2015 Ford Fusion Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe coolant finding its way into the engine cylinders, which complaints say leads to overheating, misfires and in many cases an engine replacement. Power steering assist loss, brake fluid leaks and shifter cable problems also come up repeatedly, and many of these reports involve vehicles in the 60,000-130,000 mile range.

1. 1
   Engine

   Coolant leaking into cylinders / engine failure

   • 338 complaints (34%)
   • median 83,000 mi at 5.8 yrs old (226 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $6,731 (median of 43 quotes)
   • filed 2015–2026

   Owners describe low coolant with no visible leak, white smoke from the exhaust, rough or misfiring running and coolant found inside a cylinder. Complaints say dealers diagnosed a warped or cracked cylinder head or intrusion into the engine block and quoted a rebuilt or replacement engine, sometimes more than once on the same car. Several owners mention being told the work was not covered under warranty or any campaign. Reported mostly between roughly 45,000 and 165,000 miles, on vehicles several years old and often during highway or steady driving.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for service records showing coolant level checks and any head gasket or engine work, and check the coolant reservoir level and exhaust color on a cold start. A service bulletin for 1.5L EcoBoost engines describes low coolant and white exhaust smoke as a known symptom worth having inspected.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My wife's Ford Fusion started having issues in 2021. I was responding to check engine lights for things like spark plugs, O2 sensors, variable valve solenoids, etc. Eventually, as these check engine lights continued, in 2022 I took the car into the dealer to have it diagnosed. They told me that the whole engine needed to be rebuilt. They obviously see this problem frequently, as the woman I spoke to had lots of familiarity with the specific problem with these Ecoboost engines. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11547856, filed 2023-10, 112,700 miles

   “My vehicle began having low coolant, smoking from tail pipe, running erratically, and numerous codes including ( P-300 codes). My only transportation and before I made it home the engine turned off completely and did not crank or turn over at all.. I felt the engine was about to catch on fire and so I got out and called family member for a tow and ride home. My car has been sitting in the driveway for at least 2 months. Im a veteran, and making it to doctors appointments is a big issue.”

   NHTSA complaint #11578823, filed 2024-03, 163,199 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission hesitation, harsh shifts and shifter cable

   • 147 complaints (15%)
   • median 84,975 mi at 4.9 yrs old (114 state mileage)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,700 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2015–2026

   Owners report delayed or hard shifts, elevated RPM before engagement, a clunk when accelerating from a stop, and occasional loss of motive power. Others describe the shifter cable bushing degrading so the car will not come out of park or the gear indicator disagrees with the lever position; dealers reportedly replaced the bushing or cable. Reported from about 39,000 to 170,000 miles, with many reports in the 60,000-120,000 mile range.

   Recall 22V413000Recall 19V362000Recall 18V471000Recall 26V3760004 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the shifter cable bushing recalls (22V413000, 19V362000, 18V471000) were applied and whether the protective cap bulletin was performed; on a test drive, shift through all gears from a stop and listen for a clunk or delay.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The rpms rev and shifting hesitates. Was at a stop light, went to drive off from light and it stalled in intersection as it was stuck in gear and finally went into gear. It slow, hard shifts at usual times. The stalling happens out of the blue. I do not go far because I don't want to have an accident from it stalling in gear! I've put so much money on tranny work, this is ridiculous to not have a safe vehicle and have to worry about being stranded.”

   NHTSA complaint #11374587, filed 2020-11, 123,018 miles

   “The contact owns 2015 Ford Fusion. The vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The contact stated that while shifting gear, the vehicle violently jolted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11522249, filed 2023-05, 116,000 miles
3. 3
   Steering

   Power steering assist cuts out

   • 139 complaints (14%)
   • median 67,204 mi at 5.0 yrs old (100 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,043 (median of 10 quotes)
   • filed 2015–2026

   Owners report the power steering assist warning light coming on and the wheel suddenly becoming very hard to turn, often mid-drive or while turning. Complaints say dealers diagnosed a failed steering rack or gear assembly; some owners report the repair was done under a recall while others say their vehicle was not included. Mostly reported between about 55,000 and 100,000 miles, sometimes soon after a recall repair had already been performed.

