Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2016 Ford Fusion: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 1,652 safety complaints about the 2016 Ford Fusion with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved July 14, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

1,652
Complaints
13
Recalls
5
Investigations
5★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 58 crashes, 6 fires, 30 injuries, 1 death.

Key findings
  1. Engine & cooling leads the complaint list, cited in 547 of 1,652 complaints, followed by Power train / transmission.
  2. Stalling is a recurring theme. 110 of the 1,652 reports describe the engine stalling — many while driving.
  3. Complaints peaked 7 years after the model year (253 filed in 2023) — a pattern consistent with wear-out failures rather than assembly defects.
  4. One recall is a do-over. NHTSA records show recall repairs that were previously performed incorrectly — worth a VIN check even if you had recall work done.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2016 Ford Fusion, here is how reports break down by system.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 1,652 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Engine & cooling
547
Power train / transmission
314
Other / unspecified
218
Steering
184
Brakes & stability
165
Electrical
159
Driver assistance
108
Fuel & propulsion
94

"Engine reached high temperature on July 2 2016 the results of which required the replacement of the radiator. Apparently there is a class action regarding coolant system issues for my vehicles 2.0L engine. The radiator failure may be the result of this issue. Engine overheated"

Owner complaint filed July 2026 · Engine · NHTSA ODI 11748924

"My Ford Fusion with the Ecoboost 2.0L 4-cyl engine has the design flaw that has the issue with a coolant to leak into the combustion chamber. Mine is in cylinder #2. The local dealer quoted $10K to replace the engine because it has the design flaw. I need this repaired because I need it to get to work. my 2016 fusion should also be covered by the recall."

Owner complaint filed July 2026 · Engine · NHTSA ODI 11747953

When complaints were filed

For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2016 Ford Fusion peaked later than usual, in 2023.

Complaints filed per year — 2016 Ford Fusion
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
3
57
58
134
158
194
142
198
253
183
165
107
151617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through July 14, 2026). A late peak is the signature of wear-out failures: parts that don't fail until the vehicle has years and miles on it.

How the 2016 compares with other model years

Across the Ford Fusion model years we track, the 2010 has the most complaints on file (5,124); the 2016 ranks 5 of 8.

Total complaints by model year — Ford Fusion
All complaints on file per model year, as of July 14, 2026
5,124
2,780
2,604
1,948
1,416
1,049
2016
1,652
1,094
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 13 recalls, including a do-over

13 recalls apply to some or all 2016 Ford Fusion vehicles. Note the flagged campaign: it covers vehicles whose earlier recall repairs were performed incorrectly.

Oct 201515V-618
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage

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 thickn…

Apr 201616V-250
Seat Belts:Front:Anchorage

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 re…

Dec 201616V-875
Seat Belts:Front

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…

Mar 201818V-167
Steering: Steering Wheel/Handle Bar

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.

Jul 201818V-471
Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Lever And Linkage:Floor Shift

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 trans…

May 201919V-362
Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Lever And Linkage:Floor Shift

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 …

Aug 201919V-632
Steering:Electric Power Assist System

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, Min…

Mar 202020V-177
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch

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, Washingt…

Jun 202222V-413
Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Gear Position Indication (Prndl)

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.

Mar 202323V-162
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.

Nov 202323V-775
Latches/Locks/Linkages:Doors:Latch

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, …

Oct 202525V-695
Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera

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 …

Jun 202626V-376Repair done incorrectly
Power Train:Manual Transmission

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.

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★★
Overall
★★★★★
Frontal crash
★★★★☆
Side crash
★★★★☆
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2016 Ford Fusion have?

As of July 14, 2026, owners have filed 1,652 complaints about the 2016 Ford Fusion with NHTSA. The most-reported system is engine & cooling.

How many recalls does the 2016 Ford Fusion have?

The 2016 Ford Fusion has 13 NHTSA recalls on file. One recall reopens earlier campaigns whose repairs were performed incorrectly. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2016 Ford Fusion safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2016 Ford Fusion an overall crash rating of 5 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved July 14, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.