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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
44,928 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2018 Ford Fusion drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2018 Ford Fusion Owner Comments (Page 1 of 4)

problem #70

Feb 222024

Fusion

  • 80,559 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond, jerked and experienced hard shifts while responding. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The power train warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with internal transmission damage that caused clutch B to fail. The dealer determined that that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 80,559.

- Lima, OH, USA

problem #69

Aug 092024

Fusion

  • 181,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the engine started to overheat, and there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The message "Vehicle Temperature Overheating" was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and allowed the vehicle to cool down. The contact was able to continue driving; however, the failure recurred several times while driving. The contact pulled to the side of the road several times until arriving to the residence. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the PCM had failed. Additionally, the dealer diagnosed there was coolant intrusion in the engine cylinders. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 181,000.

- Lake Charles, LA, USA

problem #68

Jul 112024

Fusion

  • miles
Originally, the car had Cylinder 2 misfire followed by the engine overheating. No crash, thankfully. have had this car for approximately 2 years, and put less than 30,000 miles on it. I took the car to Kings Ford Services where they discovered the engine block had been miscast resulting in engine coolant to enter cylinders 2 and 4, thus killing the engine. Spoke with Eric Hutton, Service Advisor Kings Ford Inc, (513)-683-0220 ext. 219, who said he has seen this happen multiple times with Ford Fusions and that the 1.5L has been recalled, but not the 2.0L which my car has. Per Kings Ford Repair Receipt: "Inspected the engine base part number to confirm it I'd 206 then with the engine at normal operating temperature, pressurized the cooling system to 20 PSI FOR 5 hours and the pressure dropped more than 4 PSK. Removed the spark plugs, used a borescope and found coolant has entered the cylinders. Removed the engine and replaced the long block assembly using all of the approved Ford gasket removers, parts cleaners, shampoo and metal surface prep wipes to clean all related mating surfaces per the workshop service manual. Also replaced all other related seals, gaskets, and non reusable hardware and reinstalled all components Removed for repairs in the reverse order of removal. Evachated, pulled system into vacuum, and recharged thr air conditioning system to service the engine assembly." I called Beechmont Ford who filed a claim with my warranty, but the warranty refused to aid and gave many excuses that were not true to the problem such as "it was a gasket issue not an engine" despite Mr. Hutton telling them multiple times it was the engine. I found out later their excuses were just that as Ford Inc. said the warranty expired within a year of having the car. They also had heard of this happening before, as well. Ford Inc. who was willing to pay a portion of the bill, $5,000, despite it being a manufacturing issue. Car was fixed and returned to me on 08/01/2024.

- Loveland, OH, USA

problem #67

Jun 302024

Fusion

  • 116,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the flex plate. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 22N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 116,000.

- Clear Lake, IA, USA

problem #66

Mar 092020

Fusion

  • 79,225 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the transmission was previously replaced two years after purchasing the vehicle brand new. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving from a complete stop and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle jerked and was significantly sluggish while the RPMs were significantly elevated. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal. The power train and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that while shifting to reverse(R), a message indicating that the transmission was in reverse(R) was displayed, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring increasingly. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 79,225.

- Mesquite, TX, USA

problem #65

Jun 142024

Fusion

  • 164,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated to shift between gear. The contact also stated that the vehicle automatically shifted into neutral and rolled backwards. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined that the transmission shift cable bushing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 164,000.

- Dover, DE, USA

problem #64

May 132024

Fusion

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The flex plate is cracked at 87,000 miles and causing the vehicle to make a loud rattling noise near the bottom of the engine toward the back of the transmission. While driving the vehicle it drags while accelerating on turns and gives a hard shift in gears from park. The vehicle was inspected by Aamco transmission and several Ford dealers where i was told that this seems to be a common issue with the ford fusions according to several ford dealers but the ford manufacturer is refusing to place a recall for this matter. There is no warning indicating the issue is near or has occurred until the flex plate has already caused damage.

- Harvey, IL, USA

problem #63

May 052024

Fusion

  • miles
Upon shifting the gear to put the vehicle in park, the shifter automatically put itself in neutral and the parking brake enabled. A warning came on the dash, saying SHIFT SYS FAULT Service Required. A wrench light was illuminated as well. The bushing securing the shifting cable was gone, as if it crumbled to pieces. I have replaced this bushing a few times within the last year.

