What 995 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Ford Fusion Energi

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a stop, the RPM became elevated, the engine revved up, and there was an abnormally loud clunking or thumping sound before the transmission shifted into gear and the vehicle accelerated. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that there were contaminants in the transmission fluid, making the transmission fluid dark, and causing the transmission to fail. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11665998

While driving car it begins to shaking and unable to accelerate than cuts off, will sometimes restart and can drive but does the same thing again, during this process a wrench symbol and check engine light come on. Had spark plugs replaced the first time, still was doing it. Also the throttle body removed and cleaned continued, so replaced throttle completely it’s been 2 days no issue so far, but the car belongs to my daughter and it happened while she was driving car was purchased used a year ago, this is the first time we had this issue not sure if previous owners experienced same issues.

NHTSA ODI 11665541

My 2015 Ford Fusion with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine experienced a complete engine failure due to a coolant intrusion in cylinder 3, which is consistent with Ford TSB 20-2100. In December 2023, I brought the car to the dealership due to rough starting and a non-start issue. No coolant related codes were detected at the time. In May 2025, the vehicle began running roughly and showed codes PO316 and PO303. The dealership diagnosed low coolant and coolant intrusion into cylinder 3, with a rust and fouled spark plug. I believe this is a progressively safety-related engine defect that can lead to sudden loss of power and unsafe driving conditions.

NHTSA ODI 11665321

I only have 85k miles on my 2015 Ford Fusion. One day the check engine light came on, my car started stalling, shaking, and making noise. I stopped the car and checked the engine- coolant was exhausted. Upon taking to get it checked- the head gasket and short block were blown/cracked. The coolant had leaked into the engine. This should not have happened on a car with this low of mileage. I did my research and this is a well known issue for Ford Fusions during this time range. I called Ford and they told me there is nothing that they could do.

NHTSA ODI 11664954

Coolant Intrusion in Cylinder 2 and 3.

NHTSA ODI 11664277

After check engine light and the coolant fluid low light came on, I took it to a ford dealership and was told that they found there was a coolant leak which caused the engine to fail and that the short engine block needed to be replaced and it would be 9000 dollars to repair. so we are now faced with paying for a repair that is double what the car is worth or get a new car. there was never a recall for the coolant leak even though Ford knows its a known issue.

NHTSA ODI 11663801

Rear camera will go black and say contact dealer. Other times images will appear distorted or will be reversed where left and right are mixed up

NHTSA ODI 11661692

Cable and bushing detached for a third time. I called ford and they said there was not a recall for this issue. I’ve read in multiple places that this has happened to a lot of ford fusions.

NHTSA ODI 11660934

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion Energi. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel became difficult to turn to the left or the right. The contact stated that the ABS and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the electrical rack and pinion needed to be replaced and recalibrated. In addition, the contact linked the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired due to costs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,008.

NHTSA ODI 11660403

When starting the car this morning, I noticed that the steering wheel was driving kind of stiff and the car was kind of losing control while I was accelerating down the street. A while later in the day, my wrench light came on and then turned off, but a couple of months later a warning light came on saying Hillside assist not available, and then another warning light popped up after that one saying Service advance trac. So I turned the car off and attempted to restart it and the lights stayed on.

NHTSA ODI 11659412

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, the message that the engine was overheating was displayed. The contact stated that the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was hot(H). The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant into the cylinder. The contact was advised that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.

NHTSA ODI 11659443

Rear view camera intermittently stops working entirely or shows a mirrored image (view is reversed).

NHTSA ODI 11658620

My backup camera has started to glitch like the other 2015 fords that are in recall. The screen will get green lines through it, go black, flip horizontal/vertical, flash on and off, it creates more of a distraction than assistance and makes it very hard to back in/out of tight spaces. I have not taken it to the dealership. Right before the other recall was released I called the dealership and told me I’d have to get a whole new camera installed and pay out of pocket. Has not been inspected No warnings or other symptoms prior

NHTSA ODI 11658481

The trunk of the car randomly opens even when in motion sometimes enough to block my rear window and often when I can’t safely pull over right away. This keeps happening over and over. It is not just one incident on one day but multiple incidents over multiple days.

NHTSA ODI 11657584

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was heavy white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes before the vehicle shut off unintendedly. The contact stated that there was a leak coming from the catalytic converter and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who discovered a blown head gasket due to coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The contact was provided a case number and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.

NHTSA ODI 11657223

The vehicle exhibited sudden loss of steering. Broken bolts on steering rack were discovered and vehicle was taken to dealer. Dealer bluespringsford.com refuses to fix vehicle under recall.

