2020 Ford Fusion: What to check before buying

A cracked flex plate is the most common failure. It shows up as loud rattling or knocking at idle and on the road, heavy vibration, and sometimes a loss of power. Warning lights usually stay off. Reports run from about 40,000 to 91,000 miles, and dealers often replace the torque converter and transmission pump too. Owners with the 1.5L engine say a Ford coverage program excluded them. Other reports describe slipping gears, repeated transmission rebuilds, a hidden cooling-line leak, and a broken shifter grommet. In one crash report, the car rolled while in park.

The most serious reports are fires. In one, a plug-in hybrid's high-voltage battery pack burned after the engine shut down while the car was moving, and one person was injured. A more common complaint is a SHIFT SYS FAULT message that leaves the car stuck in park. Owners trace it to a broken shift linkage bushing, and some say it came back after repair. Other reports describe batteries that drain overnight even after replacement, a black touchscreen with no backup camera, SYNC module failures, and an overcharging alternator that cut power on the highway.

Two failures dominate. The first is a cracked flex plate, which causes rattling or knocking at idle that gets louder with the air conditioning on, usually with no warning light. The second is coolant leaking into the cylinders or a failed head gasket. Signs include coolant loss with no visible leak, white exhaust smoke, sudden power loss at highway speed, and dead cylinders that need a new engine. Owners blame the 1.5L EcoBoost. Most reports fall between 65,000 and 96,448 miles, and several cars sit unrepaired after diagnosis.

Coolant leaks into the cylinders and ruins the engine, and in every case diagnosed here the fix is a full engine or short block replacement. Symptoms include white smoke from the exhaust at startup, smoke from the engine bay, stalling, and an Engine Coolant Over-Temperature message. Many cars give no warning light first. Failures run from about 68,000 to 132,000 miles, and none of the cars in these reports had been repaired. One owner describes coolant gurgling with the heater on.

Front lower control arms snap during ordinary turns. This pulls the car sharply left, and two reports end with the car hitting a utility pole. Other reports describe sudden loss of power steering along with a string of warnings: Service AdvanceTrac, lane assist, pre-collision assist. Some also mention the wheel jerking or the brakes applying on their own. A faulty steering control module made one car change lanes by itself. Failures cluster around 66,620 to 81,000 miles. One dealer quoted about $5K for a circuit board.

The brake pedal sinks to the floor or does nothing at low speed. Two reports end in crashes, one while backing out of a driveway and one at a stop light. A separate pattern involves a failed wheel speed sensor. It sets off ABS, pre-collision, and hill start assist warnings all at once, and the steering feels heavy and the brakes slip. One dealer quoted $450 for that sensor. There are only five reports, and one simply notes the brake fluid reservoir was empty.

The evap purge valve sticks open. That keeps the check engine light coming back, and the car is hard to start right after refueling. Some cars stall at stop lights. Codes P0496 and P0456 come up. One owner got the light six times despite replacing the purge valve, solenoid, and filler parts, and another was quoted $1500 for a valve and charcoal canister that were on back order. Separate reports describe failed fuel injectors and fuel coming out of the exhaust, and owners call this a fire risk.

Airbags fail to deploy in serious crashes. Three crash reports describe no deployment, each with an injury: a guardrail strike at highway speed, a frontal hit from a red-light runner, and a side impact that crushed both driver-side doors. Injuries include neck and back pain, temporary leg paralysis, a head cut, and rib damage. None of the drivers saw a warning light beforehand. A fourth owner says the steering wheel airbag moves too easily.

A front ball joint broke while one car was being driven, at only 44,000 miles. Lower control arm bushings wear out early and make a clunking noise when turning at low speed. Owners also describe loose steering, misalignment, and uneven tire wear. One complaint filed here is really a transmission problem, with rough shifting, jerking, and hesitation starting near 99,900 miles. There are only three reports in this category.