KnownCarProblems2016 Ford Fusion Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 1,642 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Fusion, most often about the engine (32% of complaints, typically around 90,000 miles). It is 5th of 15 Fusion model years by number of complaints and has 13 recalls.
Most common 2016 Ford Fusion problems
Engine
532 complaints · 32%Half of these problems showed up before 90,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine, cooling system.
When I put gas in the car, it is very hard to start. I have to pump the gas and then rev the engine to get it to stay on. If I leave it in park, without reving the engine, it will stall out. Once I get it into drive and start moving, the problem subsides. The only other time I notice it, is if I am idling on a hill.…
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. While driving 35 MPH, the engine warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The contact also heard an abnormal noise coming from the fuel tank. The contact stated that she had to restart the vehicle approximately four times in order for the vehicle to work properly. The…
Transmission
311 complaints · 19%Half of these problems showed up before 83,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
Ford Fusion shifting cable comes off due to bushing being deteriorated causing car to go in reverse while in park. Due to this unofficial recall my car went backwards into a building uncontrollably.
Ford issues two safety recalls in north america 2014-16 Ford Fusion vehicles built at hermosillo stamping and assembly plant between june 2, 2014 and aug. 31, 2015 select 2013-16 model year Ford Fusion and 2013-14 Ford escape vehicles to replace shifter cable bushings Ford is issuing a safety recall in north america…
Other or unspecified
211 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 64,000 miles.
When driving on city streets, the Ford Fusion jerks hard and sputters when it changes gears (automatic transmission). When accelerating on the highway the vehicle will jerk hard upon pressing down on the gas pedal. During deceleration, when exiting the highway, from speeds of 70 MPH to 35 MPH, the vehicle will also…
While driving to work my engine light came on and then the loud vibration/horn type sound ensued. It sounds like it's coming from the gas tank.
Steering
176 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 73,500 miles. Parts named most often: electric power assist system, steering wheel/handle bar.
When making a wide or quick turn, the car steering wheel will lock up & while the car in motion & pull towards one side and dash lights will show up saying "steering assist fault service required" and I will not be able to take control of steering wheel unless I turn car off and then the dash light will turn off n not…
Steering assist fault... Will lock your steering wheel while you driving your car.. Its lots of complaints about this all over the internet will the 2016 Ford Fusion and it never got a recall for this... Its dangerous, I thought it was brakes or wheel alignment but its a powering error.
Electrical
150 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 58,000 miles. Parts named most often: instrument cluster/panel, adas, horn.
While driving my car on a city street my husband was in the passenger seat, and my son was sitting in the back seat. My husband got warm, and pushed the automatic button to roll down his window. I instantly thought this was odd since I always keep the window's locked so that my son can not play with the windows. I…
I was driving down a busy city road with my 4 year old in the backseat. They then opened the door while I was driving. This scared me as my car is set to lock automatically while driving. I quickly pulled over, shut the door, got in, and re-locked the door. Once the door was re-locked I climbed into the backseat with…
Brakes
137 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles. Parts named most often: foundation components, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, power assist.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle started to overheat with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and sat for several minutes and then drove the vehicle to his residence. The contact had the…
I was driving on the highway straight with cruise control set and suddenly it felt like I hit a huge pothole, but I didnt. Shortly after 4 dash lights came on which are the ABS, traction control, traction control off, and tire pressure monitor fault. Steering is harder and brakes do not work sometimes. The code, when…
Backup camera
131 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 90,000 miles. Parts named most often: rearview system braking, warnings, sensing system, camera system.
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…
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25v695000 (back over prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a blank image. The message "camera unavailable" was…
Fuel system
92 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 62,000 miles. Parts named most often: storage, delivery, fuel injection system.
I have a 2012 Ford focus and as you know a 2016 Fusion as well . Shortly after I purchased my focus I received a recall for the purge valve a couple weeks ago my check engin light came on and now it's doing the same dying at stop lights and even on more then one occasion either dying while driving or one last night…
While driving down the freeway at 70 MPH all of a sudden had a loss of throttle service wrench light, airbag light, see owners manual lit up happened in an area where there was nowhere to pull off the freeway very unsafe heard of a recall that had happened for a throttle body issue that I never received notice for car…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2016 Ford Fusion recalls
Transmission: manual transmission
Risk: 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.
