2018 Ford Fusion · symptom sheet

Engine overheats or leaks coolant

213owner reports
98,207median miles
$8,000median quote
0involved a crash

Newest report Aug 26, 2026 · checked Sep 19, 2026

269 of the 437 complaints on this car are about the engine. 213 of those describe overheating, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2018 Fusion.

Narrower sheets: Head gasket fails or coolant leaks into the engine (27 reports)

Tick what matches of 213 reports

the temperature gauge climbed into the red

115

coolant is disappearing or on the ground

196

white smoke from the tailpipe

the heater stopped blowing hot

the dealer found a head gasket or cracked block

the engine was replaced afterward

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the head gasket (27 reports), the coolant hose or reservoir (12 reports), the radiator (4 reports) and the thermostat (3 reports).

Recalls and investigations

No recall on the engine covers the 2018 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 2018 model year.

What owners paid

30 of the 213 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $5,000 to $10,000.

$5,000$8,000$10,000

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

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 76,422 and 119,000 miles, from the 126 reports that gave a mileage.

420

521

922

5123

7224

4825

2426

What owners wrote

“Engine light came on got it diagnosed said it was misfiring in cylinder 2. spark plugs and coil needed to be changed. Changed all spark plugs and coil and the engine light is still on and saying the same thing. Doesnât crank right. Coolant going into engine. My vehicle only has 32,000 miles. Seems to be a know problem but ford will not do anything. Saying I need a new motor.”
Filed Jul 29, 2025 · 32,000 miles

“Losing coolant in the engine. No apparent leaks on ground or around engine. Rough running when first started but smoothed out after a few miles. Engine overheats if close watch isn't done on the coolant reservoir. I am worried the engine may catch fire if it gets too hot. Taken to mechanic who could not repair. Codes found P 3002 & P1299.”
Filed May 31, 2024 · 123,846 miles

“Coolent intrusion cylinder 2 103000 miles car is undrivable sucking coolant in to cylinder within 30 minutes to an hour. paid 23,000 for a car I cannot drive. 2018 ford fusion out of warranty now for will not help or replace since no recall was placed on this vehicle. Something needs to be done there are so many others and car isn't even 7 years old.”
Filed May 13, 2024 · 103,000 miles

“2018 ford fusion 1.5 L coolant intrusion at 65,000 miles. Ford refuses to help us in this matter. Our vehicle was not placed under their recall list which was for 2013-2019 escapes and fusion 1.5 L ecoboost motors for design flaw causing coolant intrusion. Our car has that EXACT motor and exact problem. It has a cylinder 3 coolant intrusion.”
Filed May 7, 2024 · 65,000 miles

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 0 of 213 reports involved a crash. 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.