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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

What owners actually said

438 reports
Mileage unknown · Feb 8, 2022
Unknown Or Other

I was leaving a doctors appointment and a message randomly displayed stating "Stop Safely Now" and the car quit moving. A yellow warning light came on as well. Fortunately I was in a parking lot, but I was unable to get the car to turn off or move for almost 10 minutes. Finally I was able to get to turn off and turn back on and …

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I was leaving a doctors appointment and a message randomly displayed stating "Stop Safely Now" and the car quit moving. A yellow warning light came on as well. Fortunately I was in a parking lot, but I was unable to get the car to turn off or move for almost 10 minutes. Finally I was able to get to turn off and turn back on and drive home without another incident. It appears this is a common safety issue with Ford's hybrid vehicles. I am happy this didn't happen on a street road or the highway and that my daughter wasn't with me. I cannot be getting stranded places with the cold winters in Iowa or with my child.

NHTSA ODI #11451006

Mileage unknown · Jan 13, 2022
Back Over PreventionUnknown Or Other

Faulty APIM for radio/navigation/rear view camera. System won’t turn on or operate In cold weather. When warm, system works perfect.

NHTSA ODI #11447373

Mileage unknown · Jan 8, 2022
Fuel/propulsion System

I stopped at a gas station in 0 digit degree weather fahrenheit and when I tried to insert the pump into the capless filler, it was frozen guy the actual inner latch that opens to the tank itself. I tried to gently apply pressure and I could not get it to open after trying for 3-4 minutes. Luckily I was close to home since my ga…

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I stopped at a gas station in 0 digit degree weather fahrenheit and when I tried to insert the pump into the capless filler, it was frozen guy the actual inner latch that opens to the tank itself. I tried to gently apply pressure and I could not get it to open after trying for 3-4 minutes. Luckily I was close to home since my gas light can come on and I didn't have a lot of gas left, but that also means my car is sitting in extreme cold right now with very little gas, which I believe poses a risk to line freezing. More important, what if I hadn't been as close to home? What if, while trying to drive around and fine someone to help me, I ran out of gas? If a person was in a more rural environment then I am, they might not be quickly seen and might be stranded with a car that can't provide heat any longer and in extreme cold.

NHTSA ODI #11446711

Mileage unknown · Jan 7, 2022
Wheels

Had tires replaced and mechanic reported several swollen lug nuts.

NHTSA ODI #11446575

Mileage unknown · Dec 10, 2021
EnginePower Train

Upon entering off ramp to highway , upon acceleration car shudders and goes into limp mode, can't accelerate and forced to try and pull over to stop vehicle and re-start. Very dangerous as it is random, can't re-create and has happened at highway speeds, very unsafe. Took it to dealer, Ford could not recreate and said there were…

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Upon entering off ramp to highway , upon acceleration car shudders and goes into limp mode, can't accelerate and forced to try and pull over to stop vehicle and re-start. Very dangerous as it is random, can't re-create and has happened at highway speeds, very unsafe. Took it to dealer, Ford could not recreate and said there were no codes present and subsequently found nothing wrong.

NHTSA ODI #11443403

Mileage unknown · Dec 2, 2021
Unknown Or Other

On four separate occasions the truck will randomly open while driving. After the first couple times I was extremely careful to ensure I did not randomly hit the button or had my key fob in a way that the truck release could be activated by accident. Despite this the truck will still randomly open on its own. Could be a very d…

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On four separate occasions the truck will randomly open while driving. After the first couple times I was extremely careful to ensure I did not randomly hit the button or had my key fob in a way that the truck release could be activated by accident. Despite this the truck will still randomly open on its own. Could be a very dangerous situation if the trunk is full.

NHTSA ODI #11442438

Mileage unknown · Nov 30, 2021
EngineUnknown Or Other

Electrical: My car’s radio was going out and I took to Ford for a check while getting oil change. They said normal don’t worry about it. At this time I was still in warranty. When taken to Ford the 2nd time,they “reset” my SYNC & then the radio/touchscreen complete stopped working within 48 hours. When I told them, I just happen…

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Electrical: My car’s radio was going out and I took to Ford for a check while getting oil change. They said normal don’t worry about it. At this time I was still in warranty. When taken to Ford the 2nd time,they “reset” my SYNC & then the radio/touchscreen complete stopped working within 48 hours. When I told them, I just happened to be out of warranty then. Touch screen is completely blank! It will not turn on or allow controls for heat nor a/c. Cannot see backup camera nor can I hear the beeps. The USB plugs and outlets are also not working! This began in January 2020. I have a 7 month old at the time and it was a very cold winter. Engine: Fast forward to August 2020, my car just shut down in the middle of the highway and started shaking with my then 15 month old! Pulled over and had it towed to Ford. Ford told me it needed a new Engine and would cost $7500 to get it fixed. I had never issues before and each oil change received the multi point inspection and I was never informed of any issues prior to.

NHTSA ODI #11442057

Mileage unknown · Oct 22, 2021
Power TrainUnknown Or OtherVehicle Speed Control

MISSOURI

NHTSA ODI #11437823

Mileage unknown · Oct 13, 2021
Engine

Head gasket failure

NHTSA ODI #11436640

Mileage unknown · Oct 13, 2021
Engine

Blown head gasket at only 85k miles.

NHTSA ODI #11436638

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.