general problems of the 2018 Ford Fusion - part 1

Coolant intrusive. New motor needed.

Shifter cable bushing degraded and fell off. Causing a condition where the car could not be shifted into or out of gear, and car applied park brake as a safety precaution and could not be disabled until the shifter was manually put back into park by mechanic. This bushing has been under recall for other year Fusions but has not been extended to this one. Research on forums shows this is a very common problem. Could be a real safety issue if car cannot be shifted and it needs to be driven away in an emergency. This part should not fail in this short of time, it is made of inferior materials and does not last. No warnings given prior, part fails catastrophically.

The car issued no warning, lights or messages prior to the damage. My [xxx] son was driving and the car started shaking which really scared him as he’s a new driver. I would say the safety of him and other drivers on the road were definitely put in danger. The vehicle has been inspected by a Ford dealership. They stated it had a broken flex plate and short block. Broken flexplate; diagnostic $210. 00 parts $1,345. 86 (flexplate, transmission fluid pump, filter, one time use parts) labor $2,600. 00 ($200. 00 x 13. 0hrs) sales tax $125. 84 total $4,281. 70 short block replacement; diagnostic $145. 00 parts $2,193. 64 (short block engine/kit, spark plugs, one time use parts) labor $4,480. 00 ($200. 00 x 22. 4hrs) alignment $159. 95 sales tax $205. 11 total $7,183. 70 tow bill $140. 00 information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Unknown.

At approximately 67,180 miles, a Ford dealership performed a multi-point inspection on my 2018 Ford Fusion se with the 1. 5l ecoboost engine due to a check engine light on. The Ford dealership diagnosed the vehicle with a coolant intrusion into cylinder 2. The Ford dealership recommended the replacement of the short block and gasket kit, with an estimated repair cost of $7,465. This type of issue diagnosed for my vehicle is a known failure issue for 1. 5l Ford ecoboost engines documented in customer satisfaction program 21n12, which covers coolant intrusion and engine damage in this engine type. Despite the Ford dealership diagnosis of my vehicle matching what is described in customer satisfaction program 21n12, I was informed that my vehicle is not eligible. The coolant intrusion into cylinder 2 is an issue that poses a safety risk due to engine misfires, stalling, overheating, and possible sudden loss of engine power while driving. In my case, my vehicle has become unreliable and unsafe for regular driving. A Ford dealership inspected the vehicle, confirmed and documented the issue, and the repair quote, diagnostic report and diagnostic payment receipt are available upon request. Ford has declined assistance despite the vehicle’s low mileage and clear alignment with known engine defects. I mailed a formal appeal letter to Ford motor company and I am filing a complaint with my state attorney general. This widespread issue affects customer safety, and vehicle safety standards and deserves further investigation, as many other Ford owners of vehicles with 1. 5l ecoboost engines have reported similar failures.

Transmission shift linkage bushing failure and torque converter shudder shudder been on going problem for approximately 12months90000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 30 mph and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated and stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and transferred the contact to the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 72,000.

While maneuvering in parking lot car would not shift from reverse to drive after backing out of parking place, error on dash stated shift module failure. Tow truck driver manually engaged shifter to drive, too car to freeman Ford. Upon inspection shifter grommet at transmission had worn not allowing car to change gears, $4 in parts, $300 in labor to fix. Fortunately the car was just blocking a post office parking lot, if this had been a maneuver in an intersection it could have caused an accident. There was no indication this failure was going to occur.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after his girlfriend was occupied and parked in the residence, while attempting to reverse the vehicle the gear shifted independently into park. The contact mention he lifted the front end of the vehicle, and he noticed the shifter cable detached from the transmission shifting arm. The contact was able to attach the shifter cable on the transmission shifting arm but also noticed the shifter cable bushing has detached from the transmission as well. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired however the contact mention the vehicle will be getting repaired on March 29th. The contact related the failure to the NHTSA campaign number: 22v413000(power train). The insurance company had not been contacted yet. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure they informed the contact that NHTSA calls the manufacture to have recalls on their VIN. The contact was referred to NHTSA to file a complaint on the failure. The failure mileage was 102. 000.

The check engine light came on and something about the cooling system. I can’t totally remember. The service desk confirmed the eco boost engine has known issues of the cooling system which may cause the engine to go bad. Reported I needed a new engine and transmission. Then after they had started that job and after I put $1,500 down they called me back and said the radiator has issues from it all and needed changed as well. I asked him if all Fords only lasted approximately a 100,000 miles or just this one and he responded that it is a known issue by Ford and happens with this engine. It cost me approximately $15,000 out of pocket to get the car fixed. Within a week there were more “issues” with the engine and I am now being charged over $300. 00 to fix this part that they didn’t change even though they put in a new engine.

At 135,815 miles, my 2018 Ford Fusion se experienced a sudden transmission failure while driving, with no prior warning signs. The vehicle was towed to certified transmission, where technicians confirmed: transmission fluid level was correct but black/degraded. Multiple failure codes were present. Transmission pump whined and stopped functioning. Diagnosis: internal transmission failure (6/17/2024). The shop stated this issue is common in these transmissions. The entire transmission had to be replaced. At 141,164 miles, just 5,349 miles later, the engine shut off on the highway while driving, again with no warning lights. After pulling onto the shoulder, it restarted after 10 minutes but was smoking heavily. Coolant was critically low in the reserve tank. Diagnosis: cracked cylinder head due to coolant intrusion, a known defect in 1. 5l ecoboost engines. I contacted Ford customer care about csp 21n12, but they refused assistance since my vehicle exceeds 84,000 miles, despite this well-documented defect. Safety concerns: unexpected transmission & engine failure while driving creates a serious risk. Engine shutoff on the highway could have led to an accident. Coolant intrusion in 1. 5l ecoboost engines is a known issue, yet Ford has failed to notify all owners. This issue affects many owners and creates major safety risks. I urge the NHTSA to investigate and consider a mandatory recall to prevent further incidents.

Transmission cable shifter bushing was defective and popped off of transmission shifter. This subsequently caused the transmission control module to overwork and fail.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the engine experienced coolant intrusion, which is a known defect in certain Ford ecoboost engines. My independent mechanic diagnosed the issue after I noticed significant engine performance problems. The affected components, including the engine block and cooling system, are available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? coolant intrusion can lead to engine overheating, misfires, and in severe cases, engine fires. This significantly increased the risk to my safety and that of others on the road. Had I not addressed the issue promptly, a fire could have occurred while driving. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? the problem was confirmed by an independent, certified mechanic—not by a Ford dealership. The dealer failed to properly diagnose or even acknowledge the problem, which appears to be common based on other consumer complaints. Ford did not identify what was truly going on with the vehicle, despite clear symptoms. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Ford has not inspected the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified, but they declined to take responsibility or offer a solution. There was no inspection by police or insurance representatives, as the issue was caught before a fire or accident occurred. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? yes. The engine began running rough and hesitating under acceleration. I also noticed excessive white smoke from the exhaust, and the check engine light came on intermittently. These symptoms began appearing several weeks before the full diagnosis, and Ford service failed to address them accurately during prior visits.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the "wrench" symbol was displayed. The contact was unable to shift the transmission into drive(d). The contact had to wait for approximately 15 to 20 minutes before attempting to restart the vehicle before shifting into drive(d). The contact stated that the failure recurred, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the vehicle hesitated, and the transmission failed to shift into third gear. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,433.

1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? - the transmission has failed twice. The first time it was replaced by a licensed dealer. The second time is current. It is available for inspection upon request. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? -we were stranded on the highway in missouri. The second time the car failed was during winter weather with two small children, putting us at significant risk due to exposure to extreme cold and the dangers of being stuck on the side of the highway. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? - yes, the problem was confirmed by a dealer/service center after the first failure, and it has occurred again. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? - yes, it has been inspected by a dealer, but not by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? - yes, the first time it failed we got an engine overheating error. The second time it failed we got the "wrench" error code. These warning signs occurred as the problem occurred and did not give us any time to get the car to safety.

