2018 Ford Fusion Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe coolant getting into the engine cylinders, which they report as white exhaust smoke, low coolant, misfires and overheating, and which dealers typically diagnose as needing engine or short block replacement. Transmission complaints are the second theme: hard or delayed shifts, a wrench or shift-system message, and in some cases the shifter failing to move out of park. Most reports arrive between roughly 60,000 and 120,000 miles, with the engine-cooling theme appearing a little later than the others.

1. 1
   Engine

   Coolant intrusion into cylinders / engine replacement

   • 224 complaints (51%)
   • median 100,000 mi at 6.5 yrs old (102 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $9,000 (median of 23 quotes)
   • filed 2020–2026

   Complaints describe white smoke from the exhaust, a low coolant message or a coolant reservoir that keeps emptying, rough running, misfires on a specific cylinder and overheating, sometimes with loss of power. Owners report that dealers pressure-tested the cooling system, found coolant in a cylinder or a warped short block and said the engine or short block needed replacing. Several mention being told the repair was outside warranty or not covered by the customer satisfaction program for coolant intrusion because of mileage. Usually reported between about 55,000 and 125,000 miles, often noticed after a cold start or during steady driving.

   8 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the coolant reservoir level cold and look for white residue or smoke at the tailpipe; ask whether any coolant-intrusion diagnostic or short block work was already performed and whether the vehicle is still inside the applicable coverage.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Purchased 2018 Ford Fusion titanium used in august 2019. In december 2020 my check engine light came on and I took it for service. Service told me that there is a technical bulletin on the ecoboost engine because there is a bad cast on the head. This causes coolant to leak into the oil. The only way to repair is to replace the engine. Ford refuses to stand behind their product and the cost of fixing it falls on me. The vehicle was moving when the check engine light came on and the car smelt of burning. White smoke was coming from the exhaust.”

   NHTSA complaint #11387691, filed 2021-01, 64,998 miles

   “The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was running rough, jerking, and shaking. The transmission and coolant temperature warning lights were illuminated. The message Engine Overheating - Reduced Power was displayed, and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to the residence. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11696086, filed 2025-10, 148,000 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Shift system fault / shifter stuck in park

   • 40 complaints (9%)
   • median 89,000 mi at 5.6 yrs old (21 state mileage)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe a shift system fault or service message with the wrench icon, the vehicle not coming out of park or the shifter detaching and moving on its own while driving. Complaints say the cause was traced to the shifter cable bushing, and that dealers replaced the bushing or cable; some report being told the condition was not covered by a recall. Mostly between about 78,000 and 100,000 miles, often at startup or when shifting out of park.

   What to check: Move the shifter through all positions and listen for clunks; ask whether the shifter cable and bushing have ever been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the transmission independently shifted into the park(P) while driving at speeds of 30 MPH or exceeding the speed. The gear shifter had detached from the vehicle while driving over rough road surfaces. The contact had to manually maneuver the gear shifter to move the gear shifter to the desired position. The wrench symbol was displayed on the instrument panel, indicating that the vehicle needed to be serviced. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11616331, filed 2024-09, 80,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the shift system fault message was displayed on the instrument panel and the vehicle failed to shift out of park. After several attempts, the contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer. The contact was informed that the shifter cable bushing was missing and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.”

   NHTSA complaint #11544694, filed 2023-09, 99,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Hard or delayed shifting and transmission replacement

   • 82 complaints (19%)
   • median 89,000 mi at 5.8 yrs old (37 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $3,750 (median of 6 quotes)
   • filed 2019–2026

   Complaints describe harsh or delayed upshifts, hesitation and jerking when accelerating, a powertrain warning light and a shift system fault message. According to the complaints, dealers diagnosed internal transmission damage, a failed bearing or clutch pack, and in several cases recommended replacing the transmission. Typically reported between about 70,000 and 100,000 miles during normal driving.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test drive from a stop through several gears and feel for delayed or harsh engagement; ask for transmission service records and whether any fluid or software work was done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I first noticed harsh shifting and delayed shifting. Then I was pulling off from the car wash and my gearshift jump gears from neutral to reverse but not drive however the car did move forward. I had the vehicle towed to winner gord where they immediately knew what the issue was because they said its common. When I got my vehicle back the harsh/delayed shifting was still an issue. Weeks later the car in addition to harsh and delayed shifting it now shakes really bad.”

   NHTSA complaint #11413506, filed 2021-04, 61,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while parked in the parking lot and attempting to drive off, the vehicle failed to shift into gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 110,735.”

   NHTSA complaint #11469779, filed 2022-06, 110,735 miles
4. 4
   Engine

   Rough idle, misfire and check engine light

   Mentioned in 6 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report a flashing or steady check engine light, shaking and rough idle, especially after a cold start, and misfire codes for one or more cylinders. Complaints describe spark plugs or coils being replaced first and the symptom returning, with dealers then finding coolant or a warped block and recommending engine work. Commonly reported from about 60,000 miles upward, frequently at cold start.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether a scan tool shows pending misfire codes and whether plugs and coils were replaced more than once for the same cylinder.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an engine misfire with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the spark plugs had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11619297, filed 2024-10, 122,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an engine misfire, and the low coolant level warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into cylinder #2 and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11612416, filed 2024-09, 56,000 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection include a cooling-system pressure test and a look at the coolant reservoir, since that is the most common and most expensive theme in these complaints, and drive the car through several shifts to check the transmission. Ask for service records showing whether any coolant-intrusion, purge valve or shifter cable work was already done.

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.