Home · 2015 Ford Fusion · Complaints

What 1,049 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Ford Fusion

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (1,049)Crash / fire / injury (47)Engine (276)Steering (177)Transmission & drivetrain (155)Brakes (134)Electrical system (120)Fuel system (69)Engine & cooling (53)Airbags (39)Body & structure (32)Seat belts (25)

Newest first · 1,049 complaints · page 1 of 42

Jun 25, 2026Engine

Engine warning display came on with "cylinder over temperature" immediately after temperature gauge went from normal (slightly under 1/2 way) to "Hot" immediately. Shut off engine - opened hood, coolant was noticed on passenger side just below coolant bottle. After waiting a little bit the tempature on the gauge hadn't dropped any & the radiator was cool to the touch. The day before washer fluid was added, while there the other levels were checked after sitting all night, the coolant was showing within the marked operating zone. Ended up calling for a tow truck.

NHTSA ODI 11746442

Jun 21, 2026

UNKNOWN: Left rear door latch is not working, door keeps open after trying to closed it. Safety issue is door opens by accident during driving!

NHTSA ODI 11745456

Jun 20, 2026Steering

I was driving down the road. And front wheels stopped working suddenly. It’s better that I was on streets. Otherwise I could have met with an accident. My mechanic told me that steering rack had gone. I never get any recall for that. I had driven 1400 miles till now.

NHTSA ODI 11745349

Jun 16, 2026

My drivers side door would not latch due to what I assume is issue that was recalled on similar vehicles

NHTSA ODI 11744631

Jun 6, 2026Engine

I bought the 2015 ford fusion for my son as a graduation present as he headed off to college on his own. The car started misfiring upon cold start for about 5-10 seconds. Eventually the car started misfiring while driving. He frequently had to pull over on the side of the road while driving to make it to his destination. I had him take the car to a ford dealership to be inspected. To my surprise, Ford Parks of Wesley Chapel told me that the 2015 Ford Fusion 1.5L ecoboost has a known issue with coolant leaking into the engine causing misfiring and eventually engine failure. They offered no assistance in fixing the problem. They told me the cost to replace the engine was over 13,000.00.

NHTSA ODI 11742479

May 27, 2026Backup camera & sensorsCrash1 injury

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a brief image, a blue image or a black image with the message " Rearview Camera Unavailable". The contact stated while reversing at an undisclosed speed, the failure recurred, causing the rear-end to strike a pole. The contact sustained a whiplash, and minor neck pain but did not seek medical assistance. The trunk of the vehicle sustained a dent. Upon looking up recall information on the Ford website, the contact became aware that the VIN was included in Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 25N17 (Rear-view Camera Replacement if Required after Dealer Evaluation). The dealer was contacted and scheduled a repair appointment; however, the trunk repair was not covered under the recall. The manufacturer was contacted and denied liability for collateral damage. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11740443

May 27, 2026Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption, causing the low coolant pressure warning light to illuminate prematurely. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in the combustion. The contact was informed that the head gasket or the engine needed to be replaced immediately to prevent further issues. Additionally, the contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty engine design. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that although the model year was affected, the vehicle was not covered. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.

NHTSA ODI 11740451

May 5, 2026Transmission & drivetrain

While driving, the car’s acceleration started to slow down an no matter how much I pressed the gas, it wouldn’t go. I was only able to do 5 miles an hour. It was a loud noise like it was reving up, but wasn’t going anywhere. There was no warning lights. I did not have any issues previously nor had any repairs made. I took it to the auto repair shop the same day and they had confirmed it was the transmission.

NHTSA ODI 11735779

May 5, 2026EngineFuel system

I own a 2015 Ford Fusion SE. I bought it used when it only had 47,000 miles on it. Over the course of time since buying it in DEC 2022 until now, it has had low coolant that I have had to address but no visible leaks. Current mileage now is 87,100 and just recently the coolant was low again and the check engine light came on for DTC P0301 -Cylinder 1 misfiring. It has had rough start ups, rough idle, decreased acceleration, and poor fuel efficiency. I have found the problem to be Coolant Intrusion – Engine Defect Concern “Coolant intrusion” is a known engine design defect in which coolant leaks into the cylinders, leading to internal damage, misfires, and eventual engine failure. After researching it I found that many other people have had the very same issue with no help from Ford. This should be a recall as this is an internal issue with the short block and something that should have been disclosed before purchasing this model/engine. The only repair that will fix the core of the issue is replacing the entire short block which costs thousands of dollars, way more than the cost of the entire vehicle at this point. Without fixing the issue, the engine will fail. Again, this should be something Ford should pay to repair, not any customer who came into this blind.

