2016 Ford Fusion: hesitation when accelerating

Filed Jul 26, 2026 · Brakes, Engine · IL

The engine experienced a sudden failure that caused the vehicle to become completely inoperable. Prior to the failure, the vehicle exhibited intermittent hesitation, rough idling, and loss of power during acceleration. These symptoms began several weeks before the complete failure. No warning lamps were illuminated at first, but shortly before the breakdown, the vehicle displayed a check engine light and a “Service Engine Soon” message. While driving, the vehicle abruptly lost power and became unsafe to operate. I was forced to pull over immediately, which created a safety risk to myself and other drivers due to the sudden deceleration and inability to maintain speed in traffic. The vehicle would not restart afterward. A repair facility has confirmed that the engine has suffered a major internal failure and requires replacement. The estimated cost of repair starts upwards of $5,000. The vehicle is currently non‑drivable and remains available for inspection. The issue has been reproduced and confirmed by an independent service center. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. However, I have found multiple similar complaints from other owners reporting the same type of powertrain failure, suggesting a potential pattern or defect affecting safety.

Filed Jul 3, 2025 · Engine · NC

My 2016 Ford Fusion SE 2.0L Turbo has been emitting some white smoke, then the other day it would not start right away. When started it ran rough for a few minutes on idle and when driving it does not have much power anymore and it would hesitate a lot if trying to accelerate. SO getting on the interstate that morning I nearly got rear ended by a semi-truck because I could not accelerate up to speed. The check engine light came on shortly and I took it to a mechanic who did tests to diagnose. The diagnostic showed misfiring in cylinder 2 most likely due to coolant intrusion. After doing some research it was evident that many owners have had this happen and had to replace their entire engine for 6000+ dollars. My car only has 114,000 miles on it and it should function properly. I have seen cars with 250,000+ miles easily.

Filed Feb 6, 2025 · Engine · 110,000 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle occasionally stalled and hesitated to restart. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where the canister purge valve was replaced several times however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the canister purge valve was replaced, and the engine was flushed. The vehicle was repaired out of pocket; however, the failure reoccurred. In addition, the vehicle was taken to a local service center where it was scanned. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Filed Jan 2, 2025 · Engine · 171,000 miles · MN

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle began to hesitate and lose motive power; symptoms of which the contact attributed to a cylinder misfire, prompting him to discontinue driving the vehicle. After reaching the residence, the failure persisted for several weeks until the vehicle ceased to start and run. Upon a visual inspection of the engine compartment, the contact observed that the engine was almost completely without engine oil. The contact stated that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 20–2132. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 171,000.

Filed Apr 30, 2024 · Engine · NY

My 2016 Ford Fusion with 90,000 miles has a coolant intrusion problem. This has caused my car to shake, smell, run terribly, hesitate while driving in traffic, almost losing power and now not starting. The first time I had trouble starting my car I took it to the Ford dealer that has always worked on my cars and was told I have a coolant intrusion issue. They said coolant leaked into a cylinder due to a design issue and there is no recall at this time. My service engine light would go on and off. When we called the dealer about the light going on and then not coming back on for weeks at a time they said when the light goes back on and stays on to call them and they would have a look. This started about 6 months ago. The light would only light up a couple of times and go back out. My car has not started since the beginning of April 2024. The dealer has quoted us $10,000 to fix this problem of a faulty designed motor.

Filed Jan 23, 2024 · Engine · 103,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated while starting the vehicle. The contact also stated that the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where several speed sensors were replaced. The contact then stated that while driving in stop-and-go traffic, the vehicle stalled with white smoke coming from under the hood. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to a parking lot where it was later towed to an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.

Filed Jan 18, 2024 · Engine · 130,000 miles · AR

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal and was shaking abnormally while idling with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was hot with white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle with a defective spark plug. The spark plug was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer, and it was discovered that there was coolant intrusion into an engine cylinder. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Filed Nov 20, 2023 · Brakes, Transmission · 102,704 miles · OR

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated while driving 55-60 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal went all the way to the floorboard with a message displayed that the brake fluid level was low. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the front passenger's side brake hose was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact later received a second notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) advising that the part was available for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the front driver's side brake hose was replaced. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that the brake lines were severely damaged. The contact also stated that while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond and made an abnormal loud sound. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 102,704.

Filed Oct 10, 2023 · Engine · TX

Engine started running very rough, hesitating and surging. OBD-2 computer codes indicate cylinder misfires. Engine is very hard to start. Coolant level is rapidly dropping, and engine overheating frequently. White smoke seen from exhaust. Acceleration is very slow and merging into moving traffic is difficult and dangerous. Reading that engine fires have been reported. Refer to Ford Technical Service Bulletin 22-2229 regarding coolant intrusion into cylinders. Took to local repair shop and they diagnosed leaking coolant reservoir and failed fuel injector. These were replaced at a cost of $2,000. See uploaded invoice.

Filed Oct 3, 2023 · Engine · UT · crash · 1 injury

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at 55-60 MPH, the vehicle was sluggish and hesitated to respond when depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a turn, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle hesitated to respond, causing another vehicle to crash into the rear passenger's side of the vehicle. The contact was able to drive to the hospital, where he received medical assistance. The contact stated that he sustained whiplash and lower back pain, and he had received physical therapy. The contact was unsure whether the other driver had sustained injuries. A police report was filed. The contact stated that the failure later recurred and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where it was diagnosed that the spark plugs and ignition coils of cylinder number 3 had failed. The contact stated that all the spark plugs and ignition coils were replaced; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was overheating. Upon inspecting the coolant level several times, the contact noticed that there was abnormal coolant drainage. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion in the engine, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Sep 7, 2023 · Brakes · 106,000 miles · TX

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH and pulling pulled out of a driveway, the vehicle was hesitating. The contact continued driving and noticed that the brake pedal had to be depressed to the floorboard to stop the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that brake fluid was leaking from the front brake flexible hoses. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and determined that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

Filed Jul 10, 2023 · Transmission · 122,000 miles · MS

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle after the vehicle had been parked for several hours, the vehicle hesitated and then shifted abnormally into the intended gear. The contact stated that the transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The local dealer was contacted by phone and the contact was informed that the VIN was included in one open recall however, the recall was not related to the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.