2016 Ford FUSION: complaints, problems and recalls

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD FUSION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED WHEN SHIFTED INTO SECOND OR THIRD GEAR. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OPERATING AS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10750248 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE INSTRUMENT PANEL FAILED. THE FAILURE WAS INTERMITTENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS REPLACED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50.

Owner-reported narrative. 50 miles reported. Look up ODI 10764244 at NHTSA ↗

2016 FORD FUSION. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE WINDSHIELD AND DASHBOARD ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED WHEN THE SUN SHINED THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD ONTO THE DASHBOARD, IT REFLECTED A 'V" ABOVE THE INSTRUMENT PANEL ON THE DASHBOARD. THE EDGES OF THE "V" REFLECTED ONTO THE INSIDE OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD AND INTERFERED WITH THE DRIVER'S VISION. THE CENTER CUT OUT IN THE CENTER OF THE DASHBOARD ALSO REFLECTED ONTO THE INSIDE OF THE WINDSHIELD, BUT SINCE IT WAS CENTERED IT DID NOT INTERFERE WITH THE DRIVER'S VISION. THE CONSUMER BELIEV…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10805760 at NHTSA ↗

I PURCHASED A 2016 FORD FUSION SE BRAND NEW AND AFTER A WEEK OF OWNING THE CAR I WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND THE CAR JERKED VERY HARD, I HAD TO CHECK MY REARVIEW MIRROR THOUGHT SOMEONE REAR ENDED ME BUT NO THE CAR BEHIND WAS SOME DISTANCE AWAY. IT SLOWED SOME WHILE I HAD MY FOOT ON THE GAS BUT PICKED UP SPEED SHORTLY AFTER. I IGNORED THAT FIGURED IT WAS NO BIG DEAL. I WAS DRIVING A FEW WEEKS AFTER THAT OCCURRENCE IN THE CITY AND THE CAR MADE A REVING UP NOISE AND I THOUGHT WHO CAR IS THAT I CONTINUED TO DRIVE AND NOTICED IT WAS MY CAR MAKING …

Owner-reported narrative. 125 miles reported. Look up ODI 10819919 at NHTSA ↗

2016 FORD FUSION RECEIVED FROM DEALER ON DEC 2015. AT 39 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, FUSION WOULD NOT START, AND ALL ALARMS CAME ON (LOW TIRE PRESSURE, ENGINE OVERHEAT, PARKING BRAKE, PARKING SENSORS, ETC). CAR STARTED AFTER HITTING OK AND SEVERAL MORE CRANKS. FEB 2015 - AT ABOUT 2500 MILES, THE CAR WOULD NOT START FOR THE SECOND TIME, AND THE THIRD TIME WAS AT 3000 MILES, ALL WITH THE SAME EXACT ALARM BEHAVIOR. THE FOURTH TIME OCCURRED ON MARCH 7, 2016 WITH 3200 MILES ON ODOMETER; THE CAR DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY AND WHILE GOING 45…

Owner-reported narrative. 3,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10840404 at NHTSA ↗

THE STEERING ASSIST, ELECTRIC POWER STEERING, HAD A "FAULT" AND THE CAR WOULD NOT START/CRANK. BEFORE THIS HAPPENED THE STEERING WAS STRANGE, IT WAS LIKE THERE WERE STRING WINDS WHEN DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE CAR WOULD SWAY SIDE TO SIDE.

Owner-reported narrative. 400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10851865 at NHTSA ↗

LAST WEEK MY CAR ENGINE WOULD SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING WHEN I WAS AT A STOP LIGHT AND IDLE ABOUT TO TURN ONTO ROAD. THIS HAPPENED TWICE SO I TOOK MY CAR WHERE I PURCHASED AT RYAN FORD SEALY AND THEY HAD IT 4/6-12/2016. THEY COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING BECAUSE NO CODES OR LIGHT CAME UP. RAN VEHICLE HEALTH CHECK AND NOTHING. ACTED FINE YESTERDAY. TODAY GOING RIGHT UNDER 30 MPG AND AT THE STOP SIGN IT SHOOK BAD AND LIGHTS CAME ON. ENGINE STAYED ON BUT COULD NOT MOVE. WAITED 15 MINUTES AND LIMPED TO MY HOUSE AND HAD TOW TRUCK TAKE IT BACK TO RYAN FORD. …

Owner-reported narrative. 8,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10855484 at NHTSA ↗

INSERTING KEY INTO IGNITION FUEL PUMP WOULD KICK ON OCCASIONALLY, THE DOORS WOULDN'T ALWAYS UNLOCK UPON SHUTTING CAR OFF, DASH AND RADIO DELAYED COMING ON AT TIMES UPON STARTING, UNLOCKING DOORS WITH KEY FOB THERE WOULD BE STATIC COMING FROM BACK SPEAKERS, KEYLESS ENTRY WOULD UNLOCK BUT NOT ALWAYS RELOCK, A FEW TIMES THE KEY WOULDN'T START CAR THERE WOULD BE NO REACTION AT TURNING OVER, DASH WOULD LIGHT UP AT TIMES WHEN NO KEY WAS IN IGNITION AND CAR LOCKED, HEATER WOULD BLOW HOT AIR THEN TURN TO COLD AS IF A/C WAS ON, ONE DAY BATTERY WAS DEAD …

Owner-reported narrative. 6,700 miles reported. Look up ODI 10861936 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2015-10-01 (October 1, 2015)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured September 3, 2015, to September 13, 2015, and 2016 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured September 3, 2015, to September 12, 2015. The affected vehicles have a fuel tank that may have insufficent wall thickness. As a result, the fuel tanks may crack in the event of a crash and thus the vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 301, "Fuel System Integrity."