NHTSA ODI 11735885

May 2, 2026SteeringBody & structureFuel system

I am reporting a serious and ongoing safety issue involving my 2015 Ford Fusion. The vehicle experiences intermittent power steering failure while driving. The steering assist will suddenly disengage and re-engage without warning, making the vehicle extremely difficult to control. This condition becomes even more dangerous in wet weather, where the vehicle is sometimes nearly undriveable. Additionally, I am now experiencing a popping noise in the steering wheel. This raises concern of a possible mechanical failure consistent with known recalls involving steering wheel bolt defects that could result in the steering wheel detaching. These issues are consistent with known recalls, including: - Power Steering Failure Recall (15V340000) - Steering Wheel Bolt Recall (18V167000 / 18S08) Despite these known safety defects, Ford has refused to repair the issue, stating that the recall has expired. This presents a serious safety hazard, including risk of loss of steering control, crash, injury, or death. I am requesting immediate investigation and enforcement of manufacturer responsibility for this safety-related defect.

NHTSA ODI 11735316

Apr 25, 2026Engine

While driving at 30MPH, vehicle lost power without any notice/warnings. Had the vehicle towed to dealer who misdiagnosed as transmission problem (quoted $8000 to swap). Had a second opinion and indeed it was the dreaded coolant intrusion in the engine, catalytic convertor which cause the loss of acceleration and the transmission was completely fine. This is a ridiculously common issue with the 1.5L engine and Ford has not offered any support other than "oh well" mentality. Prior to this, car lost coolant, I had to top it off every couple days, blew with smoke, sweet smell, all in line with coolant intrusion. Had the lines checked and repaired as recommended but about 6 months later this happened.

NHTSA ODI 11733737

Apr 17, 2026Engine

Coolant Intrusion in the Block Led to white smoke coming out of the exhaust thick enough that I couldn't see as I tried to back out of the road.

NHTSA ODI 11731821

Apr 14, 2026Steering

My steering gear motor attachment bolts have fractured due to severe corrosion, which is the exact defect described in Safety Recall 19S26. This physical failure was confirmed by a Ford dealership technician on 1/11/2024. The technician documented the fractured bolts and recommended a full steering gear replacement. Despite this, Ford is denying the recall repair because this specific VIN was not included on the original mailing list. The vehicle is now undrivable due to a total loss of power steering assist. Before it failed completely, the car was making whining and grinding noises during low-speed turns. This failure occurred in Illinois, which is a high-corrosion 'Salt Belt' state specifically covered by the 19S26 bulletin. By denying this safety repair, Ford is forcing an unsafe vehicle to remain on the road or operate with manual steering, which is a major crash risk. The failure was physically confirmed and documented by a Ford dealer. I want to note that while the previous recall 18S08 for the steering wheel bolt was performed, that was an unrelated interior part and did not prevent this exterior motor bolt failure. I am requesting that the NHTSA investigate why a vehicle with a confirmed 19S26 failure in a covered state is being denied the mandated safety remedy.

NHTSA ODI 11731165

Apr 3, 2026Steering

My steering wheel came detached as I was driving. Forest is refusing to pay to have it towed to the dealership to be fixed. I do not understand why I have to pay $160 for a tow that was a defect of ford. At that point, it is no longer a free repair

NHTSA ODI 11728984

Mar 11, 2026

The rear camera intermittently fails or displays a distorted image. I reported the issue to our local Ford dealership in April/May 2022, but at that time the necessary replacement parts were not available or in service. This was probably related to the various Covid 19 pandemic parts supply issues. Yesterday, while the car was being backed out of our garage, a young child was playing in the driveway directly in the vehicle’s rear blind spot. As usual, the camera was not functioning. Fortunately, an adult supervising the child noticed the situation and intervened, preventing what could have been a terrible tragedy. We have seen news reports about recalls addressing rear camera issues in many Ford vehicles—yet not for our 2015 Ford Fusion. How many serious incidents must occur before Ford takes action to correct this problem?

NHTSA ODI 11723485

Mar 9, 2026

Internal transmission bearing know for the TSB 19-2391. There was no threat to my safety or others. Yes the problem has been confirm with the dealer. The components has been inspected by an authorized Ford Dealer, Shaker Ford in Watertown, CT. There were nothing other than a humming noise coming from the transmission.

