2018 Ford Fusion

Family: Fusion · filed with NHTSA as FUSION, FUSION ENERGI, FUSION HYBRID

Summary

Of the 490 complaints that name a component, 57% concern Engine (281).
These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
Not enough history to compare this year with the rest of its generation.
2 recalls filed for this model year.
2 federal defect investigations cover this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints: 509
Recalls: 2
Investigations: 2
NCAP overall: 5 of 5 stars
Combined MPG: 20–42
Annual fuel cost: $1,500–$3,100
Median mileage at complaint: 89,000 mi (n = 219)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths: 18 / 2 / 13 / 1

What owners report

Engine

281 complaints · 57% of complaints that name a component · median 96,000 mi (n = 130)

Owner report My 2018 Ford Fusion suffered a sudden and complete engine failure caused by internal coolant intrusion — coolant leaking into the cylinders and destroying the engine. Pep Boys diagnosed that the failure developed internally over time and could not have been avoided by the owner. This is a known Ford factory defect in t…

Owner report Capital Ford of Wilmington diagnosed my vehicle with coolant intrusion into cylinder 2, accompanied by diagnostic trouble codes P0302 and P0316, after check engine light came on. I have been advised that the vehicle requires a complete engine replacement, with an estimated cost of $13,180.89. The vehicle has experienc…

Powertrain

120 complaints · 24% of complaints that name a component · median 80,559 mi (n = 49)

Owner report My daughter was driving getting on the highway, went to accelerate and the car would no longer accelerate. AAMCO stated the internal pressure pump is failing and the transmission is losing pressure.

Owner report The car suddenly stopped accelerating while turning left into an intersection from a stoplight, heading towards to a freeway on-ramp; there was a grinding sound. I was able to move to the curb lane before anyone hit me or others behind me. The car would not go into any gears and kept rolling even when in Park. I had to…

Electrical System

40 complaints · 8% of complaints that name a component · median 44,126 mi (n = 15)

Owner report Battery Energy Control Module (BECM) malfunction. Causing sluggish response when attempting to accelerate which has nearly caused an accident on multiple occasions. Other vehicles near the date of manufacture of this vehicle are reported having the same symptoms including potential for fire. There is a recall on …

Owner report The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion Energi. The contact stated that the hold voltage battery had decreased to 13–15 miles on a full charge when previously averaging 22–23 miles. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to Customer Satisfaction Program: 24N19. The local d…

4% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2013–2020)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Median of the comparable years: 192.

Model year	All complaints	First three years	Note
2013	1,957	278
2014	1,432	195
2015	1,066	139
2016	1,731	252
2017	1,204	190
2018	509	42	not compared
2019	473	52	fewest complaints
2020	236	39	not compared

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

23V162000 · SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

Filed 2023-03-10 · 1,280,726 vehicles

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.

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.

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.

18V167000 · STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

Filed 2018-03-12 · 1,301,986 vehicles

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.

Risk: A steering wheel detachment can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

Federal investigations

Action	Component	Opened	Closed	Recall
DP22005	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM	2023-01-27	2023-08-07	22V063000
RQ22004	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS	2022-08-08	2023-03-24	23V162000

DP22005: Pedestrian alert sounds

RQ22004: Front Brake Jounce Hose Failures

Engines and fuel economy

Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Fuel cost / yr
Fusion AWD	2.0L 4cyl	Automatic (S6)	All-Wheel Drive	20	29	23	$2700
Fusion AWD	2.7L 6cyl	Automatic (S6)	All-Wheel Drive	17	26	20	$3100
Fusion Energi Plug-in Hybrid	2.0L 4cyl Plug-in Hybrid	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-Wheel Drive	43	41	42	$1500
Fusion FWD	1.5L 4cyl	Automatic (S6)	Front-Wheel Drive	23	34	27	$2300
Fusion FWD	2.0L 4cyl	Automatic (S6)	Front-Wheel Drive	21	31	25	$2500
Fusion FWD	2.5L 4cyl	Automatic 6-spd	Front-Wheel Drive	21	32	25	$2500
Fusion Hybrid FWD	2.0L 4cyl Hybrid	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-Wheel Drive	43	41	42	$1500

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

Variant	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover
2018 Ford Fusion 4 DR AWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆
2018 Ford Fusion 4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆
2018 Ford Fusion Energi 4 DR FWD	Not Rated	Not Rated	Not Rated	★★★★☆
2018 Ford Fusion Hybrid 4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆

Service bulletins

Ford issued 279 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about electrical system.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

Date	Component	Summary
2026-02-24	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated wired keypad, the access…
2025-11-26	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	This article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various SYNC performance related concerns including but not limited to: Display operation concerns Na…
2025-11-12	POWER TRAIN	Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in the Powertrain Contro…
2024-11-27	UNKNOWN OR OTHER	Various vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or a 3.0L gas engine may require a crankshaft bolt replacement during repairs. Various vehicles equipped with a 2.7L or a 3.0L gas engine may require a crankshaft b…
2024-10-10	UNKNOWN OR OTHER	While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. …
2024-05-27	UNKNOWN OR OTHER	This article supersedes TSB 21-2175 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some 2016 MKS, 2016-2017 Navigator, 2016-2018 F-150/Focus/C-MAX/Edge/Fiesta/MKX/Transit Connect/Mustang, 2017-2018 Continental/Fusion/MKZ, 2017-2019 Explorer, 2016-201…
2024-04-24	EQUIPMENT	All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during ini…
2024-03-06	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	For 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an engine oil leak, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-00 for oil leak inspection and testing methods. Ford has evaluated turbocharg…
2024-03-06	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	For 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an engine oil leak, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-00 for oil leak inspection and testing methods. Ford has evaluated turbocharg…
2024-03-06	ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	For 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an engine oil leak, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-00 for oil leak inspection and testing methods. Ford has evaluated turbocharg…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this Fusion, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Ford Fusion model page.

Sources

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.