- New Orleans, LA, USA

problem #62

Apr 262024

Fusion

  • miles
Vehicle throws a system shift error when shifting vehicle. Due to loose transmission shift cable. Missing retention clip. Reported error on previous Ford fusion models. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- White House, TN, USA

problem #61

Apr 132024

Fusion

  • 89,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the temperature gauge displayed that the engine was overheating. The transmission warning light was intermittently illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer, who related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 (Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion) associated with the VIN; however, the mileage exceeded the warranty coverage. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was advised to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

- Spearfish, SD, USA

problem #60

Apr 052024

Fusion

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Failed transmission. Hard shift from 2-3, and 4-5. Also transmission is slipping. Only 40,600 miles on the car. Car is a dealership for evaluation, they recommend replacing the transmission.

- Mountain Top, PA, USA

problem #59

Feb 272024

Fusion

  • miles
I PURCHASED THE CAR [XXX], FEW WEEKS LATER THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON THEN DISAPPEARED, I WAS ALSO EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH THE SEAT COOLING FUNCTION, AS THE TOUCH SCREEN CONTROLS WAS SHOWING THAT THEY WERE BOTH ON AND IT WAS STILL WINTER/RAINY SEASON OUTSIDE. I TOOK THE CAR INNTO FORD DEALER AT SAN BERNARDINO CA, THEY TOLD ME THAT MOST LIKELY IT WAS JUST A DASHBOARD LIGHT MALFUNCTION BECAUSE THE DIAGNOSTICS RESULTS CAME OUT FINE AND AFTER RESEARCHING IN OTHER MANUALS EVEN THOUGH THE SEAT COOLING FUNCTION WAS SWITCHED TO "on", THE CAR DID NOT COME EQUIPPED WITH SEAT COOLING ONLY HEATED SEATS. 3 WEEKS LATER AFTER TAKING MY CAR HOME, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN ON Y DASHBOARD, I BOUGHT AN OBDII DIAGNOSTIC TOOL, THE RESULT CAME BACK WITH 2 DIFFERENT POWERTRAIN CODES THAT WERE STRICTLY MANUFACTURER CODES. 1ST CODE WAS P1450 WHICH IS DEFINED AS UNABLE TO BLEED GAS TANK - EXCESSIVE VACCUM. 2ND CODE WAS P2196 WHICH IS DEFINED BY O2 SENSOR STUCK TRYING TO CORRECT 1ST CODE. THE P2196 EVENTUALLY CLEARED ON ITS OWN BUT THE P1450 BECAME PERMANENT. I HAD A DIAGNOSTIC MECHANIC TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND HE TOLD ME THE SAME THING, EXCEPT THAT THE MAIN CULPRIT IS THE PURGE FLOW VALVE, WHICH IS A RECALL ISSUE ON OTHER FORD FUSIONS. WHEN I PURCHASED THE CAR, I WAS SHOWED THAT THE CAR HAD NO RECALLS BUT THE "MYFORD" APP AND OWNERSHIP DIDNT TRANSFER TO ME RIGHT AWAY UNTIL 30 DAYS AFTER THE PURCHASE, WHICH IS WHEN IT FINALLY LET ME VIEWED THE CARS PRIOR SERVICE / MAINTANANCE HISTORY AND EVEN THOUGH THE CAR SALES LADY SHOWED ME VIN RECORDS WHERE IT SAYS THERE IS NO RECALLS AND IT HAD NO ACCIDENTS, RECORDS THAT SHE SHOWED ME 30 DAYS PRIOR TO ME GAINING ACTUAL OWNERSHIP THRU "MY FORD" WHEN PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. THE "MY FORD" APP STATES THAT IT SEEMS AS IF THE CAR WAS IN AN ACCIDENT IN THE PAST BECAUSE ALMOST $8000 WENT INTO REPAIRS TOWARDS TRANSMISSION AND OTHER MAIN COMPONENTS. CALIFORNIA SMOG CHECK RECORDS SHOW THAT THE CAR HAS ONLY HAD 1 TEST IN CA LAST SEPT 2023. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATIO

- Fontana, CA, USA

problem #58

Mar 162024

Fusion

  • miles
Coolant reservoir is empty with no visible leakage and engine is no longer working

- Rochester, NY, USA

problem #57

Feb 232024

Fusion

  • miles
Torque converter ar60,000mi and needs whole transmission at 104000

- Mooresboro , NC, USA

problem #56

Feb 202024

Fusion

  • 119,943 miles
Terrible car, after long thinking about it the last accident in this car I think was caused from the transmission literally as soon as I put it in reverse it acted as if I was accelerating and proceeded out of the parking spot a little bit, another scary thing I pulled out of a parking lot and almost got hit because the car acted as if it was in neutral when the car was in drive with on coming traffic!!!!!!!! One time it wouldn't allow me to go into drive it started rolling back wards. Transmission was replaced in 2020 and the car has been parked since late 2022 because of this issue while still peeing $6,000 on a damn car I can't even drive and seeing the same similar issue about this stupid car everywhere is ridiculous and I don't see how there's not a recall on this transmission or buy back issue or something how do you go buy a almost $30,000 car and every 60 thousand miles the transmission goes out if your able to even walk away from an accident to be able to even get the damn thing fixed

