What 175 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Ford Fusion

The manufacturer is using the wrong material for the parts on my car. Currently, the right-side lower control bushing is bulging out because a steel bushing was used instead of the aluminum one specified on the website. This issue is causing my car to pull to the right, making steering difficult. I've also experienced the same problem on the left side in the past. I request a recall to fix this and ensure the safety of all drivers on the road.

NHTSA ODI 11644204

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the sound was more evident while the vehicle was idling. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with a fractured flex plate. The contact was informed that the flex plate needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

NHTSA ODI 11643961

My vehicle was in service with my dealer for several months 3 separate occasions for powertrain issues which werent resolved and now the alignment in my steering wheel is really off. My spouse and I believe the PCM is messed up but have had no progress with our dealership and suspect them of committing consumer fraud and selling us a lemon. The vehicle in question is around 70,000 and started messing up at 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11641230

Began to hear loud rattling noise under hood. Brought to Ford dealer who determined the cause is a failed Flex Plate. Car is operable but was warned this could result in catastrophic failure of the transmission. Vehicle has approximately 62,000 miles, just 2,000 miles out of warranty. Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 22N12 address the issue with an extended warranty for certain model variants (Vehicles Equipped with a 2.0L EcoBoost Engine and 6F35 Transmission). My vehicle has suffered the same failure but has a 1.5L engine so has been excluded.

NHTSA ODI 11640622

The steering cable is connected to the transmission hub, and the fitting that connects the two has a gasket that wears away and falls out. This is a recall with vehicles that are made from one of the two plants that assemble fusions, however my vehicle is not covered under the recall even though it is the very same issue as the recall from the other plant. it makes no sense, why is one assembly plant offering a recall for this issue while the other does not? For the same issue of the steering cable coming off the transmission, and not allowing the vehicle to go into gear. I have had to fix this car on the side of the highway before, it will not go into gear on the road. This is not safe at all. You cannot have vehicles just not going into gear while your driving down the highway, or road, street, etc.

NHTSA ODI 11639731

Hard shifting when accelerating/decerating, jerking of the car due to transmission issues (80k miles), ABS/Braking issues due to engine components not being in sync, etc

NHTSA ODI 11638449

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the car wash, water entered through the closed sunroof. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the sunroof drain needed to be cleaned. The sunroof drain was cleaned, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V260000 (Visibility); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and instructed the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer to have the sunroof replaced. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11635933

The contact's husband owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal rumbling sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The mechanic discovered a failure with the flex plate. The contact was initially informed that the vehicle was covered under warranty; however, the contact was later informed that the engine repair was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle remained with the dealer unrepaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA ODI 11633826

The alternator was producing too many volts, which would short circuit the battery and electrical components in the car. This would cause the car to lose power and not be able to accelerate. My car would randomly lose power on the highway, with no warning, resulting in my car suddenly slowing down. This was dangerous for the cars around me who are going 60+ and then my car quickly drops to 40 or less mph. In addition, to solve the issue I would have to pull off onto a shoulder to shut the car off and back on. This issue started around 3-4 yrs ago and has gotten worse as time passed. The problem was identified and resolved by Firestone when they ran a diagnostic. No check engine light was on in the car to alert me of any issues. I replaced both parts on the car.

NHTSA ODI 11632218

Car shifts into 1st gear when traveling at higher speeds (45+mph), causing a significant jerk and almost causing a rear end collision to myself. Car also loses power and jerks significantly hardwhen shifting to reverse and drive from Park. Afraid to travel over 45mph due to the downshifting.

NHTSA ODI 11630818

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the fuel door would randomly disconnect from the vehicle. While idling at a stop light, the vehicle shut off. The contact stated that while restarting the vehicle the vehicle jerked and hesitated while shifting gear before accelerating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure because there was no warning light illuminated. The fuel door had been replaced; however, the vehicle still experienced the failure with the START/STOP function. The contact stated that the failure became a persistent failure. The contact stated that approximately 6 to 8 months after the first failure, while driving approximately 35-45 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact used the App to restart the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was returned to the dealer however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The dealer rebuilt the transmission, clutch, and axle; however, the failure persisted after the repairs. The vehicle was returned to the dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer 22 times. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 25,000.

NHTSA ODI 11628755

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated the vehicle was started and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into cylinder #2, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

NHTSA ODI 11628210

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger's side low beam headlight failed to illuminate as needed. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the front passenger's side low beam headlight assembly wiring harness was burnt, and there was light smoke coming from the wiring harness. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the low beam headlight assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 53,000.

NHTSA ODI 11627671

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a ticking and knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer. The cause of the issue was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 79,000.

NHTSA ODI 11625858

There was a recall on 2020 Ford Fusions in 2022 on flex plate. My car miles at 90,000 and I started to hear the ticking noise. I did my research and I seen that it has the same noise that my car is making now. I called the dealership and the dealership said that I had no active recalls on my car and that the recall was specific to certain cars. Even though my car wasn’t apart of the specific VIN. I had a mechanic check it out and it was the flex plate. I’m still having issues with my flex plate but they want me to come out of pocket , I never had a engine light or anything come on I just started hearing this loud noise and it progressively has gotten worse.