   Recall 19V632000Recall 15V250000Recall 18V167000

   What to check: Ask whether the electric power steering recalls (19V632000 and 15V250000) were completed, and watch for the power steering assist warning light or intermittent heavy steering on a test drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While driving my car power steering was lost while turning. I almost ran into another vehicle but was able to pull my steering wheel fast enough even though it was very hard to turn”

   NHTSA complaint #11365684, filed 2020-10, 57,500 miles

   “2015 Ford Fusion with 85,000 miles had steering gear fail. Vehicle already had recall for corrosion on steering box bolts. Steering gears are built for 10/12/15 years and this failed in under 6 years. This is unacceptable. My son was driving and the power steering shut down and the vehicle drives as if it doesn't have power steering. The tsc off and tsc indicator lights are lit up on the dash.”

   NHTSA complaint #11399318, filed 2021-03, 84,950 miles
4. 4
   Brakes

   Brake fluid leak / soft or low pedal

   • 72 complaints (7%)
   • median 86,000 mi at 5.9 yrs old (47 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $925 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2016–2026

   Owners describe a brake pedal that sinks to the floor or feels spongy, a low brake fluid warning, and in some cases fluid seen under the car or at a front wheel. Complaints say the cause was a ruptured front brake hose, and some owners report the recall part was not yet available when they asked for the repair. Reported from roughly 53,000 to 170,000 miles, with several reports around 75,000-130,000 miles.

   Recall 23V162000Recall 22V011000

   What to check: Ask whether recall 23V162000 (front brake hoses) has been completed, have the front hoses and fluid level inspected, and press the pedal firmly during a test drive to check for a spongy or sinking feel.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The car was parked in a lot. I started it, put it in reverse, and the check brake system warning message came up. The brakes made a loud metallic screeching sound when I began backing. When I tried to apply the brake, it was sluggish and difficult to stop the vehicle. I had it towed to a nearby Ford dealership, where they replaced a brake switch. Nine days later, the exact same thing happened, this time at my home. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11327000, filed 2020-06, 96,027 miles

   “I was in the drive thru of a fast food restaurant. When I went to press on the brake pedal, it had no pressure behind it, and I was just barely able to stop the car. I was able to get the car into a nearby parking lot. I was just barely able to stop the car using the emergency brake. My car then showed a low brake fluid warning on the dash. So I opened the hood and saw that the brake fluid reservoir was completely empty. I had a family member come pick me up and drive me home. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11352165, filed 2020-08, 76,000 miles
5. 5
   Fuel system

   Stalling or no-start after refueling (purge valve)

   • 118 complaints (12%)
   • median 75,000 mi at 5.4 yrs old (90 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $5,000 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2015–2026

   Owners report the engine stalling or being hard to start after filling the tank, sometimes taking several attempts, along with a check engine light and fuel-system codes. Complaints say dealers replaced the canister purge valve or fuel pressure sensor; a few owners report the valve was replaced more than once. Reported from roughly 34,000 to 125,000 miles, typically right after refueling.

   What to check: Ask whether the purge valve or fuel pressure sensor has been replaced, and after a test-drive fill-up check that the car idles and restarts normally and that no check engine light remains on.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Stalls or won't start after filling gas tank. Sometimes it takes 5 to 10 .minutes to start. Has stalled numerous times when I was at a intersection and tried to pull out. Gets p1450 error code..”

   NHTSA complaint #11349567, filed 2020-08, 34,005 miles

   “The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the check engine light was illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that there was a failure with the emission system. The check engine warning light was cleared by the mechanic; however, the warning light returned. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer and the contact was informed that the purge valve needed to be replaced. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11538637, filed 2023-08, 39,000 miles

Buying note. This model year is worth a careful pre-purchase inspection: verify open recall work was completed, check the coolant level and exhaust on a cold start, and drive it long enough to test the steering, brakes and shifting. Asking for a full service history and an independent inspection before buying is reasonable given how often engine and steering repairs come up in owner reports.

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.