2016 Ford Fusion · symptom sheet
Engine overheats or leaks coolant
- 364owner reports
- 100,000median miles
- $7,000median quote
- 2involved a crash
Newest report Sep 17, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
530 of the 1,629 complaints on this car are about the engine. 364 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 364 reports
Overheating on other Fusion years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2020.
What this problem usually is
Most owners in this group notice the coolant before they notice the heat: a reservoir that keeps dropping, a sweet smell, or a bright puddle under the front of the car. Across the vehicles on this site, about four in five of these complaints mention coolant, a leak or a puddle, and roughly two in five mention the temperature gauge or overheating.
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 Oct 2, 2026.
NHTSA investigations into the engine on the Fusion
Electronic throttle body malfunction. Closed feb 28, 2014.
None of these investigations covers the 2016 model year.
What owners paid
67 of the 364 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $1,700 to $10,000.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 75,000 and 122,000 miles, from the 226 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 9 service bulletins or notices for the 2016 Ford Fusion that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Some 2014-2019 Fusion vehicles built on or before 10-Jun-2019 and 2017-2019 Escape vehicles built on or before 08-Apr-2019 equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit low coolant level, white exhaust smoke and/or runs rough condition with or without an ...
Some 2014-2019 Fusion vehicles built on or before 21-Feb-2019 and 2017-2019 Escape vehicles built on or before 06-Apr-2019 equipped with a 1.5L EcoBoost engine may exhibit low coolant level, white exhaust smoke and/or runs rough condition with or without an ...
Some 2014-2019 Fusion and 2017-2019 Escape with 1.5L engine may exhibit coolant usage and white smoke from exhaust. Follow Cooling System Pressure Test process in WSM, Section 303-03. Pressurize system to 138kPa(20 psi) and hold 5 hours.
Some 2015-2018 Edge and 2015-2019 Fusion/MKZ/Escape/MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L EcoBoost engine may exhibit a low coolant level, white exhaust smoke and/or a runs rough condition with or without an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL).
5 more on the 2016 Ford Fusion page.
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 364 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. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Which lights mean pull over now? Warning lights by color and urgency
Other problems on this car
- Check engine light or misfire 335 reports
- Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 186 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 161 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 133 reports
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 123 reports
- Power steering cuts out or goes heavy 100 reports
- Rolls away in Park or will not shift out of Park 63 reports
- Airbag warning light or recall 50 reports
- Wheel bearing, tires or wheels 47 reports
- Doors, latches or locks fail 46 reports
- Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard 40 reports
- Traction control or StabiliTrak light comes on 29 reports