2013 Ford Fusion transmission & drivetrain problems

Related recalls

• Recall 26V376000Jun 9, 20265,252 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Focus and 2013-2016 Fusion vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall numbers 18V169 and 18V845. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.

  Risk: A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components can increase the risk of a fire.

  Remedy: Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Additionally, dealers will inspect Focus vehicles and replace the clutch assembly as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed August 5, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S43. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 6,2026.

• Recall 22V413000Jun 10, 20222,925,968 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) · POWER TRAIN:SHIFT LINKAGE/CABLE/ROD

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

  Risk: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

  Remedy: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

• Recall 19V362000May 13, 2019259,182 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Fusion vehicles equipped with 2.5 liter engines. The bushing that attaches the transmission shifter cable to the transmission may degrade over time and cause the bushing to detach from the transmission. The condition could allow the driver to move the shift lever to Park and remove the ignition key, while the transmission may not be in Park, with no warning message or audible chime.

  Risk: If the vehicle is exited without the transmission being in Park and without the parking brake being applied, the vehicle may unexpectedly move, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable bushing, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S16. Note: Owners are directed to use the parking brake until the recall remedy repairs can be made. This recall is an expansion of 18V471.

• Recall 18V471000Jul 16, 2018504,182 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:FLOOR SHIFT

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Ford Escape, and 2013-2016 Ford Fusion vehicles, equipped with six-speed automatic transmissions. The bushing that attaches the transmission shifter cable to the transmission may degrade over time and cause the bushing to detach from the transmission. The condition could allow the driver to move the shift lever to Park and remove the ignition key, while the transmission may not be in Park, with no warning message or audible chime.

  Risk: If the vehicle is exited without the transmission being in Park and without the parking brake being applied, the vehicle may unexpectedly move, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter cable bushing, free of charge. The recall began September 20, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S20. Note: Owners are directed to use the parking brake until the recall remedy repairs can be made.

• Recall 18V169000Mar 12, 20185,361 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:MANUAL TRANSMISSION

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2014 Ford Fusion vehicles equipped with a 1.6L GTDI engine and 6-speed manual transmission and 2015-2016 Ford Focus vehicles equipped with a 1.0L GTDI engine and 6-speed manual transmission. Also included are four 2017 Ford Focus vehicles that had clutch replacements with potentially affected parts. The clutch may fracture, resulting in damage to the transmission assembly and possibly a transmission fluid leak.

  Risk: A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components can increase the risk of a fire.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Focus vehicles with software that detects and prevents prolonged clutch slip, and will replace the clutch, as necessary, free of charge. Owners of Fusion vehicles will have their clutch assembly replaced free of charge. The recall began August 3, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S07.

What owners say

1. Filed Jul 9, 2026MITransmission & Drivetrain

   Vehicle transmission shifts harshly from 2nd to 3rd gear and occasionally from 1st to 2nd gear I believe it’s a safety issue because it causes slower acceleration and jerkiness which causes vehicle instability The problem has been reproduced by the dealer but no solution was found yet The transmission hasn’t been fully inspected yet There are no warning lamps or codes present for this issue yet

   NHTSA complaint #11749396 · source
2. Filed Jul 9, 2026MIEngineFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionTransmission & Drivetrain

   Vehicle makes strange sounds from the fuel fill inlet and proceeds to stall shortly after while driving and most of the times fails to restart based on my own research it looks like purge valve issues My safety was put at risk by almost being rear ended multiple times from stalling on the expressway and red lights The problem has not been reproduced yet by the dealer it will be looked at on 07/15/26 The component has not been inspected yet The check engine light illuminated…

   NHTSA complaint #11749394 · source
3. Filed Jan 13, 2026CAEngineAcceleration & Cruise ControlTransmission & Drivetrain

   My transmission failed for the 2nd time, possibly due to the recall involving the bushings. My engine has oil leaking from the head gasket, I read it could be due to the coolant overheating and getting into the engine. My cruise control doesn't work, when i press lower speed it shifts higher and vice versa.

   NHTSA complaint #11710818 · source
4. Filed Jan 4, 2026FLTransmission & Drivetrain

   The car is experiencing jerks between gear shifts. Almost hit another car due to this car movement when it shifts between gears

   NHTSA complaint #11708633 · source
5. Filed Jul 4, 2025OH1 injuredDriver Assistance & Safety TechElectrical SystemTransmission & Drivetrain

   The rear view camera will display a black screen or the image will be reversed causing confusion and dangerous reversal actions. Also the camera will go black in the middle of parking or not display at all. The transmission will slip without warning and the vehicle will have have to be shut down and restarted in order to drive correctly.

   NHTSA complaint #11671212 · source
6. Filed May 21, 2025NCTransmission & Drivetrain

   The transmission started smoking and I had it towed to a mechanic. They found a huge hole in the transmission and the bearing was gone .

   NHTSA complaint #11662415 · source
7. Filed Mar 18, 202560,000 miOKTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds in cold weather, and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle only responded as needed after excessive pressure was applied to the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that it was difficult shifting from first gear to second gear, and there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle jolted, shuddered, and jerked while…

   NHTSA complaint #11648930 · source
8. Filed Feb 23, 2025NVTransmission & Drivetrain

   My car started making a clicking grinding sound. The dealership says it's the flex plate. My fusion has an eco boost engine. I was quoted 8 to 10k to fix it. I was shocked to find oit this is a known issue with wxi boost but only later models have been recalled.

   NHTSA complaint #11644334 · source
9. Filed Feb 14, 2025TXElectrical SystemSteeringTransmission & Drivetrain

   Car will stahl and lock steering wheel when yielding into traffic or driving. The advance trak light along with auto hill assist will pop up on dashboard stating to repair the issue.

   NHTSA complaint #11642796 · source
10. Filed Jan 8, 2025AZTransmission & Drivetrain

    The ability to stop quickly. Car jerked forward causing me to veer off the freeway. If I had not veered off, I would have ran into the back of the car in front of me. (Unaware of any problems with vehicle as the vehicle is stored more than driven) I brought the vehicle home and parked it because of the clucking noise. The recall repair on the vehicle did not fix the problem. Now the vehicle has a transmission failure just approximately 11,000.00 after the recall repair was…

    NHTSA complaint #11634929 · source
11. Filed Dec 30, 2024135,000 miGATowedTransmission & Drivetrain

    The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while her son was driving 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled with a whining sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was then towed to another independent mechanic for a second opinion and remained with the mechanic. A dealer was notified of the failure, and…

    NHTSA complaint #11633058 · source
12. Filed Dec 24, 2024VATransmission & Drivetrain

    Automatic transmission issues. When putting car into reverse, the car pauses and then jumps into gear very hard. When driving down the road above 2k rpm, the car will drop into first gear, pegging the rpm gauge and throwing you forward. Only way to resolve is to pull over and cycle power. This happened multiple times with cars almost hitting me.

    NHTSA complaint #11632246 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology