CSR

Ford · NHTSA safety record

2018 Ford Fusion

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

434

Complaints

9

Crashes

1

Fires

6

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2018 Ford Fusion have filed 434 safety complaints with NHTSA between March 2017 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 199 of them (46%). The typical failure was reported at 90,000 miles, the median across the 187 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Complaints fell 29% year on year: 80 in the twelve months to 2026-Q1, against 113 in the twelve before.

NHTSA has issued 2 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (2)

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

23V162000 · March 10, 2023

The defect
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.
The risk
A brake fluid leak will increase brake pedal travel and extend the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S12.

Ford Motor Company · up to 1,280,726 vehicles across all model years covered

STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

18V167000 · March 12, 2018

The defect
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.
The risk
A steering wheel detachment can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel bolt with a longer bolt, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S08.

Ford Motor Company · up to 1,301,986 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations (1)

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Front Brake Jounce Hose Failures

RQ22004

Closed recall query · opened August 8, 2022 · closed March 24, 2023 · led to recall 23V162000

the hydraulic brakes

On August 8, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 50 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging front brake jounce hose ruptures on model year (MY) 2013-2018 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. A ruptured front brake hose results in a brake fluid leak. As a result, the driver may experience an increase in pedal travel and a reduction in the rate of deceleration, increasing the risk of a crash. It should be noted that the subject vehicles identified fell outside the scope of NHTSA Safety Recall 20V-469, which addressed front brake hoses rupturing on certain MY 2015-2018 Ford Edge and 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX vehicles. The result causes a brake fluid leak, lengthening the distance needing to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.On March 10, 2023, Ford Motor Company (Ford) submitted to NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-162 (Ford Recall 23S12) to address front brake jounce hoses that may rupture. Ford found the rupture occurs from a localized failure of the internal reinforcement braid due to cyclic fatigue through tensile/bending and torsional inputs during suspension and steering articulations. The supplier for the front brake jounce hoses is Hitachi. This recall affects the subject vehicles equipped with non-hybrid engines and the suspect front brake jounce hoses (a total of 1,280,726 vehicles). The recall covers subject vehicles built from February 3, 2012 to July 19, 2017 when the suspect hoses were used in vehicle production. The remedy is for dealerships to replace both front brake jounce hoses with new hoses that have a revised braid material at no cost. The vehicles equipped with hybrid engines are excluded from the recall because the internal hose pressure is much lower due to the regenerative braking provided by the hybrid brake system. No failures of brake hoses on hybrid vehicles have been reported to ODI or Ford.Ford's actions address ODIs concerns at this time. Hybrid vehicles will be monitored for related failures. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by new circumstances.The 103 ODI numbers cited above can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under the following ID numbers:11511014, 11510867, 11510318, 11509030, 11505993, 11504989, 11504400, 11502147, 11502082, 11501820, 11501283, 11498439, 11498296, 11496842, 11496335, 11494931, 11494851, 11494252, 11493001, 11492084, 11492070, 11491444, 11491274, 11488858, 11488027, 11487627, 11487416, 11487233, 11486150, 11484924, 11484526, 11484080, 11483948, 11483926, 11483739, 11483723, 11482773, 11482690, 11481077, 11480788, 11480294, 11480052, 11479338, 11479334, 11479252, 11479247, 11479187, 11479094, 11479048, 11478985, 11478953, 11478729, 11478216, 11476892, 11476282, 11470558, 11468994, 11467109, 11466294, 11462746, 11461217, 11456065, 11455367, 11444848, 11436419, 11436376, 11430685, 11428329, 11425083, 11421026, 11420738, 11420735, 11420298, 11418197, 11403926, 11397549, 11366991, 11366757, 11361016, 11359968, 11354569, 11352165, 11350344, 11348799, 11343929, 11343205, 11331947, 11329020, 11319596, 11310529, 11292271, 11288455, 11254787, 11253479, 11253244, 11234622, 11230669, 11230050, 11228240, 11221111, 11143630, 11129392 and 11120228.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 434.

ENGINE 199 46%
POWER TRAIN 105 24%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 87 20%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 47 11%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 26 6%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 22 5%
STEERING 19 4%
WHEELS 11 3%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 8 2%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 6 1%
AIR BAGS 5 1%
SEAT BELTS 5 1%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2024 at 124.

