2013 Ford Fusion Engine Problems

448 owners have reported engine & cooling problems with the 2013 Ford Fusion to NHTSA — 25% of all 1,792 complaints for this model year. The typical failure happened around 89,000 miles. That ranks #4 of 15 Fusion model years for engine complaints (a typical year has 229). 2 related recalls have been issued.

448complaints
89ktypical miles
2related recalls
4crashes
81fires
6injuries

Which parts fail

  • Exhaust system › Emission control › Crankcase (pcv)
    1
  • Cooling system
    1

Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).

Mileage when the problem started

  • Under 25k
    299%
  • 25k–50k
    268%
  • 50k–75k
    6720%
  • 75k–100k
    7823%
  • 100k–150k
    10130%
  • 150k+
    3611%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Ford Fusion owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at 30 MPH, the contact noticed a warning light illuminated on the vehicle stating engine overheating. The contact pulled the vehicle to the side of the road, where the contact noticed black smoke coming from the engine. The contact then drove the vehicle across the road into a mechanic shop where the mechanic who used a fire extinguisher to extinguish the smoke fire from the engine. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer who diagnosed the failure as the engine was damaged and needed to be replaced The dealer replaced the engine, however, the contact was still experiencing issues with the coolant system on the vehicle. …

107,000 miles · Dec 2017 · fire

The contact owned a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the message "Coolant Over Temperature" was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact then exited the vehicle and raised the hood and there was black smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact backed away from the vehicle and approximately 3 minutes later the vehicle caught on fire. The Fire Department was contacted and arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire. A Fire report was filed however, the contact had not received a Fire report number. The Police also arrived on scene and collected information from the contact; however, the contact was unaware of a Police report being filed. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. …

155,000 miles · Aug 2025 · fire

The contact owned a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while he was parked on the side of the road, he noticed dark smoke coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact stated as he turned off the vehicle, the vehicle caught on fire. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were no injuries sustained. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with the assistance of the emergency units. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was deemed a total loss. The dealer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that they could not assist. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist due to the severity of the fire. The manufacturer stated that the failure was not related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). …

140,000 miles · Jul 2021 · fire

The contact owned a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at 25 mph, there was an abnormal smoke odor inside of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire. The fire department was called out and extinguished the fire. A police and fire report were filed. No medical attention was sought. The vehicle was towed to a police towing facility. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,000.

125,000 miles · Jun 2021 · fire

The fire started in the engine, unsure of exact cause according to the fire report. My wife [redacted] ), I, and my one year old daughter's safety was compromised bc there was no warning until a minute before us realizing fire and exited the vehicle. Car was investigated by local department. Check engine light flashing crazy less than a minute before car loss power

160,000 miles · Jan 2024 · fire

The contact' daughter owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while his daughter was driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle began to overheat. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact daughter's veered to the side of the road and waited for the vehicle to cool down. The contact son-in-law met his daughter and assisted with refilling coolant in the vehicle. The contact's daughter was able to continue driving. However, the failure reoccurred several times while driving. The contact stated that his daughter would need to check the coolant level prior to driving. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanic who informed the contact that they could not duplicate the failure. The contact, an independent mechanic, diagnosed that both oil and coolant were leaking. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 12V551000 (Engine And Engine Cooling). …

113,000 miles · Jul 2022

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the engine failed to respond as needed. The contact pulled off the roadway and stopped and could not restart the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent dealer and the fuel pump was replaced. The mechanic also checked for oil leaks. On another occasion while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power with the temperature gauge reading HOT. The contact stated that the vehicle stopped in the middle of the highway with white smoke coming from underneath the front of the vehicle and from the exhaust pipe. The contact was assisted by the Police with pushing the vehicle off the roadway. …

98,000 miles · Jul 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling in the driveway, the "Engine Coolant Overtemperature" message was displayed, and the cooling fan made loud sounds. The contact stated that smoke was coming from underneath the hood and the exhaust pipe. The contact turned off the vehicle and opened the hood. The contact discovered that coolant had leaked everywhere underneath the hood and the foam insulator, engine cover, valve cover, high-pressure fuel pump connector and plug, and radiator cap had all melted. The contact added coolant and replaced the radiator cap. The contact then noticed oil leaking from the rear cylinder head. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which was associated with the VIN. …

211,000 miles · Mar 2024

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine overheated. The contact was informed that there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle. The contact was called for help. The contact arrived at the location and inspected under the hood, and became aware that the coolant level was low. The coolant reservoir was refilled, and the contact became aware that coolant and oil were leaking onto the manifold. The vehicle was driven to the residence with the persistent burning odor. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to bring the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. …

190,000 miles · Jan 2026

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low coolant warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a faulty hose and the hose was replaced. The contact stated that on another occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine seized. Additionally, a failure code was displayed indicating a failure with cylinder #3. The vehicle was towed to the dealer however, the warranty company directed the contact to tow the vehicle to Precision Tune. Precision Tune rebuilt the engine, and the vehicle was delivered back to contact. The contact stated that less than a month after getting the vehicle back, the turbo became inoperable. The vehicle was taken back to Precision Tune. …

105,000 miles · Oct 2022

Related recalls

Engine and engine cooling › Engine

NHTSA recall 17V-209 · Mar 27, 2017 · 208,584 vehicles

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Escape, 2014-2015 Fiesta ST, 2013-2014 Fusion and 2013-2015 Transit Connect vehicles equipped with 1.6L GTDI engines. If the vehicle is started and driven with an insufficient level of coolant within the engine cooling system, the engine cylinder head may overheat, crack and…

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install a coolant level sensor and the supporting hardware and software, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed April 21, 2017.

Engine and engine cooling

NHTSA recall 12V-551 · Dec 3, 2012 · 80,057 vehicles

This is an update to a recently announced recall. Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from October 5, 2011, through November 26, 2012, equipped with 1.6L engines, as well as certain model year 2013 Fusion vehicles manufactured from February 3, 2012, through November 29, 2012, equipped with…

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine for coolant system leaks and reprogram the vehicle's powertrain control module and instrument cluster with an updated calibration and overheat strategy…

NHTSA investigations

Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction

NHTSA investigation PE13003 · opened Feb 21, 2013 · closed Feb 28, 2014

On February 21, 2013, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE13-003 to investigate allegations of electronic throttle body (ETB) failures resulting in sudden reduction of engine power in model year (MY) 2009-2013 Ford Escape, Fusion, Mariner and Milan vehicles.

Engine complaints in other Fusion years

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Engine complaints per model year, Ford Fusion.

Frequently asked questions

How common are engine problems on the 2013 Ford Fusion?

NHTSA has 448 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2013 Ford Fusion, 25% of the model year's 1,792 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system › emission control › crankcase (pcv) (1 mentions).

Is there a recall for 2013 Ford Fusion engine problems?

Yes — NHTSA recall 17V-209 (engine, Mar 27, 2017); NHTSA recall 12V-551 (engine and engine cooling, Dec 3, 2012). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

At what mileage do 2013 Ford Fusion engine problems start?

Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 89,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.

Is it dangerous?

Owners linked 4 crashes, 81 fires and 6 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.