2018 FORD FUSION Complaints

On [XXX], I drove my 2018 Ford Fusion Titanium AWD to a doctor 37 miles away through rural PA. The car was a reliable workhorse, needing only regular shop visits, and had 108K miles by this date. Midway through the [XXX] drive , a red warning square popped up on the dash to tell me that the engine was overheating, and a pink warning square said the car would lessen electrical draw so that it could cool the engine. Both alerts disappeared quickly. There was no unusual sound or smell before the alerts nor the rest of the drive. I also had no prior dash alerts, only ?3 misfires months apart I now know were symptoms of [XXX]. During down time before/after the doctor, I Googled the error messages and read my owner's manual. I restarted the car w/o incident after it had sat for 45 minutes. Six miles into my way home, the same red square popped up, though no second alert did. I pulled over at a clearing 3 miles later. I sat by the side of the road without cell service for 45 minutes. I had no coolant or water with me. I was unable to remove the coolant lid after the wait, nor could I see if there were coolant in the reservoir. I needed to move the car because of having no cell service. After a total of 75 minutes, I restarted the vehicle and moved 2 miles up the road. A red triangle icon appeared and stayed on. I called my dealer, described what happened, and they told me to tow the car the 21 miles to them. My dealer found no issue beyond a cracked spark plug on cylinder 3 that they replaced 4K miles earlier. Not satisfied, my B-I-L and I researched the incident and found the 2.0L EcoBoost coolant intrusion issue. I had the car tested according to Ford's TSB #19-2346 at a separate dealer; they duplicated the intrusion in cylinder 3, and we had a diagnosis. I was fortunate that the car didn't stop mid-traffic, didn't catch fire, and I was stranded in daylight in an Amish community. The other side of that coin is grim. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My 1.5L EcoBoost engine experienced coolant intrusion into the cylinders, a known and documented defect associated with this engine family across multiple Ford model years. Prior to the failure, the vehicle displayed symptoms consistent with internal coolant loss, including white exhaust smoke, coolant level dropping without visible external leaks, and rough running. No external coolant leak was ever identified. The vehicle was subsequently diagnosed by an independent service center, which confirmed coolant intrusion into the engine internals consistent with a head gasket or coolant jacket failure. The component is available for inspection upon request. The failure rendered the vehicle completely undriveable. The vehicle has been out of service for approximately 12 months and has not been driven since the failure occurred. The repair was quoted at approximately $12,000 for a full engine replacement, exceeding the current market value of the vehicle. Safety was put at risk due to sudden loss of engine performance and drivability while the vehicle was in use on public roads. Coolant intrusion can cause hydrolock, catastrophic engine seizure, and sudden loss of power, all of which create risk of collision, particularly at highway speeds. This failure is consistent with a well-documented defect in the 1.5L EcoBoost engine design, which has been the subject of technical service bulletins and consumer complaints regarding coolant entering the combustion chamber. The failure occurred with no prior accident, overheating event, or owner-caused damage.

Formal Complaint – 2018 Ford Fusion 1.5L EcoBoost – Engine Block Defect Statement of Issue:I am writing to report a premature engine failure on my 2018 Ford Fusion 1.5L. The vehicle is exhibiting all symptoms of the well-documented "coolant intrusion" defect described in Ford Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 22-2222. Despite following all recommended maintenance intervals, the engine block has failed, allowing coolant to enter the combustion chamber.Observations:Confirmed coolant loss with no external leakage found via pressure test.Significant white smoke and rough idle upon cold start. Desired Resolution: Since this is a known manufacturing defect involving the engine block's cooling channels—and not a result of wear and tear—I am requesting a "Goodwill Repair" for a long-block replacement. The current TSB denial based on [8 years] is unacceptable for a known catastrophic design flaw that compromises vehicle safety.

When I put my car in drive it locked up on me & kept reversing all the way back to park the car would not move no matter what gear it was in it was just locked. I had to have the car towed.

The engine has coolant intrusion. It is available upon inspection. Safety at risk due to side effects from the intrusion such as: engine overheating, misfiring, massive coolant loss that could cause an engine fire. The problem was diagnosed as a blown head gasket, but there is evidence of coolant loss and corrosion of spark plugs etc from coolant in engine. Has not been inspected by insurance or police. Symptoms started March 2026; check engine light on showing code P0303 (misfire in cylinder 3) and code for over temperature sensor. It occasionally ran hot, rough start up, misfiring, coolant loss (without external leaks), trouble accelerating, eventual service wrench light, and sometimes flashing engine light when it misfired bad.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH on the highway, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power steering functionality while decelerating. The vehicle jerked, and a driver assistance system warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 157,017.

Unable to shift gears in vehicle and had a Flashing P displayed along with and Shift Sys Fault Parking brake warning. There was a recall already for earlier models of this vehicle for a shifter cable bushing (Recall 22S43). The bushing in my vehicle is disintegrated.

Coolant Intrusion after the 19B37 customer service program has been completed back in July 23rd 2020 call Ford Motor Company and told them that this service was completed to prevent the coolant intrusion and now it's intruding my car is completely disabled I can't work I bought it with all the money that I had and they said they couldn't do nothing for me they said it's past the 7 years 84,000 miles I tried indicating to them that when disrepair is update was done to the PCM it was supposed to not cause the coolant intrusion but now 6 years later it is causing it so I feel like there should cover it and they basically told me no they don't and have a good day I cannot afford to fix it it's a $6,000 job I do not have that kind of money

I routinely have plugged in my PHEV, enjoying the quiet electric ride. I could complete a day's commute with the electric charge. However, the battery capacity was significantly reduced at about 50K miles. At about 73K miles, within a couple miles of starting to drive, the car would decelerate and go into 'limp mode', with a top speed of 35MPH. A warning signal of a wrench would appear, indicating a power train fault. While diagnostics at the dealer didn't detect a cause, an emissions test required by the State of Colorado found an 'unstable Hybrid Battery A voltage'. I replaced the spark plugs as recommended by the dealer, but that didn't address the problem. The diagnostics and repair cost about $1000.00

Coolant intrusion in cylinder 1. Confirmed by Suburban Ford of Sterling Heights, MI. Known design flaw. Can potentially cause the engine to seize, misfiring of cylinders, excessive exhaust. Codes for rich fuel mixture and cylinder misfires were found when check engine light appeared. Checked plugs and coils before a camera was put into the cylinder to confirm the coolant intrusion. Dealership and manufacturer refuse to assist with repairs even though there was a recall for certain vehicles with this exact issue.