NHTSA ODI 11625760

On Saturday, October 5th, 2024, at around 5AM I was sitting in the Starbucks parking lot outside of the Detroit Metro (DTW) airport when this issue began. I had just started my car and could feel it was sluggish and was making a significant amount of noise, which was present in park and neutral, but not so much while in gear, unless I was stopped at a stop sign or stationary. After getting home, and each day after when I started the vehicle to go to work, I could hear that the noise was progressively getting worse. So, I determined that it was not a fluke and took my car into a Ford dealership to have the oil changed and a full inspection done. They explained to me that the water pump had failed and was leaking, very slowly, but externally through the "weep hole". They were going to charge me $1,300 to repair. So, I called a local shop that I know is reputable and they confirmed the water pump leak but determined that the noise I was hearing was not the water pump, but actually a cracked flexplate. The noise originated near the starter, and the shop ran a camera through the inspection hole confirming this. After I found that the flexplate was cracked, I did not continue to drive it, but scheduled a repair to begin on Thursday, October 24th at the reputable shop I mentioned above. To complete the repair, they needed to drop the cradle, remove the transmission and support the engine. This in total cost me $1,729.60. The flexplate has not been inspected by the mfg., police, insurance, etc., as there was no need. I did not have an extended warranty and though my car is only 4 years old, it was beyond the warranty in miles. No lights appeared on the dash, and there were no error codes present. The flexplate cracking could have resulted in catastrophic failure of the engine or transmission, and I could have very well lost control of my vehicle. If I was driving on the highway during a failure, my safety as well as others would have been put in serious danger.

NHTSA ODI 11622867

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the hood latch was no longer functioning and the hood was not able to be raised. The contact stated that he had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who was unable to repair the failure. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

NHTSA ODI 11619927

THE COMPONENT THAT HAS FAILED IS THE FLEXPLATE, TRANSMISSION FLUID PUMP, AND TORQUE CONVERTER. IT WAS EVALUATED BY FORD AND CONFIRMED THAT IT IS THE SAME ISSUE AS A PREVIOUS CSP THAT FORD ISSUED IN 2022/23, BUT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. NO LIGHTS OR WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE ISSUE. IT BECAME NOTICEABLE ON OR AROUND 9/20/24.

NHTSA ODI 11618436

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted and notified of the failure. The vehicle was diagnosed with an internal engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

NHTSA ODI 11616876

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, smoke and an abnormal odor was coming from the rear of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the dealer. The dealer determined that the failure was caused by a purge control valve failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

NHTSA ODI 11616206

On [XXX] I backed my 2020 Ford Fusion out of my driveway. I stopped and tried to shift from reverse to drive and the transmission locked up in Park, the engine died and the parking brake was engaged. I was sitting across the street with no way to move the car. I had the car towed to a Ford dealer and they replaced the transmission cable bushing and cover. These parts are the same as those used in Fords recall 22S43. Ford continued to use inferior parts on cars built after the dates mentioned in the recall. This is a safety issue as it could happen at any time. Thanks [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11615400

My flex plate cracked on my 2020 Ford Fusion. Ford has a customer satisfaction program stating that they have a one time repair for cracked flex plates, torque converter, and transmission pump and are refusing to honor it. Once the dealership confirmed my flex plate was cracked they were notified that the repairs were not going to be approved I was giving a quote for $4700 to pay out of pocket. I did not have the money and went to pick my car up until I figured out a solution. While in the process of waiting to figure out my next step of action I was informed by one of the service writers that they were going to approve my repairs by this time my vehicle had completely stopped on me while on the highway with my child in the car. Once it was towed to the dealership my car sat for 2 weeks untouched because of other repairs and I was later informed that Ford is wanting to overturn their decision and not repair my car.

NHTSA ODI 11613905

Flex plate is cracked , confirmed by bore scope dealership is quoting 14 business days to diagnose. It is known issue with this make, model, and year and CSP was issued for dealerships to fix but only select VIN numbers. This car is at 91000 miles and meets all criteria for the CSP 22N12. The car makes an ungodly rattling sound and if it fails could be very dangerous

NHTSA ODI 11610976

My 2020 Ford Fusion developed a oder coming from the a/c heat system. In a few days it got bad enough to determine something died in the vehicle! I went to the cabin air filter to replace it but as I started to pull it out there was debris stopping it! So I removed the front cowling to expose the fresh air inlet and found it was full is mice droppings and nuts. I then found a dead mouse that got its head stuck in the recirculating door that is for max A/C! After a while of vacuuming out the air filter top and removing the dead mouse. I was able to remove the cabin air filter and then removed the blower motor below it to clean the debris from that. The debris feel when I went to remove the air filter as the opening scrapes the top of the filter as you remove it! I wiped every thing down with bleach wipes and vacuumed as much as i could then blew out the system with compressed air and reassembled the vehicle. When I was done I looked up "how mice can get in there" and found out I'm not the only one this has happened to. Since the air filter does not filter out viruses and bacteria this is a serious health problem. People can get Hantavirus (67% mortality rate) from mice, droppings, as well as other bacterial infections, and viruses! It can kill anyone in the car riding in by breathing the virus coming from the heating or a/c system. The outside air inlet should have a tightly conforming mesh covering to prevent mice and other rodents from getting into the A/C system in all vehicles. Or the recirculating door can be programed to close when the vehicle is shut off! Note the vehicle still smells a bit and I'm going to have it detailed and use a disinfectant sprayer to clean out the entire A/C heating system that I ordered.

NHTSA ODI 11610640

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the sound was also noticed while idling or with the air condition activated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the flex plate needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 84,994.

NHTSA ODI 11603014