← New search

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.

About this comparison →

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

What owners actually said

438 reports
Mileage unknown · Mar 18, 2023
Engine

Since 2021 we have had problems with the car. The car started smoking and cutting off for some known reasons. We contacted Vidalia Ford known also as Paul Thigpen where the car was purchased. There have been numerous attempt to get the car fixed by Paul Thigpen and we will get the car out the shop and take it back. The car is je…

Read full complaint

Since 2021 we have had problems with the car. The car started smoking and cutting off for some known reasons. We contacted Vidalia Ford known also as Paul Thigpen where the car was purchased. There have been numerous attempt to get the car fixed by Paul Thigpen and we will get the car out the shop and take it back. The car is jerking, still cutting off, and car smoking. Told us that was normal for that car to smoke. We was told by Paul Thigpen that we needed a motor in the car. All of a sudden after this car Fusion car motor have been broken down numerous time. We are told that Ford Corporation would not send a new motor for the car. We have went to pick up the car on one occasion and started the car up and it was smoking like it was on fire. All the techs ran to the car because they thought the car was on fire. We have called Ford Corporation to speak to someone in their Consumer Affairs office. Asked us to take it to another Ford Dealership in Dublin, GA and they told us we needed a motor and they will get the motor in a few days. These people calls and say the same exact thing Paul Thigpen tech stated that Ford would not send the motor. When we got the car back, it's still jerking and smoking. The techs fails to put in notes that Ford Corporation fails to fix the vehicle. Now the vehicle is sitting in the yard and we are making payments. The oil is leaking from the motor. I reported it to the Better Business Bureau and Ford failed to respond. The Better Business Bureau stated to send it to you all. This car had stayed in the shop months at a time. Yes, we are angry consumers who has paid for an extend warranty on this vehicle when purchased. Darren from Consumer Affairs called and left a message on the voicemail that we can't get mad because Dublin Ford refused to fix our vehicle. We have not enjoyed the vehicle and it's wrong how Ford is doing people. They are trying to let the warranty runs out. Everyone claims to be full when it first happened with oil probl

NHTSA ODI #11512561

Mileage unknown · Mar 16, 2023
Power TrainUnknown Or Other

The transmission jumps, doesn’t want to shift gears, revs up on its own. The recall for the fusions year models 3013-16 is the same thing my car is doing.

NHTSA ODI #11512217

Mileage unknown · Mar 16, 2023
Steering

The steering wheel has become loose and unstable. And was told my vehicle wasn’t on the recall list for the same problem as the other vehicles.

NHTSA ODI #11512189

Mileage unknown · Mar 15, 2023
Equipment

Android Auto is incredibly unresponsive to user input. Using a Moto G Power cell phone (~2 years old...no performance issues when not using Android Auto), the screen lags for 5-10 seconds between inputs, requiring the user to make many attempts to press the cars Ford Sync 3 Infotainment screen. This is forces the user to take…

Read full complaint

Android Auto is incredibly unresponsive to user input. Using a Moto G Power cell phone (~2 years old...no performance issues when not using Android Auto), the screen lags for 5-10 seconds between inputs, requiring the user to make many attempts to press the cars Ford Sync 3 Infotainment screen. This is forces the user to take their eyes off the road for way longer than is safe. The quality of Google and Android Auto is considerably worse than Ford's native Sync 3 system...frankly Android Auto is dangerous. Tried this with multiple cables, and even other phones, and in other Ford vehicles and it is just as unresponsive. I don't understand how something so unregulated (Android Auto) is permitted to be used natively in vehicles. I believe car infotainment systems are supposed to be using "Realtime OS's", and I highly doubt Android Auto is doing this.

NHTSA ODI #11511954

67,205 miles · Mar 13, 2023
Latches/locks/linkages

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the trunk unlatched independently. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,205.

NHTSA ODI #11511548

94,000 miles · Feb 28, 2023
Engine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact depressed accelerator and the vehicle continued to lose motive power. The contact stated that she observed a large cloud of white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated …

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact depressed accelerator and the vehicle continued to lose motive power. The contact stated that she observed a large cloud of white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was blinking off and on. The contact pulled off the roadway and turned off the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that coolant had leaked into the engine block. The manufacturer had issued a Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 21N12 (Engine and Engine Cooling), however the vehicle no longer qualified for the program. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.

NHTSA ODI #11509560

Mileage unknown · Feb 27, 2023
Steering

Steering wheel is loose and wobbly

NHTSA ODI #11509303

Mileage unknown · Feb 23, 2023
Electrical SystemFire

The driver reported they were driving at approximately 55 MPH and began to smell something burning. They pulled over to the left shoulder and saw the trunk on fire. The fire totally destroyed the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI #11508751

101,000 miles · Feb 23, 2023
Power Train

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon shifting from reverse(R) into drive(D), the vehicle would hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that both the transmission warning light and shifter cable fault warning message appeared on the instrument panel. The contact called th…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon shifting from reverse(R) into drive(D), the vehicle would hesitate upon depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that both the transmission warning light and shifter cable fault warning message appeared on the instrument panel. The contact called the dealer where she was informed that the shifter cable bushing was missing and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had been repaired. The failure mileage was 101,000.

NHTSA ODI #11508717

Mileage unknown · Feb 7, 2023
Engine

The check engine light came on my 2018 Ford Fusion on 2/6/23. On 2/7/23 the car was diagnosed by a Ford dealer as having a coolant intrusion issue. Upon doing research, Ford was aware as early as 2019 that that the 2.0L EcoBoost engines have this common problem. They Issued a Technical Service Bulletin detailing the problem. Ho…

Read full complaint

The check engine light came on my 2018 Ford Fusion on 2/6/23. On 2/7/23 the car was diagnosed by a Ford dealer as having a coolant intrusion issue. Upon doing research, Ford was aware as early as 2019 that that the 2.0L EcoBoost engines have this common problem. They Issued a Technical Service Bulletin detailing the problem. However, Ford is not recalling these vehicles. They have told me that the only fix for the problem is to remove the engine and replace the long block for $8000. Vehicles like mine with the 2.0L EcoBoost engines have a defect that cause coolant to leak into the engine’s cylinders, which can cause corrosion, oil dilution and contamination and engine failure. Furthermore, this defect creates a safety risk because the lack of coolant created by the leaks causes overheating and can result in the cylinder head cracking, total engine failure, or worse an engine fire. If there is a risk that the engine could catch fire on all these vehicles, that puts my life, my passengers lives and others sharing nearby roads lives in danger. I am urging the NHTSA to investigate this claim and the numerous consumers that have these faulty engines. Please hold Ford accountable and force them to replace these engines to keep us citizens safe.

NHTSA ODI #11506140

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.