Consequence: A fuel tank that cracks may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the fuel tank, free of charge. The recall began on October 19, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C11.

Reported: 2016-04-27 (April 27, 2016)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured from March 10, 2016, through March 16, 2016. The front driver seat track assembly's rear riser may have been improperly welded to the seat track rail, and as a result, the driver may not be adequately restrained in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 207, "Seating Systems" and 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages."

Consequence: An improperly welded driver seat riser may fail to adequately restrain the driver during crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Ford quarantined the affected vehicles at dealerships prior to their sale. Dealers will replace the front driver seat track rail, free of charge. The recall began on May 19, 2016. Ford's number for this recall is 16C05.

Reported: 2016-12-05 (December 5, 2016)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2016 Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured November 2, 2012, to July 31, 2014, and 2013-2015 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured November 14, 2012, to July 31, 2014. In the event of a crash, heat from the deployment of a seat belt pretensioner may cause a front seat belt anchor cable to fail.

Consequence: If the driver or front passenger seatbelt cables cannot properly restrain the front seat occupants, they would be at an increased risk of injury.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will apply a protective coating to the seat belt cable, free of charge. The recall began May 16, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S42.

Reported: 2018-03-12 (March 12, 2018)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion vehicles. The steering wheel retaining bolt may loosen allowing the steering wheel to detach while driving.

Consequence: A steering wheel detachment can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel bolt with a longer bolt, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S08.

Reported: 2018-07-16 (July 16, 2018)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Ford Escape, and 2013-2016 Ford Fusion vehicles, equipped with six-speed automatic transmissions. The bushing that attaches the transmission shifter cable to the transmission may degrade over time and cause the bushing to detach from the transmission. The condition could allow the driver to move the shift lever to Park and remove the ignition key, while the transmission may not be in Park, with no warning message or audible chime.

Consequence: If the vehicle is exited without the transmission being in Park and without the parking brake being applied, the vehicle may unexpectedly move, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable bushing, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S20. Note: Owners are directed to use the parking brake until the recall remedy repairs can be made.

Reported: 2019-05-13 (May 13, 2019)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Fusion vehicles equipped with 2.5 liter engines. The bushing that attaches the transmission shifter cable to the transmission may degrade over time and cause the bushing to detach from the transmission. The condition could allow the driver to move the shift lever to Park and remove the ignition key, while the transmission may not be in Park, with no warning message or audible chime.

Consequence: If the vehicle is exited without the transmission being in Park and without the parking brake being applied, the vehicle may unexpectedly move, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable bushing, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S16. Note: Owners are directed to use the parking brake until the recall remedy repairs can be made. This recall is an expansion of 18V471.

Reported: 2019-08-29 (August 29, 2019)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 Ford Edge, and 2016 Lincoln MKX vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. Road salt or other contaminants may corrode the electric power steering gear motor attachment bolts.

Consequence: If the bolts corrode, the steering gear motor may detach from the gear housing resulting in a loss of power steering assist, requiring a greater steering effort, especially at lower speeds, and increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gear motor bolts and apply a wax sealer. If any of the steering gear motor attachment bolts are broken or missing, a new steering gear will be installed in the vehicle. These repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began October 18, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S26.

Reported: 2020-03-23 (March 23, 2020)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2015 Fiesta, 2014-2016 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles sold, or ever registered in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

Consequence: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and Ford or Lincoln dealers will replace the side door latches, free of charge. The recall began September 21, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S15.

Reported: 2022-06-10 (June 10, 2022)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

Consequence: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

Reported: 2023-03-10 (March 10, 2023)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.

Consequence: A brake fluid leak will increase brake pedal travel and extend the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S12.

Reported: 2023-11-17 (November 17, 2023)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015 Fiesta, 2016 Fusion, and 2016 Lincoln MKZ vehicles sold, or ever registered in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Washington, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands. A component inside the door latches may break, which can make it difficult to latch or possibly allow the doors to open while driving.

Consequence: Vehicle doors opening unexpectedly while driving can increase the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the door latch date codes and if necessary, replace all four side door latches, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 20, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S15. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 20V-177.

Reported: 2025-10-13 (October 13, 2025)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.

Consequence: A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.

Reported: 2026-06-09 (June 9, 2026)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Focus and 2013-2016 Fusion vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall numbers 18V169 and 18V845. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.

Consequence: A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Additionally, dealers will inspect Focus vehicles and replace the clutch assembly as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 5, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S43. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6,2026.