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2018 Ford Fusion

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Ford Fusion do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 1,109.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

188 reports with mileage · 250 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 201 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Power Train. Review the 106 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 88 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

9 crash reports1 fire reports5 injury reports

Engine complaints

201 reports
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82,700 miles · Jul 30, 2021
Engine

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and shifting into reverse, the vehicle misfired. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle however, the failure persisted. The failure became worse after driving for a while. The…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and shifting into reverse, the vehicle misfired. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle however, the failure persisted. The failure became worse after driving for a while. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired however, the repair was pending. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 82,700.

NHTSA ODI #11427150

Mileage unknown · Jun 18, 2021
Engine

Check engine light (#2 cylinder misfire) was generated, rough idle on start, cold start is prolonged, high temperature indicated, coolant quickly emptied on its own (within minutes, it was half full) and white smoke exiting the exhaust. NHTSA has a TSB related to this year model vehicle: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/…

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Check engine light (#2 cylinder misfire) was generated, rough idle on start, cold start is prolonged, high temperature indicated, coolant quickly emptied on its own (within minutes, it was half full) and white smoke exiting the exhaust. NHTSA has a TSB related to this year model vehicle: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2019/MC-10169807-0001.pdf I believe this issue is related to the above link.

NHTSA ODI #11421448

45,000 miles · Apr 17, 2021
Engine

45,000 MILES ON THE CAR. ENGINE COOLANT IS LEAKING INTO THE ENGINE CYLINDERS

NHTSA ODI #11408529

41,000 miles · Mar 10, 2021
EnginePower Train

DRIVETRAIN WARNING LIGHT THEN A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. HAD THE CODES READ (P2119) CAME UP TOOK TO FORD SHOP AND WAS TOLD MY THROTTLE BODY ACTUATOR CONTROL SYSTEM WAS STUCK CLOSED AND HAD FAILED. MY VEHICLE HAS JUST OVER 41000 MILES ON IT. LUCKILY IT IS COVERED BY THE WARRANTY.

NHTSA ODI #11400068

64,998 miles · Jan 12, 2021
Engine

PURCHASED 2018 FORD FUSION TITANIUM USED IN AUGUST 2019. IN DECEMBER 2020 MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I TOOK IT FOR SERVICE. SERVICE TOLD ME THAT THERE IS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ON THE ECOBOOST ENGINE BECAUSE THERE IS A BAD CAST ON THE HEAD. THIS CAUSES COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE OIL. THE ONLY WAY TO REPAIR IS TO REPLACE THE E…

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PURCHASED 2018 FORD FUSION TITANIUM USED IN AUGUST 2019. IN DECEMBER 2020 MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND I TOOK IT FOR SERVICE. SERVICE TOLD ME THAT THERE IS A TECHNICAL BULLETIN ON THE ECOBOOST ENGINE BECAUSE THERE IS A BAD CAST ON THE HEAD. THIS CAUSES COOLANT TO LEAK INTO THE OIL. THE ONLY WAY TO REPAIR IS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE. FORD REFUSES TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND THE COST OF FIXING IT FALLS ON ME. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING WHEN THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE CAR SMELT OF BURNING. WHITE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE EXHAUST.

NHTSA ODI #11387691

66 miles · Sep 15, 2020
EnginePower Train

2018 FORD FUSION SE 1.5L ECOBOOST 66K MILES- 8/27/2020 I WAS EXITING THE FREEWAY APPROACHING A STOPLIGHT WHEN OUT OF NO WHERE MY CAR FELT AS IF IT WERE GOING TO STALL OUT, VERY ROUGH SHAKY IDLE, AND IDLING AT 800 OR LESS RPMS. ON GREEN, I ATTEMPTED TO GO AND MY CAR WAS HAVING TROUBLE ACCELERATING, AGAIN FEELING AS IF IT WAS GOIN…