NHTSA ODI 11654224

The engine (1.5L EcoBoost) has suffered a failure due to coolant intrusion into cylinder 3, which has led to repeated engine misfires. Trouble codes P0303 (misfire cylinder 3) and P0316 (misfire on startup) were found. The vehicle is currently available for inspection, and a diagnosis was performed by two Ford-certified mechanics using a borescope, confirming the presence of coolant in the combustion chamber. The misfires cause rough running, hesitation, and potential stalling, especially during startup and acceleration. This creates dangerous situations in traffic, such as loss of power while merging or crossing intersections, increasing the risk of a collision. Both technicians concluded the engine has coolant intrusion and recommended a short block replacement as the only viable fix. I was quoted approximately $10,000 for the repair. The vehicle has been inspected by the manufacturer (Ford), but despite acknowledging this is a known issue with the 1.5L EcoBoost engine in various Ford models, they are unwilling to assist with covering the cost of the repair in my case. The Check Engine Light initially came on intermittently and then became constant. Symptoms such as engine misfires, rough idling, and hard starts appeared around the same time, several weeks ago, and have progressively worsened since.

NHTSA ODI 11654165

To keep it short. This is 1 of 3 Ford vehicles that I had to pay to have every lug nut replaced! They are 'swollen' is the term used. Prior to this, I replaced 1 lug in my 45 year driving history and that was because it broke off. I have called Ford and Lincoln and they are aware of the problem but say there is not program in place for a resolution. My complaint was escalated I was told. Hahaha. Their hand needs to be forced. They are not going to willingly do the right thing going forward nor address refunds! They have 'escalated' all 3 of my issues. I would imagine that there is a fourth coming at some point when my daughters car needs to go into the shop. $250+ a car is a joke and an expense nobody needs. Please help. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11652322

In March of 2022 the engine failed on the vehicle. When I took it in for repairs, at the dealership where we purchased the car, I was told the engine needed to be replaced because coolant had leaked into the motor. I was told when the repairs were made I would not have this problem anymore. Three years later the same issue has occurred again and I took the vehicle back to the same dealer. This time they are trying to blame maintenance; saying there is sludge in the motor. The problem with this is the oil was recently changed (within 3500 miles) and the mechanic at the dealership did not identify any sludge or coolant in the oil. The dealership was told by the service engineer not to repair the motor. I looked on line and there reddit forums from people across the country having the same problem. What they are saying is the same thing the dealer told me. Ford is blame the customer claiming lack of maintenance. This is just a talking point because what everyone is being told is the same. Ford needs to be place under investigation. Law suits against Ford are documenting Ford knew the ecoboost engines had defects from the start and do not have a way to fix the design flaw and are refusing to make amends. Additionally these lawsuits are documenting the band aid repairs Ford is doing is simple to push the problem off and later not claim responsibility when the same malfunction occurs. The owners of Ford cars with ecoboost engine are out tens of thousands of dollars and have endure hardship inflicted by Ford that go beyond the vehicle damages. Ford should be placed under federal investigation and I believe it is possible criminal conduct may have occurred given the position Ford has taken in and its continued failure to make amends.

NHTSA ODI 11650347

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an engine misfire. Additionally, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that after several attempts, the vehicle restarted. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that an independent mechanic inspected the vehicle and became aware of white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.

NHTSA ODI 11649800

Bolt on power steering unit corroded off

NHTSA ODI 11649424

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that coolant would evaporate from the engine without warning. The contact stated that no warning lights or visible signs of a leak were present. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11647711

Over the course of 3 weeks I started to notice a strong smell of gasoline after filling my fuel tank that lasted for about the first quarter of the tank. I did look around the car and under it to see if I could observe a leak, but saw nothing upon visual inspection. After about 3 weeks I observed a very strong smell of gasoline when I walked out to the car in the morning and observed gasoline on the rim of the passenger side tire as well as on the ground by the tire. At that point I looked up recalls on the 2015 fusion and did find one on the fuel system but was advised that it is not active on my vin. I took my car to a local shop where they found that both fuel senders were wet and leaking thus causing the fuel leak.

NHTSA ODI 11646905

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while her husband was driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle was emitting white smoke from the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that her husband had not observed any warning lights being illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle stalled, and her husband had the vehicle towed to the residence. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12 - Coolant intrusion into the short block (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.

NHTSA ODI 11646328

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an engine misfire with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion, which caused 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. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 99,500.

NHTSA ODI 11641770