AutoUtility currently tracks 443 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2018 Ford Fusion. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 251 complaints (56.7% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 10 filings cite a crash, 1 cites a fire, 5 report one or more injuries.
- • Total NHTSA Complaints: 443 reports
- • #1 Reported Problem Area: Engine & Cooling (251 reports • 56.7% of submitted complaints)
- • Secondary Problem Areas: Powertrain & Transmission (107), Electrical System (31)
- • Crash-Citing Complaints: 10 filings
- • Fire-Citing Complaints: 1 filings
- • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 5 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Most Reported Problems for 2018 Ford Fusion
Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records
Engine & Cooling
Powertrain & Transmission
Electrical System
Fuel & Propulsion System
Steering System
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #18V167000 STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR
Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2018 Ford Fusion
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.
Engine Coolant Intrusion / Oil Leak
Engine Overheating / Temperature Warning
Loss of Motive Power While Driving
Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2018 Ford Fusion
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"We have coolant intrusion in cylinder 2 of our engine. This can cause highway failure of engine cuts out, car runs rough and it can become a fire hazard. We paid for a diagnostics through a ford dealer. Who we uses all the time for our warranty needs. We noticed car was starting to run rough and..."
"my 2018 ford fusion has catastrophic engine failure. Engine stuttering and misfires with check engine light. Low coolant levels with no visible puddles under the car. Engine overheating, could possibly catch fire. Car recently had a tuneup was told no issues at the time. Failure mileage at 109,000."
"The 1.5L EcoBoost motor has coolant intrusion problem on cylinder 3. The 1.5L EcoBoost motor sputters while driving causing the engine to be sluggish and not get up to speed when turning and might cause an accident on the highway due to the motor failing due to coolant intrusion design flaw in Ford..."
"On August 10, 2026, I was driving my 2018 Ford Fusion at approximately 40 mph under normal driving conditions when, without warning, the hood unexpectedly released and flew completely backward into the windshield. The hood had been closed prior to driving and there was no warning before the..."
"Coolant leaking into the engine."
Complaint History for Ford Fusion
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2020)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Ford Fusion | 1059 | 39 | 14 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Ford Fusion | 1685 | 60 | 13 | View 2016 Problems → |
| 2017 Ford Fusion | 1119 | 38 | 4 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Ford Fusion Current Page | 443 | 10 | 2 | Current |
| 2019 Ford Fusion | 428 | 5 | 4 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Ford Fusion | 229 | 11 | 3 | View 2020 Problems → |
Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2018 Ford Fusion
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 67 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Reported Injury Entries | Reported Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 124 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 66 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 63 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,POWER TRAIN | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION,EQUIPMENT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment & Accessories NHTSA category: EQUIPMENT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (2)
Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight ra...
Front Brake Jounce Hose Failures
On August 8, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 50 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging front brake jounce hose ruptures on model year (MY) 2013-2018 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. A ruptured front brake hose results in a brake fluid leak. As a result, the driver may experience an increase in pedal travel and a reduction in the rate of deceleration, increasing the risk of a crash. It...
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.