Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Ford Fusion owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Date of first incident was Nov 19, 2023. I was driving home from taking my elderly mother to the doctor and my engine just shut off. I had plenty of gas, my oil and transmission had been changed, no warning lights came on my dash prior to the engine stopping. The only message I had on my car said the car is not in park. No one can seem to find out why. It has done this at a moderate rate of speed (45mph). My steering wheel locked and I can't steer the car giving me the option to get to a safe place on the road. I have to hit another vehicle or hit a pole. I have good insurance but I don't want to use it to fix body damage. I can't afford that with a 300 dollar car payment. My break sensor error light will come on as well and I went to have the breaks changed and fluid replaced but it doesn't work. …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the message "No Coolant" was displayed on the instrument panel, and there was smoke coming from outside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The independent mechanic made the contact aware of an undisclosed recall; however, the VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that while reversing at an undisclosed speed, the rearview camera image was inverted and the rear passenger's side of the vehicle crashed into an unoccupied vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. A police report was not filed. …
I've had my ford for almost a year and found that coolant was getting into my engine and causing it to overheat and went to get it checked out at a Ford dealership only for them to tell me I would have to buy a new engine I can't afford. I've been looking online at all the problems that could arise if I don't switch the engine like the car starting on fire in hot summer days and can't afford to buy a new car as I had to get a loan for it and can't even drive it much for worry of anything happening. It's my main source of transportation to work and without it I could lose my job. I can't afford to get a new car and another loan for that as well while paying for my ford's loan. …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering. The message "Engine Coolant Over Temperature" was displayed. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact stated upon turning off and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle shuddered significantly and made abnormal knocking sounds. The contact stated that after the vehicle remained stationary for a while, the vehicle responded as needed; however, there was dark smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the ignition coils were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring increasingly, and the vehicle failed to start. …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the engine almost stalled and the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was blinking on and off. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal but the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled over and became aware that the coolant level was low and that the engine was overheating. The contact waited for the warning light to disappear before attempting to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was restart and shifted into drive(D), the vehicle failed to accelerate above 10 MPH. The contact drove the vehicle to the residence and later had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the vehicle was idling rough with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that there was an abnormal odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was returned to same independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the coils needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that later while driving approximately 60 MPH, the "engine coolant temperature high" message was displayed. …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention). While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started running rough. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who retrieved DTC: P0302 (Misfire in Cylinder #2). The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, who retrieved the same code and informed the contact that cylinder #2 ignition coil and spark plug needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. While driving, there was white smoke coming from the tailpipe, but the vehicle was still running rough. The engine overheated, and the contact pulled over and added additional fluids to the engine. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion, and the engine needed to be replaced. …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 40-50 MPH, the warning message "Vehicle Overheating" was displayed. The contact veered to the side of the road to allow the vehicle to cool down and the continued driving; however, the failure reoccurred several times while driving. Upon arriving at her residence and parking the vehicle, the contact noticed that there was no coolant in the coolant reservoir. The contact refilled coolant reservoir: however, upon attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine short block needed to be replaced. The dealer advised the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under an unknown recall as the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated with a message indicating that the engine was overheating. The vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was towed to an unknown dealer, who informed the contact that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact added coolant to the vehicle and drove to the residence. The vehicle was then taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in the engine, causing the spark plugs to be corroded, and that cylinder #4 was misfiring. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs, and the ignition coils needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure occurred. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the spark plugs and ignition coils needed to be replaced again. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the engine and the engine needed to be replaced. A dealer was contacted and made the contact aware of an undisclosed recall; however, the VIN was not included. …
Engine complaints in other Fusion years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2016 Ford Fusion?
NHTSA has 532 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2016 Ford Fusion, 32% of the model year's 1,644 complaints. The component named most often is cooling system (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2016 Ford Fusion engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2016 Ford Fusion, though it has 13 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2016 Ford Fusion engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 11% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 2 fires and 2 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.