The 2016 Ford Fusion has a lot going for it, including a five-star crash test rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and mostly Good ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. But, persistent steering, powertrain, and structural problems make it a hard car to drive with confidence.
- The 2016 Ford Fusion has nine recalls on file with the NHTSA, 916 complaints, and four investigations, two still open.
- There have been three recalls for rollaway, with shortages being reported for the necessary parts for repair.
- Issues with loose steering wheels and power steering failure persist despite recalls.
- Loose seatbelts and fidgety door latches are among the most concerning structural complaints, but not nearly the only ones to worry about.
- Despite a host of potential safety problems, the 2016 Fusion did earn excellent crash test scores from both the NHTSA and the IIHS.
There’s Seemingly No End in Sight for Rollaway Issues
A recall was issued in 2018 for unintentional rollaway due to a detached shift cable, and again in 2019, and again in 2022. The last recall was issued for nearly three million Fords, including 2013-2016 Fusions. Add that to those last two recalls and you have nearly four million notifications issued in total.
In all three recalls, the concern was that the cable bushing attaching the transmission shifter cable to the transmission itself could degrade over time, or even detach. Should that happen, the driver would be able to move the shift lever into park and remove the key without the car actually going into park.
And, if that were to occur, then you risk the car rolling down inclines or being bumped out of place if you were to be rear-ended or someone were to lean on the car. You can prevent rollaway by making sure to put the parking brake on, but it’s easy to forget to do that when you’re just running into the corner store for a minute.
Since the last recall went into effect, there have been a handful of complaints for parts shortages. If you’re shopping for a used Fusion it might not be a bad idea to check the VIN and make sure the repair has already been handled so you won’t have to sit around waiting for a new part to ship.
Steering Issues Persist Despite Two Recalls
The 2016 Fusion was recalled in 2018 for a detached steering wheel, and in 2019 for a detached gear motor. In the first instance, a retaining bolt could come loose and the wheel might simply come loose in your hands. In the second recall, corroded bolts could lead to a gear coming loose and leaving you with no power steering support.
The first of these recalls was issued for over one million Fords in total, and the second for just over 100,000, including 2013-2016 Fusions among several other nameplates, with issues being more common in colder states where you’re going to be exposed to more road salt.
At 116 reports, steering issues are a leading cause for complaint among Fusion drivers, tailing behind powertrain complaints at 254 reports, and engine complaints at 246. A complaint issued in 2022 states that the steering wheel came loose and wiggled from side to side at 80,000 miles.
There have been dozens of complaints to this effect since the recalls were issued. Drivers report that the steering comes loose or goes out at times, suggesting that these recalls did not totally correct the steering issues. This alone may be reason enough for some buyers to skip the 2016 Fusion.
Loose Seatbelts and Door Latches Lead a Host of Structural Problems
A recall was issued in 2020 for over a quarter million Fords with loose door latches, leading to the doors swinging open while the car was in motion. A recall for over a half million Fords in 2016 addressed seatbelts snapping loose due to the friction of pretensioner deployment.
A handful of complaints and recalls point to structural issues elsewhere, as well. 39 units were recalled for a bad weld in the driver seat, 658 were recalled for fuel tanks liable to crack in a crash, and drivers have reported trunk lids popping open.
These complaints are all over the place, with 30 reports listed under structure, 14 under seatbelts, and 6 under seats, and several of the car’s 9 recalls pointing to general issues with the build quality of the vehicle. Altogether, it adds up to a car that may feel a bit cheap.
Ultimately, the problem here is that you probably won’t feel very safe driving a car where everything is coming loose and falling out of place and doors aren’t locking and trunk lids aren’t staying shut. If the parts you can see feel this cheap, what about the parts you can’t see?
The 2016 Ford Fusion Has Excellent Safety Ratings, But Doesn’t Feel Like It
There are plenty of 2016 Ford Fusion owners who don’t have a single complaint to make about the car. But there are nine recalls on file, 916 complaints, and four investigations, two of them still open. Problems range from the serious, such as loose steering, to the minor-but-worrying, like loose trunk lids.
At the end of the day, the car just feels kind of chintzy. Add the vehicle’s history of faulty latches and bad welds and loose locks to the car’s age, hitting six years old as of the time of this writing, and you may have a hard time finding a 2016 Fusion in decent shape in the first place.
