Diagsheet

2020 Ford Fusion · symptom sheet

Engine stalls or loses power while driving

  • 25owner reports
  • 49,118median miles
  • 0involved a crash

Newest report Aug 15, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

131 of the 178 complaints on this car are about the electrical system. 25 of those describe stalling, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2020 Fusion.

Tick what matches of 25 reports

13
6
12
6
1

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the battery (4 reports).

Recalls and investigations

2 recalls on the electrical system cover the 2020 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

25V-685Oct 10, 2025
Equipment:Electrical:Engine Block Heater

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2019 Lincoln MKC, 2016-2023 Explorer, 2019-2020 Fusion, 2019-2024 Ranger, 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair, Escape, 2021-2024 Bronco, Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. The engine block heater may crack and develop a coolant leak, causing it to short circuit when the block heater is plugged in.

Risk and remedy
Risk: An electrical short circuit can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to plug in their block heater until the vehicle is remedied. Dealers will replace the block heater, free of charge. Owners will also have a alternative option to replace engine block heater element with a threaded blanking plug, and remove the block heater electrical cord. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed December 3, 2025. Additional letters will be sent once the final remedy is available, anticipated September 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 15, 2025.
23V-440Jun 23, 2023
Electrical System:Propulsion System:Traction Battery:Management System/Energy Control Module (Bms/Becm)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Fusion PHEV vehicles. The battery energy control module (BECM) may become damaged due to excessive voltage and current flow.

Risk and remedy
Risk: A damaged BECM can result in a loss of drive power or fire, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to charge their vehicles until the remedy is completed. Dealers will replace the battery and update the BECM software for free, or Ford will repurchase the vehicle. If your vehicle is currently operating normally, Ford has authorized dealers to replace the fuse block and a software update as an interim repair before the availability of remedy parts for the final repair. This repair will be free of charge (parts and labor). As an alternative remedy, Ford is offering a vehicle refund. Please see Ford's owner notification letter or contact Ford for full details. Owner notification letters were mailed May 15, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S33.

NHTSA investigations into the electrical system 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 2020 model year.

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 25,000 and 65,000 miles, from the 13 reports that gave a mileage.

320
121
122
423
524
625
526

What owners wrote

“While driving at 75mph on the freeway, my 2020 Ford Fusion suffered a sudden, catastrophic EcoBoost engine coolant failure. The vehicle instantly lost power and dropped to 35mph in active traffic, creating an extreme highway collision hazard. A mechanic has confirmed internal coolant intrusion in the engine block.”

Filed Jul 12, 2026

“Failure of the Flywheel. It’s broken in pieces according to the dealership at greenway Ford. Did some searching on line and other people have report the same issues. The problem is they installed crappy plates that crack between 60k-90k miles. As others have reported the Luckily for them It was at an intersection and could pull over to the side of the road but imagine if this happens to you while on the freeway!”

Filed Nov 13, 2023 · 90,000 miles

“the first time the incident happened I was driving home from work, i took and a turn and lost power, the car indicated a message that read " Auto StartStop Shift to P, then restart Engine. I tried starting my car a few times and it turned on. A week later I was driving on the highway and it happend. I pulled over and same thing. I took it to a Ford dealership and they couldn't replicate the problem.”

Filed Aug 24, 2023

“Fusion is surging while shifting or lack of. Some of them being more violent than others, sometimes pulling the steering wheel to the left or right. When coming to a stop in city driving when the fusion doesn’t shift the fusion stalls. The initial shift is also very rough into any gear (drive, reverse, and/or back to neutral.”

Filed Feb 8, 2023

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 0 of 25 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.