Ford, like most other carmakers, aims to design and produce safe, reliable vehicles. Once vehicles are in owners’ hands, and they are being used readily, problems can develop that could not be anticipated. This may lead to the manufacturer issuing a recall for the car to make repairs.
Are there any 2016 Ford Fusion transmission recalls?
As of September of 2020, there are two. There are also problems related to the fuel system and steering systems you should know about.
These include:
- Unintentional rollaway due to detached shift cable
- A follow-up to the unintentional rollaway
- Fuel tank may crack in a crash
- Steering wheel may detach
- Steering gear motor may detach
Here, we’ll explore the various recalls related to the 2016 Ford Fusion listed above. This can help you to know what to expect if you plan to buy or already own this vehicle. Stay up to date as things change by utilizing Vehicle History.
Unintentional Rollaway Due to Detached Shift Cable
NHTSA Recall ID: 18V471000
In July of 2018, Ford issued a recall related to the 2016 Ford Fusion’s powertrain with a six-speed automatic transmission. In these vehicles, the bushing that links the transmission shifter cable to the transmission may damage.
Over time, it may degrade, leading to the bushing detaching from the transmission fully. This may allow the driver to move the shift to the Park position and remove the key from the ignition while the vehicle’s transmission is not in Park.
Without any chime or warning light, the driver may believe the vehicle is in Park and try to exit. This can lead to the vehicle rolling away. It may also cause an increased risk of a crash occurring.
Ford alerted owners of the problem. It then replaced the shift cable bushing in those cars impacted. These repairs began in September of 2018.
A Follow-Up to the Unintentional Rollaway
NHTSA Recall ID: 19V362000
Ford issued another recall for the unintentional rollaway risk in May of 2019. This time, it focused on vehicles that had a 2.5L engine. The same concerns as note above regarding the vehicle not truly being in the Park position were noted.
Owners were able to bring their vehicles in for repairs of the shifter cable bushing. Those repairs began in September of 2019.
Fuel Tank May Crack in a Crash
NHTSA Recall ID: 15V618000
Ford issued a small recall on the 2016 Ford Fusion for those vehicles made between September 3, 2015 and September 13, 2015. In these vehicles, the fuel tank may not have the proper wall thickness.
That means that there is a higher risk of the fuel tank cracking in the event of a car accident.
As a result of this problem, the vehicle was in violation of the Ford Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Number 301, “Fuel System Integrity.” Should there be an accident, the fuel tank can crack significantly.
That may cause a fuel spill, creating a fire risk, and increasing the risk of injuries.
Ford issued the recall to alert owners. It then replaced the fuel tank in those vehicles with the proper design. This repair work began in October of 2015.
Steering Wheel May Detach
NHTSA Recall ID: 18V167000
Ford recalled over 1.3 million vehicles, including the 2016 Ford Fusion, over a problem related to the steering system. In these vehicles, the steering wheel retaining bolt may become loose.
This can happen over time or suddenly. This allows the steering wheel to detach from the vehicle while driving.
If the bolt loosens enough, it may allow the steering wheel to be easily removed from the car. That would mean the driver would lose all steering control. This can increase the risk of an accident occurring.
To fix this problem, Ford issued a notice to the owners. It then had dealerships replace the steering wheel bolt with a longer bolt. This solved the problem.
Steering Gear Motor May Detach
NHTSA Recall ID:19V632000
In August of 2019, Ford issued a recall related to the vehicle’s steering system. In some vehicles, including the 2016 Ford Fusion, the electric power steering gear motor attachment bolts may become corroded. This is due to road salt.
As a result, the company only recalled the vehicles located in states where road salt is used.
This includes Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
In this situation, the bolts can corrode significantly. This may allow the steering gear motor to detach from the gear housing.
This creates an instant loss of power to the steering assist feature. That makes it much harder for the driver to steer the vehicle. This is hard to do at lower speeds as well. This can increase the risk of an accident occurring.
Ford alerted the owners of the 2016 Ford Fusion of the problem. It had dealerships inspect the system. In instances where there was damage, the steering gear motor bolts were replaced.
The dealers also applied a wax sealer in place. New steering gear was installed in situations where there was significant damage.
How Do You Handle an Open Recall on a 2016 Ford Fusion?
New recalls on a 2016 Ford Fusion transmission could occur at any time. Drivers should use the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website to track them using the car’s VIN number. This pulls up all pending recalls that need to be serviced.
If there are any pending recalls, drivers can call Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford will tell you where to go to get the recall repairs taken care of properly.
Those without a VIN number can enter the make, model, and year into the NHTSA website to list the most recent and applicable recalls.
Photos: Ford