Transmission issues, I had my transmission replaced right out of warranty so Ford assisted 4 grand to assist the repair because the dealership took a mmtj to get my car in, I didn't know it was going to go over the trade in program replacements in miles. The car shifts weird, in drive the vehicle acts as if it was put in neutral randomly and it jerks you hard into gear throwing you and passengers into the back of the seat a,pay got hit two times it also when you start the car, put it in drive it throws it's self back into park then you put it back into drive or reverse and it grooms and goes as if I'm accelerating which I got hit once backing out of a sppt because of this I hagea friend who has the same issues why is theee not a recall on their Ford Fusions or them getting sued????.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while at a stoplight, the vehicle hesitated and jerked. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle hesitated and lost motive power. The service vehicle message was displayed. There was a highlighted rectangle displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and dtc: p0218/p177s was retrieved, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, academy Ford sales (13401 baltimore Ave, laurel, MD 20707); where it was diagnosed that the transmission, intermittent clutch, and shaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The vehicle started jerking violently out of nowhere while being driven only 35 mph. It immediately became unsafe and unable to be driven without any warning whatsoever. No lights on the dash or anything leading up to this issue. After being diagnosed we were told the transmission needs to be completely replaced. Also after doing some research we have discovered that this is a well known issue with this vehicle that has not been addressed with this year model, but was with previous model years.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after her son had placed the vehicle into reverse(r), the vehicle failed to accelerate while in drive(d). The contact stated that the wrench(transmission) warning symbol appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where a diagnostic was performed. The contact was informed that both the shifter cable bushing and the shifter cable bushing cap needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the nthsa hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer and had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while his wife was driving 60 mph, the wrench symbol became displayed. The power train fault warning light was illuminated. The vehicle started to shake with the check engine warning light illuminated. The power steering was inoperable. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the transmission was previously replaced twice. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 65 mph, the vehicle stalled. The power train warning light was illuminated. The messages "shift system fault”, “see owner’s manual" and "take vehicle to service center immediately" were displayed. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that while shifting to drive(d) or to reverse(r), the gear shifter independently shifted back to park(p). The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure milage was approximately 89,000.

In mid-August I was sitting at a stop light about to turn left. I was about the 3rd car in line. The light turned, and the first car turned left, and we inched up the car in front of me was able to turn, and the traffic was clear enough for me to also make the turn. However, in the middle of the turn my car didn’t stall out but lost all acceleration. I was pushing the gas, but while the car coasted forward it didn’t begin the drive. However, I never lost power. It was like the car jumped from “drive” into “neutral” and I coasted through the turn. I hesitated slightly and then pushed on the gas. The engine made sound but no movement other than coasting. Finally, I felt a small jolt and the car started moving forward. I was able to clear the intersection and was back in drive mode. At that time the “engine warning” light came up on the dash. The car was able to move, nothing else seemed to have a problem, breaks still worked, I pulled into a parking lot. I pulled over, parked, but did not turn the car off immediately. I was able to drive forward and back-up while in the parking lot, as well as make turns. After about a minute I turned the car off to see if the car would automatically “fix itself”. I waited about three minutes and then started the car again, and it started without any problem, but the warning light was still on. I left the parking lot and was able to drive with the engine warning light was still on, but no problem with anything else. I drove about five miles toward home when the warning light turned off. I drove to oxmoor Ford for service, but the service department was closed. I then drove to autozone where they did an initial plug into see if they could find what caused the problem. They were not able to determine anything. I returned home and made the appointment for the oxmoor Ford service center. The car service cost me $7371. 17.

After reversing out of my driveway I could not get me Fusion to go into drive. After getting the car back into my driveway my Fusion starting putting the emergency brake on I would take it off and it would automatically put the parking brake back on. After looking at a video of problems with the shifter I popped my hood and found that the shift cable had come off. There is a recall on Fusions for this issue but my year is not included.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the gear shifter could not immediately be shifted out of park(p). The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was unknown.

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.

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.

My car had a bad shifting linkage which I paid for out of pocket. My 2. 0 ecoboost engine is leaking coolant into my oil and makes a very loud concerning ticking noise, along with reduced engine power and sporadic/random loss of brakes. There has been recalls for these issues on most other Ford Fusion models and this one needs to be recalled. My engine is going to blow any day now and I will be stuck paying for the rest of my car loan for a vehicle I cannot drive. All of the ecoboost engines should be recalled for poor design.

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.

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.

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. . Read more...

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.

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.

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

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