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.
2020 Ford Fusion: sudden loss of power
12 of the 186 complaints about the 2020 Ford Fusion describe sudden loss of power.
- owner complaints
- 12
- of this car's complaints
- 6%
- recalls
- 0
Sudden loss of power by model year
What owners say
My 2020 Ford Fusion has experienced three separate flexplate failures, as well as transmission issues following the most recent repair. Failure #1: Occurred before I owned the vehicle (confirmed later in the vehicle’s history). The flexplate was replaced by a prior owner in 2022. Failure #2: [8/2023] – While I owned the vehicle, a loud rattling noise came from the engine area. My vehicle was towed to Foothill Ford, where it was purchased, and they replaced the flexplate. No power loss occurred. Failure #3: [5/2025] – The same rattling sound returned. I drove it to Green Ford, who confirmed the flexplate needed to be replaced, and they replaced it. No power loss occurred, but the noise was severe. After the third flexplate replacement, the transmission began slipping during acceleration. This issue did not exist before the repair, and Green Ford had told me the transmission was fine before they replaced the flexplate. Safety concern: Repeated flexplate failures and subsequent transmission slipping could cause loss of propulsion or difficulty maintaining speed if the problem occurs at highway speeds or in heavy traffic, creating a potential crash risk. I did lose power on the highway, but was able to pull safely off the shoulder and called a tow truck.
Randomly 'service advance trac', 'pre-collision assist not available', lane assist not available', power assist steering not available', hill assist not available', warning lights appear. When they do I completely lose power steering. Which is extremely dangerous while driving. Most the time I can turn off and restart the car and it goes away. However, now it has become more frequent and has started losing complete power of the car turning off while driving. I almost died on the interstate. Ford dealerships only recommendation was a new circuit board that was like $5k, more than the car is worth. They said it was something common with the ford fusions, thats why they were quit being made. I researched and it is a common issue, but no recalls have been made???!!???
I purchased a used 2020 Ford Fusion from Carmax n 2023 with about 56,800 miles. A week later was involved in a nor side impact accident on the back end driver side, insurance paid for a dinted door and there was no other issues with the vehicle according to SONS ford. In 2024 I was on the highway (going about 80 mph) when my engine light came on, no more than 3 minutes later all the lights in my car flickered and i lost power to my entire car almost causing me my life, roadside assistance and a mechanic who had thankfully pulled over explained that my alternator completely shredded my belt. I paid for both my alternator and belt to be replaced But most recently (2025) I continued to whirring and knocking noises for 3 days (no warning lights) , I took it to firestone who stated I needed a motor repair so I got it towed to the dealership. A Ford certified mechanic stated my Flex Plate was cracked and it begin breaking off and how I needed a new starter as well leaving the car inoperable. They confirmed this was very uncommon due to the car age and the miles on it (80,000 mi) I’ve also reviewed the complaints on the federal safety agency and it looks like a lot of 2020 ford fusions are having these issues but yet no recall.
My car is at 47,000 miles and i started To hear a loud noise . Turns out ford says it’s the Flywheel, transmission pump, and torque converter per ford technician who completed my inspection . No warning lights came on nor was there any alerts the ford app. My 2020 Ford Fusion with approximately 48,000 miles experienced a cracked flexplate. This caused severe engine vibration, knocking sounds, and ultimately loss of power while driving. A cracked flexplate can lead to sudden engine stalling or failure to accelerate, especially at highway speeds or during intersections. This puts the driver and passengers at serious risk of a crash due to unexpected loss of power or control. This issue happened without warning and is a known problem in vehicles with the 2.0L EcoBoost engine and 6F35 transmission. Ford is aware of the issue (Customer Satisfaction Program 22N12), but my VIN was not included, even though the symptoms and components match the defect. I am reporting this because it jeopardized my safety and others on the road, and I believe more vehicles should be covered under the existing CSP or a recall.
As I was driving last week i suddenly lost engine power and broke down. Had it towed and ford says there’s zero compression in 2 cylinders. It’s a 1.5 ecoboost which I’ve read has issues. 96,448 miles
The alternator was producing too many volts, which would short circuit the battery and electrical components in the car. This would cause the car to lose power and not be able to accelerate. My car would randomly lose power on the highway, with no warning, resulting in my car suddenly slowing down. This was dangerous for the cars around me who are going 60+ and then my car quickly drops to 40 or less mph. In addition, to solve the issue I would have to pull off onto a shoulder to shut the car off and back on. This issue started around 3-4 yrs ago and has gotten worse as time passed. The problem was identified and resolved by Firestone when they ran a diagnostic. No check engine light was on in the car to alert me of any issues. I replaced both parts on the car.
Rattling and lost of power
The flexplate was cracking and rusted which caused starting and acceleration problems. Yes, it's available per request. It's currently with the transmission shop that fixed my vehicle. There was a rattling noise found in neutral and park by the transmission shop I took it to. My safety was put at risk because my ability to control my car's power was affected. I was at risk of a loss of power to the wheels which could have caused a major accident, especially because most of my driving happens on the interstate at speeds of 65-7 mph. The issue has been confirmed by an independent service center. Yes, they inspected by the techs at the transmission shop. There were no warning lamps or messages before the failure. The symptoms were a rattling noise and reduced power. This issue is well documented online and is known to happen in the 60-90k mile range which I can confirm based on my personal experience and others. References: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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.
The car seems to lose power sometimes when you are going down the road. My engine light came on but it brings up a fuel cap code, and a emission control sensor. The extended warranty covered the emissions control purge valve. This started around 70,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while attempting to drive forward after reversing the vehicle, the vehicle failed to move. The wrench symbol displayed stating there was a system malfunction however, the contact was unsure of the system failure. The contact stated that the diagnostic App linked to the vehicle stated that there was power train malfunction causing reduced power. The contact stated that someone mechanically inclined inspected the vehicle and informed her that the cable shifter bushing had detached causing the gear shifter to move from drive to park. The contact had not taken the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Certain 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco, 2021-2024 Model Year Bronco Sport, 2020-2022 Model Year Corsair and...
- For 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an...
- Some 2014-2020 Fusion and 2017-2019 Escape vehicles may be equipped with a 1.5L Ecoboost engine that uses...
- Some 2014-2017 C-MAX Energi, 2014-2020 Fusion plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), 2015-2017 MKZ/MKZ...
- Some 2017-2020 Fusion/MKZ and 2017-2019 Escape/MKC vehicles equipped with a 2.0L EcoBoost engine may...
- Rattle noise from the transmission bellhousing area
- Illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018,...
- Incomplete user authorization, no authorization pop-up on the SYNC infotainment system, vehicle...
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the 2020 Ford Fusion loss of power
Is sudden loss of power a common problem on the 2020 Ford Fusion?
12 of 186 owner complaints about the 2020 Ford Fusion (6%) mention sudden loss of power. The model year with the most reports is 2010.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2020 Ford Fusion?
There are 0 recalls and 9 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2020 Ford Fusion
Check engine light 27Knocking 11Stalling 11Jerking 9Hesitation 7Overheating 7Engine failure 6Fire or smoke 6Harsh shifting 6Backup camera 5Slipping 5Transmission failure 5
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