2018 Ford Fusion

No clear pattern

1% of complaints about the 2018 Ford Fusion arrived in its first year of service. That is an unusual figure for a 2018 vehicle, but with only 576 complaints on record the sample is too small to call it a pattern — the margin of error covers the range where ordinary vehicles sit. The figures below are reported without a verdict. The most-reported system is engine (201 complaints), typically at 6.5 yr or about 90,000 miles.

Complaints: 576
Median age at failure: 6.3 yr
Median mileage: 89,000 n=235
Crash / fire / tow: 8.2% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Engine

201 reports · 90,000 mi

6.5 yr

Power train

110 reports · 81,700 mi

6.2 yr

11.8%

Engine cooling

88 reports · 101,000 mi

6.8 yr

10.2%

Other

47 reports · 40,000 mi

5.8 yr

Electrical system

26 reports · 44,126 mi

5.9 yr

7.7%

Fuel / propulsion

22 reports · 15,895 mi

6.5 yr

Steering

19 reports · 65,000 mi

6.0 yr

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

23V162000 2023-03-10

Service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.

A brake fluid leak will increase brake pedal travel and extend the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

18V167000 2018-03-12

Steering: steering wheel/handle bar

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.

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

In owners’ own words

Steering 65,000 mi 10 mo in service

WHEN THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE GOES OVER 70 DEGREES, THERE'S CREAKING NOISES UNDERNEATH, SOMETIMES VERY LOUD WHEN TURNING, EVEN WHEN PARKED, MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT IT MAKES THE NOISE. LOOKING ONLINE, THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS THAT REPORT THE SAME PROBLEM, MY CAR HAS ONLY 72K MILES AND IT FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS GOING TO BREAK. IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING ALL SUMMER THIS YEAR AND IT'S GETTING LOUDER. THIS HAS TO BE A RECALL.

Steering mileage not reported 4.8 yr in service

I just bought my car almost 2 months ago. It has 32,000 miles. Having steering issues.

Steering mileage not reported 5.3 yr in service

The steering wheel has become loose and unstable. And was told my vehicle wasnât on the recall list for the same problem as the other vehicles.

Other 65,000 mi 10 mo in service

WHEN THE TEMPERATURE OUTSIDE GOES OVER 70 DEGREES, THERE'S CREAKING NOISES UNDERNEATH, SOMETIMES VERY LOUD WHEN TURNING, EVEN WHEN PARKED, MOVING THE STEERING WHEEL LEFT OR RIGHT IT MAKES THE NOISE. LOOKING ONLINE, THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS THAT REPORT THE SAME PROBLEM, MY CAR HAS ONLY 72K MILES AND IT FEELS LIKE SOMETHING IS GOING TO BREAK. IT HAS BEEN HAPPENING ALL SUMMER THIS YEAR AND IT'S GETTING LOUDER. THIS HAS TO BE A RECALL.

Other Fusion model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.