NHTSA ODI 11723141

Mar 6, 2026Electrical systemBackup camera & sensors

The rear backup camera screen is black or flickers, and sometimes shows an error message like "Camera not available." Ford just issued another recall for rear cameras for this issue, but deliberately excluded Ford Fusion vehicles. They need to include ASAP as this is a known, dangerous issue that can cause an accident.

NHTSA ODI 11722564

Feb 25, 2026

Rear view camera is not functioning. The screen goes black or a message is show to contact dealership. No sensors work nor a view of what is behind me. There are times I almost hit people or other vehicles. There are recalls for other vehicles but not my vehicle. There was no inspection but dealership will not fix it. Itsstarted 2 years ago out of no where. Please help!

NHTSA ODI 11720508

Feb 24, 2026

Rear backup camera goes completely blank, shows a reversed imaged, or just an error code. Not part of the large recall in 2025. It should have been

NHTSA ODI 11720276

Feb 17, 2026Engine

Was driving g on the freeway and car began shaking about 1mile later rhe car would not go past 10 miles an hr without making a loud noise everything was upkept with my car ontop of all recalls and now I have a car that I had to finish paying off without being able to drive it for almost 2 years and can't seem to fund a solution on either the dealer fixing the power train or giving me a refund

NHTSA ODI 11718668

Feb 11, 2026Steering

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. In addition, the contact heard an abnormally loud bang. The power steering failure warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact diagnosed the vehicle with rack and pinion failure and detached bolts. The contact stated that the bolts were corroded, and the rack and pinion gear had detached. The contact stated that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 146,000.

NHTSA ODI 11717232

Feb 8, 2026Transmission & drivetrainEngine

On 2/4/26, I experienced a slight skip while driving, But did not continue. The very next morning while in reverse, A winding sound started. Put car in drive pulled out onto main road, drove fine, not even half a mile. Stopped at sign, pulled out onto main road a main road, and car would not go, would not go in gear at all. No one was hurt, but received a few horn honks. Made it to side of road, put the car in sport/manual mode, did not help. Manage to make it about a mile up the road where I was able to safely park it in a parking lot. The check engine symbol came on a couple of weeks prior, but went away after a day. Did not come back on until this particular day 2/5/26. Nothing, no problems leading up to this. Conveniently the extended warranty went out on car 4k miles ago! And the dealership is not interested in helping me out at all. I had to have it towed to an independent shop, to get checked out, due to the dealership being booked 2 months out! I now have a car that I have only had for 1 year! With a blown transmission that I have to make payments on and can not drive!! There are no recalls, but there is a manufacturer issue, that we do not get notified about by mail or by email..? I read another complaint about this same thing, guy also making payments on a car he can not drive!!! This is ridiculous!! And heartbreaking if I can not get help with this! And you can bet the dealership will receive a less than favorable review!

NHTSA ODI 11716614

Feb 7, 2026AirbagsBrakesDriver assistanceCrash

Brakes, emergency brake, brake switchs. Backup camera turns black while backing up. And yes it’s available for inspection. Car keeps braking and jerking in the other lane by itself. Emergency brake kept coming on by itself randomly. Also I almost hit someone when my back up camera went black. Yes the problem have been confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. Yes it have been inspected manufactures police and insurance representatives. Yes ever single light came on. Advanctrac light. Brake light, emergency break light, abs light and traction control light and tpms and airbags light.

NHTSA ODI 11716512

Jan 25, 2026

My rear reverse camera has not been working properly. Sometimes the screen is completely black, sometimes the screen has lines in it , sometimes the camera acts like it is moving. It is very disturbing and dangerous. This is not weather related because it happens when it's sunny or raining. I can go a couple of days with out any issues and then randomly it has these issues. This has been going on for a while now so there isn't a particular day. This started happening early last year 2025

NHTSA ODI 11713236

Jan 22, 2026Engine

My 2015 Ford fusion 1.5 L engine has had problems since 2022. I have been adding antifreeze, changed spark plugs many times, flushed my antifreeze and the vehicle overheats and has had to be towed twice changed out thermostat, spark plugs, coil pack, two times for misfiring coolant housing with no success. Called in a complaint to Ford Motor Co. and they are unwilling to help. They said they put out a bulletin however this does not fix the problem of needing a new engine. I am stuck making payments on a car I cannot drive. My mechanic says it needs a new engine. Never realizing there was a bulletin or a coolant intrusion problem with this engine.

NHTSA ODI 11712803

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Working with the data? Download all 1,049 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 7, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2015 Ford Fusion verdict →