The vehicle caught fire July 7, 2026 after it was parked and we were in bed, woke up to the front dash and under the steering wheel being melted. The ignition was melted severe damage to the entire driver's side
Ford Fusion fire or smoke problems
345 of the 22,465 owner complaints about the Ford Fusion describe fire, smoke or burning smell, most of them for the 2013 model year.
- owner complaints
- 345
- worst model year
- 2013
- typical repair cost reported
- $5,500
- typical mileage
- 95,000
By model year
Often reported together
Check engine light 110Overheating 96Engine failure 44Misfire 43Stalling 20Loss of power 14Shudder 11Hesitation 8
Trouble codes mentioned
P0302 5P0301 2P0300 2P0217 2P1285 1P0741 1P0316 1P0304 1P0303 1
What owners say
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a leaking the head gasket, which allowed coolant into the cylinders. Additionally, the message "Coolant Low - Overheating Soon" was displayed, and there was black smoke coming from the tailpipe during startup. The contact stated that the vehicle was undrivable and associated the failure with a class-action lawsuit. The dealer was notified of the failure by phone and informed the contact that there was a fee for the diagnostic test. The contact declined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone and filed a report. The contact was awaiting a call back from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.
On October 16, 2017, we were driving this vehicle on the interstate when we noticed smoke in the rearview mirror. We pulled over right away, and within seconds of getting out, the car was engulfed in flames. It burned so fast that by the time firefighters arrived, about seven minutes later, there was nothing left of it. Neither of us was physically injured, but we got out with almost no time to spare. The fire department responded and a report was filed. The car was equipped with the 1.6L GTDI EcoBoost engine and falls within the population of Safety Recall 17S09 / the federal safety agency 17V‑209, which covers localized cylinder head overheating and cracking that can cause a pressurized oil leak and an engine compartment fire. At the time our car burned, the interim recall notice had gone out but no remedy parts were available; the actual recall repair did not begin until January 5, 2018. Ford later contacted us and offered a small settlement, conditioned on signing away any right to bring future claims. We declined.
I was driving my 2017 Ford Fusion Platinum on my way home and the wrench light came on and said check manual when i looked in my app the only thing that was in the maintenance was my 90k maintenance . my car is driving fine no RPM jumping no smoking no burning smell no shaking nothing ( the wrench light was off when i cranked it to take my daughter to work Saturday morning ) well Saturday on my way home from bring my daughter to work my check engine light came on still my car is driving fine when i looked in my Ford App at the check engine light warning which was these two warnings The transmission control system has detected the transmission torque converter clutch is not operating as expected. Additional alerts that may provide additional information may accompany this alert .A reduction in vehicle fuel economy may also occur when the fault is present. The transmission control module has detected that the torque converter clutch failed to apply. This system failsafe logic disables the torque converter clutch when this condition is present. This results in a higher than normal engine RPM's during higher vehicle cruising speeds and reduced fuel economy. now my car is still driving fine. i took it to auto zone to put the computer on it and it read this code P0741 which gives this Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck Off, which indicates that the vehicle's computer commanded the torque converter clutch to lock up, but it is failing to do so. i took it to our ford dealer ship and he stated oh yes you need a whole new transmission which is 7200$ do you want to pay now .... Im shocked that my car would need a new transmission... i have seen recalls for Torque Converter for the fusion .. but my vin is not showing this recall is there anyone else experiencing this
The 2019 Ford Fusion I owned was having issues with smoke coming out the tailpipe upon startup, eventually leading to the engine seizing causing me to trade the vehicle in.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic several times, and the contact was informed that the engine was consuming antifreeze. The ignition coils and spark plugs were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The mechanic associated the failure with the engine. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the short block was warped and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was scheduled to be repaired. The contact researched the failure and stated that it was a known issue that the manufacturer had failed to correct. The manufacturer was notified of the failure via telephone; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon entering the vehicle, there was an abnormally strong fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The failure persisted, and the fuel odor became stronger, causing the contact headaches while driving the vehicle. Upon taking the vehicle to an independent mechanic to determine the cause of the failure, the mechanic discovered that the fuel line was rusted. The mechanic informed the contact that he was unsure what had caused the failure. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The mechanic stated that had the contact continued driving the vehicle as-is, the vehicle could have caught on fire. The vehicle remained with the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
While driving home from work. I heard a pop and seen smoke coming from my tire. I pulled over and seen fire behind the wheel. After looking it over the emergency parking brake motor that attaches to the brake caliper was blown apart. The pistons in the caliper pushed so hard against the brake pad that it was bent to a 90 degree angle. Had to replace pads, rotors, and calipers in both sides.
On July 4, the electrical system under the dash caught fire and burned the ignition and dash, all the electrical under the dash
On April 25, 2024, my car broke down as I was driving. There were no warning lights leading up to it, and then all of a sudden, the check engine light started flashing, my temperature gauge spiked, and I was forced to pull over as the car barely responded to the gas pedal. When I got out, there was smoke coming out from under the hood, and just moving the car to get it towed better made the engine shudder and screech. At that time, the mechanic replaced the water pump, which appeared to solve that issue. But after that, between April and November 2024, my check engine light came on no less than 5 times. Each time, I took my car to the mechanic and they identified and fixed the code to the best of their abilities, but a few weeks later, the light would be back on again. They said the car might have an internal coolant leak and needed a new spark plug and ignition coil. Even after they replaced the spark plug and the ignition coil, I would also occasionally hear screeching sounds as I drove, or-- the longer this went on-- the car would shudder any time the engine was running. Finally, my mechanic told me that the internal coolant leak was something only the dealership could fix, so I took it to Ford, who evaluated the car and found an internal leak in cylinder 2. The only way to fix it would be to replace the entire engine, which I could not afford. The car has been sitting undriven ever since. If I'd been on the highway or driving at a faster speed when the engine suddenly cut out, I could've been in an accident. The only warning for the cylinder issue was the continuous check engine light and the shuddering of the engine, and the same issue was confirmed by an independent mechanic (AutoExpress in Doylestown and the Ford Dealership). There are numerous results on a Google search regarding Ford EcoBoost engine coolant intrusion which is the exact issue I'm having but Ford has not recalled the 2016 Fusion nor offered any solution to this dangerous manufacturing defect
Related recalls
Electrical system: propulsion system: traction battery: management system/energy control module (bms/becm)
- What is wrong
- 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
- A damaged BECM can result in a loss of drive power or fire, increasing the risk of a crash.
- 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.
Recall number 23V440000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Fusion fire or smoke
Which Ford Fusion years have fire, smoke or burning smell problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2013 (88 complaints), 2016 (60 complaints) and 2017 (46 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix fire, smoke or burning smell on the Ford Fusion?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $5,500 (median of 26 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Ford Fusion?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history