2006 Ford Fusion Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often write about two things: airbag recalls that went unrepaired for long periods because replacement parts were not available, and automatic transmission behavior where the car slips out of gear or lurches during acceleration. Brake complaints in which the pedal sinks to the floor, and interior door handles that break and leave occupants unable to open a door from the inside, also recur throughout the sample. Many reports come in at well over 60,000 miles, though the transmission and door-handle complaints appear at lower mileages as well.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Airbag recall repairs delayed / airbag warning light

   • 297 complaints (41%)
   • median 99,500 mi at 10.8 yrs old (68 state mileage)
   • 25 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2006–2026

   Owners describe receiving recall notices for the front airbags and then being told by dealers that replacement parts were not yet available, in some cases for a year or more. Several mention a reminder not to use the front passenger seat in the meantime. Others report the airbag warning light staying on, including after a passenger-side inflator was replaced, and a few describe airbags failing to deploy or deploying without an impact. Reported at mileages ranging from around 25,000 to over 200,000; many notices were filed between 2016 and 2021 while parts were back-ordered.

   Recall 21V158000Recall 16V384000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 17V024000 · DO NOT DRIVE5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether both driver and passenger inflators have been replaced under recall and get the paperwork; a dealer can run the VIN. Watch whether the airbag warning light comes on and stays on once the car is running.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Takata recall - I have been waiting over a year for passenger side airbag. I have contacted Ford dealers and have been informed that they don't have airbags available to install. Received letter from Ford motor company about safety recall notice in july, 2016.”

   NHTSA complaint #11035512, filed 2017-10, 70,000 miles

   “2006 Ford Fusion: two safety issues 1. The dashboard on the passenger side near the air bag is warped/bulged. The air bag indicator flashes on every once in awhile. I am concerned the air bag will deploy causing harm. This is a major safety concern. 2. Complaint: cracking and popping in my front suspension when turning or going over bumps. About two years ago I took my car to a Ford dealership and they stated there was a technical service bulletin and a sub frame assembly kit needed installed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10555053, filed 2013-12, 50,000 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Brake pedal goes to the floor

   Mentioned in 12 of 60 sampled complaints

   Complaints describe the brake pedal travelling all the way down with little or no braking effect, sometimes intermittently and sometimes while the traction control light is on; several owners used the parking brake to stop. Some report the condition returning after pads, rotors, or calipers were replaced, and several mention the ABS hydraulic control unit recall and being told parts were unavailable. A number of the reports describe rear-end impacts when the pedal went down and the car kept moving. Reported from about 50,000 to over 180,000 miles, at a wide range of driving speeds.

   Recall 19V904000

   What to check: Check whether recall 19V904000 was completed on the ABS hydraulic control unit. Before buying, press the pedal firmly with the engine running and confirm it holds rather than sinking; also test with the traction control engaged.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I hit another vehicle in the rear when the brakes on my 2006 Ford Fusion failed. I was traveling about 30 miles an hour when traffic stopped and I applied the brakes but car didnt stop hitting another vehicle. I had called the local Ford to have the brake recall fixed but they did not have the parts at the time * (recall related incident) ts”

   NHTSA complaint #11363543, filed 2020-10, 186,000 miles

   “My car is fire safety recall of the ABS system in first quarter of 2020 but Ford still has not provided the recall. My braking has failed several times when I braked hard; the brake did not put into effect until the pedal went all the way to the floor. It's a very dangerous situation and Ford has to offer the recall as soon as possible as it's already overdue for 4 months.”

   NHTSA complaint #11350149, filed 2020-08, 124,200 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission slips out of gear or lurches on acceleration

   • 127 complaints (17%)
   • median 69,000 mi at 5.5 yrs old (115 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,100 (median of 24 quotes)
   • filed 2007–2023

   Owners describe the car dropping out of gear or revving without accelerating, often between about 25 and 40 mph or when entering overdrive, followed by a violent jerk or loud bang when it re-engages. The usual workaround described is releasing the accelerator completely and waiting for the transmission to catch again. Some were told a transmission control unit or the transmission itself needed replacement, and a few had repeat failures after a rebuild. Mostly reported between roughly 45,000 and 110,000 miles; some describe it at lower mileage as well.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive at steady 25-45 mph and note any flare, delay, or bang on shifts; check transmission fluid condition and whether the PCM/TCM calibration updates were applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My car slips out fo gear, slows down on the highway, revvs at high RPM's, and won't accelerate again unless I slam the gas pedal down. It only does this sometimes. Also, I have been experiencing intermittent brake failure. I apply my foot onto the break, and it goes straight to the floor. Delays stop time substantially.”