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2018 FORD FUSION SE 1.5L ECOBOOST 66K MILES- 8/27/2020 I WAS EXITING THE FREEWAY APPROACHING A STOPLIGHT WHEN OUT OF NO WHERE MY CAR FELT AS IF IT WERE GOING TO STALL OUT, VERY ROUGH SHAKY IDLE, AND IDLING AT 800 OR LESS RPMS. ON GREEN, I ATTEMPTED TO GO AND MY CAR WAS HAVING TROUBLE ACCELERATING, AGAIN FEELING AS IF IT WAS GOING TO STALL DUE TO LITTLE POWER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WAS FLASHING THEN WOULD STAY LIT, FLASHING EVERY SO OFTEN. AIR CONDITIONING WOULD GO IN AND OUT WARM TO COLD AND IT WAS ROUGH AND SHAKY TRYING TO GET THE CAR TO GO. I TOOK IT TO AUTOZONE IMMEDIATELY WHERE I GOT THE P0302 READING INVOLVING IGNITION COILS AND SPARK PLUGS. WE REPLACED ALL 4 PLUGS AND COIL PACKS THAT NIGHT AND THE FOLLOWING MORNING AND THE CAR WAS STILL IDLING ROUGH AND HAVING TROUBLE ACCELERATING. TOOK CAR TO A MECHANIC SHOP 8/29/2020 WHERE IT WAS LOOKED AT 8/30/2020. THEY TOLD ME IT WAS FOR SURE CYLINDER 2 MISFIRE AND THAT THE SPARK PLUG WAS COVERED IN OIL (WHICH WAS BRAND NEW COILS, NO OIL WHEN THEY WERE REPLACED JUST DAYS BEFORE). HAD THE CAR TOWED TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED IT AT 9/1/2020 AND IT WAS INSPECTED THE FOLLOWING DAY. THE VERDICT WAS VERTICAL SCORING PRESENT ON CYLINDER WALLS IN CONSISTENT WITH PISTON AND PISTON RING CAUSING OIL CONSUMPTION AND PRESSURE LOSS; NEEDS A NEW LONG BLOCK. THIS WAS NOTHING I HAD DONE TO THE VEHICLE, NO PREVIOUS ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE, UP TO DATE ON ALL OIL CHANGES AND MAINTENANCE BUT MY WARRANTY HAD RAN OUT. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH, I DISCOVERED THIS PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED TO MANY 1.5 L ECOBOOST ENGINES AND FORD IS AWARE OF THE DEFAULT IN THE ENGINE. THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE BEFORE I TOOK POSSESSION OF THE CAR. THERE IS REPROGRAMMING OF SOFTWARE TO BANDAID THE PROBLEM BUT NOW THIS IS MY PROBLEM THEY WANT ME TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR.

NHTSA ODI #11355165

88,000 miles · Sep 11, 2020
Engine

COOLANT LEAKED INTERNALLY. ROUGH WHILE IDLING. LOSS OF POWER WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE.

NHTSA ODI #11354366

Mileage unknown · May 19, 2020
Engine

RECEIVED A MESSAGE THAT FORD THAT THE COOLANT COULD BE GOING INTO ENGINE AND COULD DAMAGE ENGINE MIGHT NEED A PART IM IN FLORIDA SINCE 1/2/2020 THE CAR IS ON INSURANCE MODE NOT BEING MOVED OR STARTED SO NO DAMAGE CAN HAPPEN WE WILL BE BACK IN N Y MID JUNE , THE CAR IS A LEASE CAR AND WILL I BSTILL BE ABLE TO BRING IN FOR REPA…

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RECEIVED A MESSAGE THAT FORD THAT THE COOLANT COULD BE GOING INTO ENGINE AND COULD DAMAGE ENGINE MIGHT NEED A PART IM IN FLORIDA SINCE 1/2/2020 THE CAR IS ON INSURANCE MODE NOT BEING MOVED OR STARTED SO NO DAMAGE CAN HAPPEN WE WILL BE BACK IN N Y MID JUNE , THE CAR IS A LEASE CAR AND WILL I BSTILL BE ABLE TO BRING IN FOR REPAIRS WITHOUT ANY COST TO ME WHICH I CANT CONTROL DO TO THE VIRUS IN N Y C. *TR

NHTSA ODI #11325131

15,895 miles · Jan 22, 2020
EngineFuel/propulsion System

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, LOTS OF WHITE SMOKE OUT OF TAILPIPE AND DARK BLACK SPARK PLUGS AT 15,000 MILES! DEALER SAID I GOT BAD GAS OR VANDALISM THEREFORE NO WARRANTY COVERAGE. I HAD TO PAY A LOCAL MECHANIC TO REPLACE SPARK PLUGS, PUMP OUT AND REPLACE FUEL. TWO WEEKS LATER I RECEIVE A FORD LETTER STATING COOLANT CAN LEAK INTO THE C…

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CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, LOTS OF WHITE SMOKE OUT OF TAILPIPE AND DARK BLACK SPARK PLUGS AT 15,000 MILES! DEALER SAID I GOT BAD GAS OR VANDALISM THEREFORE NO WARRANTY COVERAGE. I HAD TO PAY A LOCAL MECHANIC TO REPLACE SPARK PLUGS, PUMP OUT AND REPLACE FUEL. TWO WEEKS LATER I RECEIVE A FORD LETTER STATING COOLANT CAN LEAK INTO THE CYLINDER BORES CAUSING EXACTLY HAPPENED TO MY VEHICLE. NOW I HAVE TO SEEK REIMBURSEMENT.

NHTSA ODI #11301127

31,500 miles · Jan 14, 2020
Engine

I STARTED LOSING COOLANT AS A I DROVE WITHOUT ANY VISIBLE LEAKS AROUND THE ENGINE OR COOLING SYSTEM. I DECIDED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE IN TO MY DEALER ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE COOLANT IS LEAKING INTERNALLY AND THAT THE DEALER IS VERY USED TO SEEING THIS ISSUE ON 2018 AND 2019 FORD FUSIONS. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WILL NEED TO REPL…

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I STARTED LOSING COOLANT AS A I DROVE WITHOUT ANY VISIBLE LEAKS AROUND THE ENGINE OR COOLING SYSTEM. I DECIDED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE IN TO MY DEALER ONLY TO FIND OUT THAT THE COOLANT IS LEAKING INTERNALLY AND THAT THE DEALER IS VERY USED TO SEEING THIS ISSUE ON 2018 AND 2019 FORD FUSIONS. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WILL NEED TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE ENGINE. THANKFULLY IT'S UNDER WARRANTY. IF THIS IS SUCH A COMMON ISSUE THAT THE DEALER IS AWARE OF IT AS SOON AS I BRING IN THE VEHICLE, WHY IS THERE NO RECALL ON THIS ISSUE? THEY ARE WARRANTING THE REPLACEMENT PARTS AND LABOR...SO I'M ASSUMING THEY HAVE FIXED THE ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI #11299190

Official recalls

2

23V162000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

Mar 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 & remedy

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.

18V167000 · Steering: Steering Wheel/handle Bar

Mar 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 & remedy

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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

RQ22004 · Front Brake Jounce Hose Failures

Opened Aug 8, 2022 · Closed Mar 24, 2023

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

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 fluid leak, lengthening the distance needing to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.On March 10, 2023, Ford Motor Company (Ford) submitted to NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-162 (Ford Recall 23S12) to address front brake jounce hoses that may rupture. Ford found the rupture occurs from a localized failure of the internal reinforcement braid due to cyclic fatigue through tensile/bending and torsional inputs during suspension and steering articulations. The supplier for the front brake jounce hoses is Hitachi. This recall affects the subject vehicles equipped with non-hybrid engines and the suspect front brake jounce hoses (a total of 1,280,726 vehicles). The recall covers subject vehicles built from February 3, 2012 to July 19, 2017 when the suspect hoses were used in vehicle production. The remedy is for dealerships to replace both front brake jounce hoses with new hoses that have a revised braid material at no cost. The vehicles equipped with hybrid engines are excluded from the recall because the internal hose pressure is much lower due to the regenerative braking provided by the hybrid brake system. No failures of brake hoses on hybrid vehicles have been reported to ODI or Ford.Ford's actions address ODIs concerns at this time. Hybrid vehicles will be monitored for related failures. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by new circumstances.The 103 ODI numbers cited above can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under the following ID numbers:11511014, 11510867, 11510318, 11509030, 11505993, 11504989, 11504400, 11502147, 11502082, 11501820, 11501283, 11498439, 11498296, 11496842, 11496335, 11494931, 11494851, 11494252, 11493001, 11492084, 11492070, 11491444, 11491274, 11488858, 11488027, 11487627, 11487416, 11487233, 11486150, 11484924, 11484526, 11484080, 11483948, 11483926, 11483739, 11483723, 11482773, 11482690, 11481077, 11480788, 11480294, 11480052, 11479338, 11479334, 11479252, 11479247, 11479187, 11479094, 11479048, 11478985, 11478953, 11478729, 11478216, 11476892, 11476282, 11470558, 11468994, 11467109, 11466294, 11462746, 11461217, 11456065, 11455367, 11444848, 11436419, 11436376, 11430685, 11428329, 11425083, 11421026, 11420738, 11420735, 11420298, 11418197, 11403926, 11397549, 11366991, 11366757, 11361016, 11359968, 11354569, 11352165, 11350344, 11348799, 11343929, 11343205, 11331947, 11329020, 11319596, 11310529, 11292271, 11288455, 11254787, 11253479, 11253244, 11234622, 11230669, 11230050, 11228240, 11221111, 11143630, 11129392 and 11120228.