Fix: Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Additionally, dealers will inspect focus vehicles and replace the clutch assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were october 16, 2026. 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Backup camera: camera
Risk: A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driverâs view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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 bec
Full defect summary
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.
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: Vehicle doors opening unexpectedly while driving can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Brakes: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk: A brake fluid leak will increase brake pedal travel and extend the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 fusion and lincoln mkz vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.
Transmission: shift linkage/cable/rod
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Doors and locks: latch
Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Steering: electric power assist system
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Transmission: floor shift
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Transmission: floor shift
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Steering: steering wheel/handle bar
Risk: A steering wheel detachment can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Seat belts: front
Risk: If the driver or front passenger seatbelt cables cannot properly restrain the front seat occupants, they would be at an increased risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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.
Seat belts: anchorage
Risk: An improperly welded driver seat riser may fail to adequately restrain the driver during crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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."
Fuel system: storage
Risk: A fuel tank that cracks may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
Full defect summary
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."
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Front brake jounce hose failures
Summary
On august 8, 2022, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened this investigation based on 50 vehicle owner questionnaires (voqs) alleging front brake jounce hose ruptures on model year (my) 2013-2018 ford fusion and lincoln mkz vehicles. A ruptured front brake hose results in a brake fluid leak. As a result, the driver may experience an increase in pedal travel and a reduction in the rate of deceleration, increasing the risk of a crash. It should be noted that the subject vehicles identified fell outside the scope of NHTSA safety recall 20v-469, which addressed front brake hoses rupturing on certain my 2015-2018 ford edge and 2016-2018 lincoln mkx vehicles. The result causes a brake fl
Desiccated air bag inflator rupture
Summary
From 2000 through 2017, takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("psan") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004l. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited. The rapid burning can cause the inflator to rupture during deployment, potentially causing serious or even fatal injury to vehicle occupants. See 2016 blomquist report at www.NHTSA.gov/sites/NHTSA.gov/files/documents/expert_report-hrblomquist.pdf.consequently, all frontal inflators using propellant 2004 that do not contain a "desiccant" (a substa
Door latch failures
Summary
In december 2019, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened this investigation based on 235 vehicle owner questionnaires (voqs) alleging doors failed to latch when closed, and/or inadvertently opened while driving, on model year (my) 2012-2014 ford fiesta, and 2013-2014 fusion and lincoln mkz. Some voqs reported the failure occurred after the latch had been remedied under a prior recall which involved fracture of the latch pawl spring tab due to thermally induced cyclic fatigue. Other voqs alleged a similar failure in vehicles not previously recalled. A latch with a fractured pawl spring tab typically results in a ?door will not close? Condition, however in certain somewhat rare circu
Steering wheel fastening bolt loosens
Summary
On march 12th, 2018, ford motor company submitted a defect information report to NHTSA describing a defect in the steering wheel fastening system of approximately 1,301,986 model year (my) ford fusion and lincoln mkz. On march 1, 2018, ford discovered a design change that affected the my 2014-2018 subject vehicles. The affected population are my 2014-2016 fusion and mkz with manual and power adjust steering columns and my 2017-2018 fusion and mkz equipped with manual adjust steering columns only. The affected populations have steering shafts with a reduced amount of threads for the steering wheel bolt to engage. The thread length was decreased by 5mm in the affected models. Ford stated that
Questions about the 2016 Ford Fusion
- What are the most common problems with the 2016 Ford Fusion?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: engine (532 complaints, typically around 90,000 miles); transmission (311 complaints, typically around 83,000 miles); other or unspecified (211 complaints, typically around 64,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2016 Ford Fusion have?
- 13 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from June 9, 2026 (transmission). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2016 a bad year for the Ford Fusion?
- It is 5th of 15 Fusion model years by number of complaints, with 1,642 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.