   NHTSA complaint #11373100, filed 2020-11, 63,000 miles

   “Today while traveling down I-40 with my children in the car my Ford Fusion revved up to almost 5 rpms and started jerking I stepped on the gas and nothing was happening just revved up and then finally jumped into gear. At that time we just about got rear ended by two vehicles that was behind us on the interstate running between 55-60mph. Im very concerned about the 2006 Ford fusions transmissions and believe this problem needs to quit being over looked. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10533429, filed 2013-08, 70,000 miles
4. 4
   Latches, locks and linkages

   Interior door handles break, door won't open from inside

   • 72 complaints (10%)
   • median 66,210 mi at 5.8 yrs old (66 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $500 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2008–2018

   Owners report the interior door handles cracking or snapping, sometimes first showing cracks in the chrome trim, so the door can only be opened from the outside. Several had all four handles affected, and one had the same handle replaced more than once. Complaints also describe doors that would not lock as a result, and dealers telling owners the car was out of warranty. Commonly reported between about 30,000 and 95,000 miles.

   What to check: Open and close every door from the inside and look for hairline cracks or loose chrome at the handle; the repair is inexpensive but worth checking on all four doors.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driver's door interior handle has bent and does not open from the inside. Driver's side rear door interior handle has bent and sometimes will not open from the inside. Passenger side front door interior handle has bent but at this time still opens from the inside. Driver's door and driver's side rear door no longer lock due to this.”

   NHTSA complaint #10251590, filed 2008-12, 39,000 miles

   “Takata recall. The contact owns a 2006 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the passenger side air bag warning indicator illuminated. In addition, the interior driver side door handle fractured. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16v384000 (air bags); however, the parts to do the repair were unavailable. The manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000. Vin tool confirms parts not available.”

   NHTSA complaint #10926345, filed 2016-11, 48,000 miles
5. 5
   Engine

   Throttle body / reduced power with wrench light

   • 75 complaints (10%)
   • median 86,094 mi at 7.9 yrs old (68 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,000 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2008–2020

   Owners describe the wrench indicator coming on and the car losing the ability to accelerate beyond about 10-20 mph, sometimes dropping into a limp mode on the highway; restarting the car often restores normal operation for a while. Some had the throttle body replaced, others were told the electronic throttle body needed diagnosis. Complaints tie the symptom to the throttle body or a coil circuit fault. Mostly reported between about 55,000 and 130,000 miles, often appearing intermittently rather than every drive.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the throttle body has been cleaned or replaced and whether the PCM was updated; during a test drive, watch for a wrench light or hesitation under steady throttle.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was going home on highway (65 MPH) and the traffic started to slow down and so I put on my brake and lost my power. It was in limp mode. Fortunately, I was in low speed lane and could get over to the side of highway and managed to pull off. After 5 minutes I was able to restart car and get home. The throttle body had to be replaced. This is a safety concern. I feel I was very lucky I did not get slammed into and someone did not get hurt.”

   NHTSA complaint #10569188, filed 2014-03, 65,000 miles

   “While driving the car on the highway at typical highway speeds (60mph-70mph) the wrench indicator light comes on in the dashboard and the car looses the ability to accelerate any faster than about 10 miles an hour. We pull over, turn the car off and start it back up again and it appears to run fine. This can happen randomly one day and then not happen again for a few weeks or even a month or two then it does it again. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11022904, filed 2017-09, 131,426 miles

Buying note. Ask for recall repair records first, since the airbag and ABS campaigns on this model year are the items most often left unfinished with owners reporting long waits for parts. Budget for a transmission inspection and check every interior door handle and the brake pedal before agreeing on a price.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.