2016 Ford Fusion · symptom sheet

Engine overheats or leaks coolant

363owner reports
100,000median miles
$7,000median quote
2involved a crash

Newest report Sep 4, 2026 · checked Sep 19, 2026

528 of the 1,614 complaints on this car are about the engine. 363 of those describe overheating, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2016 Fusion.

Narrower sheets: Head gasket fails or coolant leaks into the engine (38 reports)

Tick what matches of 363 reports

the temperature gauge climbed into the red

161

coolant is disappearing or on the ground

339

white smoke from the tailpipe

the heater stopped blowing hot

121

the dealer found a head gasket or cracked block

107

the engine was replaced afterward

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the head gasket (37 reports), the coolant hose or reservoir (31 reports), the water pump (8 reports) and the radiator (7 reports).

Recalls and investigations

No recall on the engine covers the 2016 model year as of Sep 19, 2026.

NHTSA investigations into the engine on the Fusion

PE13-003opened Feb 21, 2013

Engine · model years 2010 to 2013

Electronic throttle body malfunction. Closed feb 28, 2014.

NHTSA summary

On February 21, 2013, the Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation PE13-003 to investigate allegations of electronic throttle body (ETB) failures resulting in sudden reduction of engine power in model year (MY) 2009-2013 Ford Escape, Fusion, Mariner and Milan vehicles. During this investigation, Ford identified a condition in subject vehicles equipped with 2.5L and 3.0L engines that may result in a sudden reduction of engine power.According to Ford, the ETB internal motor contacts may develop a high resistance material buildup condition on the commutator, resulting in intermittent electrical connectivity and reduced engine power. When this condition occurs, the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) or Wrench light will illuminate and the vehicle may enter a limited limp home mode.Ford?s trade name for the feature is Failure Mode Effects Management (FMEM) mode.In this mode, engine power and vehicle speed are reduced, while full function of the power steering, power braking, lighting, and climate control systems are maintained.ODI?s complaint analysis indicate that the predominant failure mode involved reduced motive power associated with the limited limp home mode with engine speeds limited to approximately 900 RPM. Analysis of warranty claims provided by Ford identified 59,807 claims related to ETB replacements and approximately 50 percent of claims are associated with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P2111, Throttle Body Stuck Open, and P2112, Throttle B

None of these investigations covers the 2016 model year.

What owners paid

67 of the 363 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $1,700 to $10,000.

$1,700$7,000$10,000

$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 75,000 and 122,000 miles, from the 226 reports that gave a mileage.

116

919

5120

3221

4722

7323

8824

4925

1326

What owners wrote

“After doing research I have found that I am not the only one experiencing this issue,but I have a 2016 ford fusion 1.5 ecoboost engine and I am having problems with my cylinder leaking. I have to constantly refill coolant and the only option to fix this issue is to replace the motor”
Filed Jan 16, 2024 · 148,682 miles

“Engine was overheating during a short, 5 mile drive to a local bakery. I Took it to a mechanic and they told me that coolant had leaked into the number two cylinder and messed it up so bad I needed a new engine. I got a second opinion from the Ford dealership and they told me the number one and two cylinder were damaged and I needed a new engine. The car only had 104,000 miles on it.”
Filed Jun 22, 2023 · 104,000 miles

“I noticed that my coolant in the reservoir kept getting low. I will add coolant every other day. Then I noticed my tailpipe left a trail of white smoke. Then a check engine light came on. I scanned the code and showed P0302. A misfire in cylinder two. I began reading that thai is a common issue. My car only has 87,000 Miles.”
Filed Apr 19, 2023 · 87,000 miles

“Coolant is leaking into the engine cylinder. I have to fill my coolant every 2 weeks. Ford says the fix is to replace my engine. My engine has 97000 miles and is outside of warranty.”
Filed Mar 27, 2023 · 97,000 miles

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 2 of 363 reports involved a crash and 1 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.