2017 2024 2026
2017 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · 48,000 miles

I WAS HIT BY A TOYOTA HIGHLANDER ON HWY 12 CA WHILE WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO TURN GREEN. THE TRUCKS APPOX. SPEED 40 TO 50 MILES AN HOUR,SPRAIN NECK,LOWER BACK SEVER PAIN REPTURED BREAST IMPLANT KNOCKED FRONT TOOTH IMPLANT OUT ..AIR BAGS DID NOT COME OUT CAR IS TOTALLED.I WAS AT A DEAD STOP. I WAS ON HWY THERE WAS A SHERIFF RIGHT BEHIND THE GUY WHO HIT ME HE WAS ON CELL PHONE. MY PASSENGER PULLED REAR OUT ENOUGH TO GET IT TO MY HOUSE SO IT WAS NOT TOWED. I WENT TO EMERGENCE AFTER I GOT HOME

NHTSA complaint 11414655. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

1 injured · crash · towed · 89,000 miles

The contact owned a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the front driver side seat belt did not buckle appropriately, another vehicle driving at an unknown speed moved to the left lane, then the other vehicle changed lanes again moving in front of the contact, and the other vehicle abruptly depressed on the brakes causing the contact to rear end him. The vehicle came to a stop and merged into the shoulder. The vehicle was damaged on the front driver's and passenger's side. There were no warning lights illuminated. The driver’s and passenger’s side air bags did deploy however the seat belt did not retract the contact, causing the contact to be injured. There

NHTSA complaint 11649461, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY

1 injured · crash · towed

On August 10, 2026, I was driving my 2018 Ford Fusion at approximately 40 mph under normal driving conditions when, without warning, the hood unexpectedly released and flew completely backward into the windshield. The hood had been closed prior to driving and there was no warning before the failure. The hood struck the windshield with significant force, shattering it, immediately blocking my forward visibility, and sending broken glass into the passenger compartment and onto me. Because I suddenly could not see the roadway, I lost control and the vehicle left the road. Fortunately, no other vehicles or pedestrians were involved and I did not require medical treatment. This was not a hood

NHTSA complaint 11756127, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash

I went to head on to a light pole and my passenger side airbags did not deploy

NHTSA complaint 11563993. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
The 1.5L EcoBoost motor has coolant intrusion problem on cylinder 3. The 1.5L EcoBoost motor sputters while driving causing the engine to be sluggish and not get up to speed when turning and might cause an accident on the highway due to the motor failing due to coolant intrusion design flaw in Ford Motor. Yes, Ford dealership confirmed the coolant intrusion problem on cylinder 3 and check engine light keeps coming on and off. Yes, the Ford dealership inspected the 1.5L engine in the vehicle and ran test to confirm the coolant intrusion problem on cylinder 3. There was no other warning lamps or symptoms prior to the failure/degrade of engine

NHTSA complaint 11756448. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Coolant leaking into the engine.

NHTSA complaint 11754816. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
There is a recall for the transmission cable bushings for years 2013-2106. The recall came out in 2022. This same bushing is used in the 2018 ford fusion model that was not fixed. The bushing on my vehicle which is a 2018 complete failed while I was driving and left me immobile until I searched for a fix and found the bushing completely gone. Ford Escape: Model years 2013–2019, Ford C-Max: Model years 2013–2018; Ford Fusion: Model years 2013–2016; Ford Transit Connect: Model years 2013–2021; Ford Edge: Model years 2015–2018. Each model besides the fusion went past the 2018 model in which the 2018 fusion should be apart of

NHTSA complaint 11754361. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Transmission/cracked flexplate started approximately 12 months prior with vibrations getting progressively worse, complete failure needing replacement along with shift cable bushing causes vehicle to select wrong gear position when another is commanded by driver. Shrapnel from case or components could be expelled during flexplate/converter failure. Incorrect gear selection could lead to potential injury or damage from improper gear selection.

NHTSA complaint 11753612. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA complaint 11752380. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Ford Fusion

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2020 178 3
2019 309 3
2017 1,102 4
2016 1,603 13
2015 985 13
2014 1,322 19
2013 1,784 19 1
2012 2,512 5 3
2011 2,783 7 1
2010 5,126 11 1

Other 2018 Ford models

Every Ford on this site — 348 vehicles, 1210 recall campaigns and 10 open investigation s.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst