2020 Ford FUSION

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2020 Ford FUSION has 257 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 3.2x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is transmission problems (25% of all complaints), specifically: the touchscreen display is not working. it turned completely black. i cannot change the radio station. i shut off my car and turned it back on and it is still not working had to hard reset the system car also shifts hard in and out of park and reverse, makes a clunking sound and shifts hard in first. ⚠️ 5 fire reports filed.

5 fire reports 8 crash reports 3 injuries

257

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

3.2x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

TRANSMISSION

65 complaints

25%

• THE TOUCHSCREEN DISPLAY IS NOT WORKING. IT TURNED COMPLETELY BLACK. I CANNOT CHANGE THE RADIO STATION. I SHUT OFF MY CAR AND TURNED IT BACK ON AND IT IS STILL NOT WORKING HAD TO HARD RESET THE SYSTEM CAR ALSO SHIFTS HARD IN AND OUT OF PARK AND REVERSE, MAKES A CLUNKING SOUND AND SHIFTS HARD IN FIRST
• I started my car and the engine was running very rough. The check engine light came on and I received a notification in the FordPass app of a powertrain control module detected an engine misfire. I was 108 miles from home in a snow storm. I drove to a hotel and spent the night. My husband picked me
• Vehicle purchased used in Feb 2022, dealer said vehicle was in EXCELLENT mechanical condition. May 2022, 3 months after purchase vehicle has a broken flywheel and now needs the flywheel, torque converter and transmission pump replaced before 1st oil change since purchase was due. 65k miles on odom

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 1 crashes

“THE TOUCHSCREEN DISPLAY IS NOT WORKING. IT TURNED COMPLETELY BLACK. I CANNOT CHANGE THE RADIO STATION. I SHUT OFF MY CAR AND TURNED IT BACK ON AND IT IS STILL NOT WORKING HAD TO HARD RESET THE SYSTEM CAR ALSO SHIFTS HARD IN AND OUT OF PARK AND REVERSE, MAKES A CLUNKING SOUND AND SHIFTS HARD IN FIRST”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ENGINE

52 complaints

20%

• I can hear the coolant sloshing around and gurgling while the vehicle is in park with the heat on. When I turn the heat off, the sloshing and gurgling goes away. It appears that I do not have a coolant leak.
• There is Exhaust smell of rotten eggs that enter the cabin while driving and it happens almost every drive. I have brought the car to the dealer where they ran tests but found no problems. As soon as I got the car back it started producing the rotten egg smell again.
• Constantly with this specific vehicle, especially with the lane assist. The vehicle continuously jerks either left or right even within the green parameters of the lane, especially when doing a slight turn on the highway. When it is raining the vehicle smart as go offline an cannot read the lane o

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“I can hear the coolant sloshing around and gurgling while the vehicle is in park with the heat on. When I turn the heat off, the sloshing and gurgling goes away. It appears that I do not have a coolant leak.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

37 complaints

14%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BACKUP CAMERA REMAINED ON WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE ROYAL OAK FORD DEALER, LOCATED AT: 27550 WOODWARD AVE, ROYAL OAK, MI 48067, WHERE THE SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIV
• AS I'M DRIVING MY RADIO SHUTS OFF AND WILL NOT POWER ON. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION
• THE TOUCHSCREEN DISPLAY IS NOT WORKING. IT TURNED COMPLETELY BLACK. I CAN CHANGE THE VOLUME USING THE DIALS, BUT I CANNOT CHANGE THE RADIO STATION. IT ALSO WILL NOT SHOW MY BACK UP CAMERA. I SHUT OFF MY CAR AND TURNED IT BACK ON AND IT IS STILL NOT WORKING

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BACKUP CAMERA REMAINED ON WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE ROYAL OAK FORD DEALER, LOCATED AT: 27550 WOODWARD AVE, ROYAL OAK, MI 48067, WHERE THE SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIV”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

27 complaints

11%

• THERE WAS WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE HOOD AND THERE WAS A SMELL OF BURNED RUBBER. I HAD REACHED MY DESTINATION AND HAD JUST PARKED.
• TL* THE CONTACT RENTED A 2020 FORD FUSION FROM HERTZ CAR RENTAL. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH ON A INCLINE HILL, A STRANGE SOUND OCCURRED AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATION PEDAL , HOWEVER THE VEHICLE STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS DOWN THE HILL CAUSI
• The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact state that the more they turn the vehicle's acceleration pedal that the vehicle would pull to the right. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who was able to duplicate the issue however were not able to find the cause of the failure. The vehicle

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 2 crashes

“THERE WAS WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE HOOD AND THERE WAS A SMELL OF BURNED RUBBER. I HAD REACHED MY DESTINATION AND HAD JUST PARKED.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS

14 complaints

• "Pre-Collision Assist Not Available" shows on dash every time when starting the car now. Started in October intermittently.
• "Pre-Collision Assist Not Available" shows on dash every time when starting the car now. Started in October intermittently.
• Constantly with this specific vehicle, especially with the lane assist. The vehicle continuously jerks either left or right even within the green parameters of the lane, especially when doing a slight turn on the highway. When it is raining the vehicle smart as go offline an cannot read the lane o

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“"Pre-Collision Assist Not Available" shows on dash every time when starting the car now. Started in October intermittently.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

DRIVER ASSIST/CAMERAS(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 257 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
TRANSMISSION: THE TOUCHSCREEN DISPLAY IS NOT WORKING. IT TURNED COMPLETELY BLACK. I CANNOT CHANGE THE RADIO STATION. I SHUT OFF MY CAR AND TURNED IT BACK ON AND IT IS STILL NOT WORKING HAD TO HARD RESET THE SYSTEM CAR ALSO SHIFTS HARD IN AND OUT OF PARK AND REVERSE, MAKES A CLUNKING SOUND AND SHIFTS HARD IN FIRST
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ENGINE: I can hear the coolant sloshing around and gurgling while the vehicle is in park with the heat on. When I turn the heat off, the sloshing and gurgling goes away. It appears that I do not have a coolant leak.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2020 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BACKUP CAMERA REMAINED ON WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE ROYAL OAK FORD DEALER, LOCATED AT: 27550 WOODWARD AVE, ROYAL OAK, MI 48067, WHERE THE SENSOR WAS REPLACED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIV
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: THERE WAS WHITE SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE HOOD AND THERE WAS A SMELL OF BURNED RUBBER. I HAD REACHED MY DESTINATION AND HAD JUST PARKED.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)