several occasions after refilling the coolant, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently decelerated and failed to accelerate over 20 MPH. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact then stated that the vehicle started to overheat. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs, ignition coil, and undisclosed multiple sensors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic retrieved DTC Code: P0303: (Cylinder #3 Misfire). The contact also stated that he was informed that coolant had leaked into the cylinder and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. An undisclosed dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop immediately. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the coolant temperature warning light illuminated. The contact's wife pulled to the side of the roadway, turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that coolant was leaking into the pistons, which caused the engine to overheat. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. There was no further information provided. 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 133,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the front driver’s side door failed to latch as designed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,059.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while the vehicle was idling, there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the coolant level was significantly low. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with combustion gases in the cooling system. The mechanic determined that the failure was related to TSB Number: 20-2100. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that he would be charged a fee for the repair because the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 163,185.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while his son was driving 50 MPH, the vehicle started overheating, and there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact's son veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that he was a certified independent mechanic, and he had diagnosed that there was a coolant intrusion in the exhaust system. The contact determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 159,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the engine was idling rough with white smoke coming from the exhaust. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was made aware of coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed 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 report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 158,000.
Engine started running very rough, hesitating and surging. OBD-2 computer codes indicate cylinder misfires. Engine is very hard to start. Coolant level is rapidly dropping, and engine overheating frequently. White smoke seen from exhaust. Acceleration is very slow and merging into moving traffic is difficult and dangerous. Reading that engine fires have been reported. Refer to Ford Technical Service Bulletin 22-2229 regarding coolant intrusion into cylinders. Took to local repair shop and they diagnosed leaking coolant reservoir and failed fuel injector. These were replaced at a cost of $2,000. See uploaded invoice.
Vehicle does not go in gear when shifter is put in the corresponding gear indicator. Though I am able to move the shifter handle through all the drive modes, (P, R, N, D, S), it’s Currently stuck in park and will not get in gear to Drive, neutral or reverse. I’m unable to move the vehicle. There is no indication or warnings of malfunction. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by anyone to assess, as I am unable to drive the vehicle. Pending towing to the near Ford dealership for diagnostics. The vehicle drove just fine the morning of the incident.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 20 MPH, there was smoke and then flames coming from underneath the hood near the driver's side headlight. The contact pulled over and parked the vehicle at a friend's residence. The hood failed to open. The contact used a hose at her friend's residence to extinguish the fire. There were no injuries, and medical attention was not received. The police were contacted; however, no police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to another friend's residence. The vehicle was not deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was unavailable.
Coolant leak into engine causing over heating 24/7, damaging and leaking into combustion chamber , spark plugs had to be replaced , engine needs another replacement after I had replaced it the first week I got it with the vehicle’s warranty, engine is at risk for engine fire and failure. Transmission shifter cable replacement, became detached and damaged, car was stuck in reverse twice and had to be towed to mechanic . Current Recall on breaks because of possible fluid leak for ford fusions , at risk for crash. Engine currently is shakey when you first start it up.
I currently have a 2016 Ford Fusion SE with the 1.5L engine. Upon starting the car, the check engine light came on and idled roughly. After scanning the codes for the check engine light, it was determined that it was experiencing a cylinder 3 misfire. I took the car to the dealership and upon repair, they uncovered there was a coolant intrusion coming from the engine and either a "band-aid fix" was needed for $3,500 dollars or a full engine replacement for $8000+ dollars was needed. The dealership confirmed that they have seen this being a known issue for this type of vehicle/engine but there was no relief for the repair. After moving forward with the $3,500 repair to replace the head gasket, it was determined that even then the car was inoperable, and I was left without a vehicle and a bill to pay.
Car was having difficulty starting and occasionally overheating. Check engine light came on and read that 1st ignition coil and spark plug needed to be replaced. The repair was done and the problem persisted. Car continued to overheat and lost coolant rapidly. Brought the car back to the shop and was told that the coolant was emptying into the engine and the engine needed to be replaced.