2016 Ford Fusion Transmission Problems

Which parts fail

• Automatic transmission
  5
• Automatic transmission › Lever and linkage › Floor shift
  5
• Automatic transmission › Internal › Bearings/bushings
  3
• Automatic transmission › Internal › Gears
  1
• Automatic transmission › Lever and linkage › Column shift
  1

Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).

Mileage when the problem started

• Under 25k
  2311%
• 25k–50k
  157%
• 50k–75k
  4522%
• 75k–100k
  6230%
• 100k–150k
  4823%
• 150k+
  126%

Owner reports

Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2016 Ford Fusion owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that she placed the vehicle in the park position and then exit the vehicle, when without warning the vehicle inadvertently rolled in reverse and crashed into another vehicle. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. A police report was filed. No warning lights was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed. The dealer was not notified. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a Ford dealer for diagnosis but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal went all the way to the floorboard with a message displayed that the brake fluid level was low. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the front passenger's side brake hose was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact later received a second notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) advising that the part was available for the recall repair. …

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the vehicle began to stall. The contact stated that the check manual warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that she made a left turn and the vehicle started to decelerate. The message "Transmission not in Park" warning light was illuminated with the gear shifter in drive(D). The contact stated that the drive(D) icon was intermittently blinking on the instrument panel. The contact was able to coast to a stop at a nearby parking lot. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to the local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while leaving a drive thru and accelerating, the vehicle shut off with the "Transmission Not in Park" message displayed. The contact shifted the vehicle into park and was able to restart the vehicle and the vehicle then operated normally. On another occasion while reversing, the vehicle unintendedly shut off. The contact attempted to shift into park however, the vehicle failed to shift out reverse. The contact checked under the hood and notice that the shifter cable was detached. The contact was able to reattach the shifter cable and the vehicle shifted into park. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) and was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline. …

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the transmission was in park(P), but the vehicle rolled backward. The contact depressed the brake pedal, to stop the vehicle, but after releasing the brake pedal, the failure recurred. The contact depressed the brake pedal again and attempted to shift gear, but the transmission seized. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle. A transmission message was displayed. The contact activated the parking brake and pressed the manual shift button from reverse(R) to drive(D) to move the vehicle. After shifting into park(P), the transmission seized again. A bystander helped to push the vehicle into a parking space and then activated the parking brake, preventing the vehicle from rolling. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. …

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after parking on a slight incline with the engine still running, the vehicle began to roll backward while the transmission shifter was in the park position. After being alerted the vehicle was rolling backward the contact stopped the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal. The contact then discovered that the transmission could not be shifted into drive(D), rendering the vehicle undrivable. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission shifter cable bushing had detached and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. …

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact referenced NHTSA Recall Number 22V413000 (Power Train). The contact stated after the gear shifter was placed in drive(D) and she placed her foot on the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that a friend checked under the hood of the vehicle and noticed that the shifter cable bushing had detached. The contact's friend was able to reattach the shifter cable bushing and the vehicle operated as needed. The contact then stated that the friend had place his foot on the accelerator pedal to engage the vehicle then immediately engaged the parking brake to park the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission shifter cable bushing needed to be replaced; however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The vehicle was not repaired. …

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was restarted. However, after traveling a short distance, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the turbo. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, who determined that the turbo only required cleaning. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the torque converter resulting in damages to the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while sitting in the vehicle at a food pickup window, the vehicle was in park; however, the vehicle rolled forward. The contact stated that the gear shifter was inoperable and did not function as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the drive indicator was illuminated as if the gear shifter was in the drive. The contact called AAA. The AAA tow truck driver inspected the vehicle and informed the contact that the transmission bushing cable had failed. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that the failure occurred while her minor children were in the vehicle. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that an unknown recall repair was completed in 2019 for the replacement of the transmission bushing cable. The contact was advised that the repair was not covered under warranty. …

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V362000 (Power train) and the vehicle was taken to the local dealer for recall repair; however, the local dealer informed the contact that they could not repair the vehicle because the vehicle was not affected by the recall. The contact stated that a year later, the vehicle started lunging forward while shifting into drive. Additionally, the contact stated that the gear shifter would emit vibrating sounds and the vehicle would shudder while driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had increased in intensity and frequency. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …

Related recalls

Transmission complaints in other Fusion years