- Kansas City , MO, USA

problem #55

Sep 132022

Fusion

  • 119,943 miles
So first and foremost, this has been a issue before, first time I had this vehicle serviced because the car was shifting terrible I would be driving and the car would slip out of gear and act as if it's in neutral which does not allow the car to accelerate, which occured driving on the highway and everywhere!!!! Ford helped fix the first transmission and I had to assist on partial amount, Going 65 miles an hour and then have to merge and the car is in drive but did a jerk and it was just cruising and acted as if the car was in neutral and just reving the engine almost got me hit because a car was behind me!!! Like I said Ford assisted with the first one!!!! NOW IT HAS HAPPENED AGAIN!!! I OWE $6,000 ON A CAR I CANT EVEN DRIVE THAT JUST SITS IN MY DAMN DRIVEWAY! IVE ASKED FORD WHAT I SHOULD DO AND NO ONES REACH BACK OTHER THAN GETTING IT LOOKED AT AND NOT ASKING ABOUT ANY HELP AT ALL!!! This time because I've already dealt with this issue once I noticed it started to mess up again I pulled out of a parking lot to a main street, cars were coming but I was clear to go and had plenty of room!! WHY DID THE CAR DO THE SAME THING AND ACT AS IF IT WAS IN NEUTRAL AND THEN DIDNT ACCELERATE to where I had to hurry turn my hazards on and then after I did that the car jerked real hard and like threw me back and it went I tried to drive it a month or so ago to see if it still did it and the car wouldn't go in reverse wouldn't go in drive nothing!!!!!!!!!! SO A BRAND NEW CAR I BROUGHT NOW IS SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY UNDRIVABLE!!! AND I HAVE NO fix other than paying to have it looked at and fixed my self!!!!! Working at a dealership for five years! A Ford dealership at that, I seen how many damn fusions came in with transmission problems and it's a shame there's no damn recall on these transmission, maybe if the people would of hit my car maybe there would have been but why keep taking the damn chances!!!! I almost got rear ended both times because of this stupid f*cking car!!!

- Kansas City, MO, USA

problem #54

Nov 162023

Fusion

  • miles
Driving down the road and suddenly all the lights came on and lost power steering there was no warning. Nothing. It stopped working. I then see something today in regards to this being an issue and when I contact ford about it was nothing we can do. Ford did not make this very public and I bet if you people expanded this to other newer models and made it public you might find more people that have had the same issue and thought it was just their car.

- Warren, ME, USA

problem #53

Nov 302023

Fusion

  • 105,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while starting the vehicle and attempting to move the gear shifter, the gear shifter remained stuck in park (P). The contact stated that he disconnected the battery for 10-15 minutes, and the computer was reset. The contact stated that the vehicle then operated as needed. The contact stated that the failure recurred on another occasion, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was repaired; however, the failure recurred 30 minutes later after parking the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the gear shift module (GSM) needed to be replaced. The GSM was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer determined that the transmission gear shifter assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

- Kinder, LA, USA

problem #52

Jan 092024

Fusion

  • miles
My car's transmission had a "system shift error", and now it cannot be shifted into any gear besides park, and is underivable. We were stuck at a gas station and blocking traffic. The problem has not resolved, we have not brought it to a service center but we can. There were no warnings besides when it occurred, we simply could not leave the parking lot and had to be towed. The tow truck driver had to drag the car up. onto the bed because since the shifter would not work or go into neutral, he was forced to tow it in park.

- East Haddam, CT, USA

problem #51

Dec 042023

Fusion

  • miles
I went on a road trip to see family which needed 5 hours of travel. After returning and parking the car, I noticed a knocking noise coming from the engine bay when it was started and was idling. After doing what I could to rule out possible problems I concluded the Flexplate might be the culprit due to Recall 22N12 with Ford. A short time later, my car started to stall if I did not keep my RPM's high enough while my vehicle was stopped. After getting an inspection done with a dealership they confirmed that it is the Flexplate. The symptoms gradually got worse which is what ultimately led me to bring it in to a dealership instead of a different shop. The problem is that this repair estimate I got says this repair is going to cost me $3,000. I am arguing that my vehicle should have been on Recall 22N12. After contacting Ford and going back and forth for 2 and a half hours they told me i'm out of luck and that there was nothing they can/will do about this.

- Winnebago, IL, USA

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