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2020 Ford Fusion Engine Problems

24 owner-reported engine complaints from NHTSA data

24
Complaints
Jan 2025Dec 2021
Date Range

Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.

Owner Complaints (24)

highENGINE
Filed: Mar 2026

Your car's head gasket is failing, causing it to break down unexpectedly with smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. Your service center has confirmed this is happening to multiple 2020 Ford Fusions right now, suggesting this may be a widespread issue with this model year. There were no warning signs before the failure occurred. Fixing this will require your service center to remove the cylinder head and replace the failed gasket.

NHTSA #: 11726537
highENGINE
Filed: Feb 2026

Your car is making a rattling sound while idling, especially when the air conditioning is on. A Ford dealership diagnosed this as a cracked engine flex plate requiring a $3,000 repair at 45,000 miles. You discovered Ford has a customer satisfaction program (22N12) for this exact issue, but the dealership says it only covers the 2.0L engine in your car, not your 1.5L engine. The repair typically involves removing and replacing the cracked flex plate.

NHTSA #: 11720453
mediumENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Filed: Jul 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the contact noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that coolant intrusion into the cylinder had caused the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 112, 000.

NHTSA #: 11677234
mediumENGINE
Filed: Jul 2025

The check engine light came on. The car was regularly losing coolant but none was leaking out. I topped it off but the coolant level lowered again. My mechanic suspects it is a problem with the Ecoboost engine where the coolant leaks into the cylinders. I know there is currently a class action lawsuit against for for Fusions from 2013-2019 addressing this problem.

NHTSA #: 11676543
mediumENGINE
Filed: Jul 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle as taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The cam shaft sensor was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that on another occasion, while driving 8 MPH, the engine seized. The message "See Manual" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to several dealers and independent mechanics. The contact was recently informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 152,000.

NHTSA #: 11676035
mediumENGINE
Filed: Jun 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle was started, there was a large amount of white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe, with the engine sputtering. The vehicle as taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with engine block failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

NHTSA #: 11666086
mediumENGINE
Filed: May 2025

My 2020 Ford Fusion has had multiple transmission failures and has now had a third transmission installed. The newest issue with with the engine design that Ford is aware of but is not covered by extended warranty. The engine block is cracked due overheating caused by coolant intrustion and flexplate problems. Each time these incidents were identified and examined by Ricart Ford in Columbus, OH. The car was also purchased by the same dealer in January of 2024. The check engine light along with the temperature light were triggured by the engine issue on [XXX] I immediately contacted Protective(My warranty company) and requested that the car be transported to Ricart. I also contacted the service deparment at Ricart and explained the issue. There was plenty of coolant in the resevoir but the coolant leaked into the cylinders and caused the car to overheat. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6

NHTSA #: 11662544
mediumENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Filed: May 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, her husband noticed white smoke coming out of the mufflers. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine short block had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

NHTSA #: 11660649
mediumENGINE
Filed: May 2025

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

NHTSA #: 11658984
mediumENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE
Filed: Mar 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the message "Engine Coolant Over-Temperature" was displayed, and the temperature gauge warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted after 20 minutes. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 132,000.

NHTSA #: 11649222
mediumENGINE
Filed: Mar 2025

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, while the vehicle was idling, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to two independent mechanics, and unknown repairs were performed on the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer, where a diagnostic test was performed. The diagnostic test determined that the flex plate was cracked and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

NHTSA #: 11649008
mediumENGINE
Filed: Jan 2025

The contact's husband owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal rumbling sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The mechanic discovered a failure with the flex plate. The contact was initially informed that the vehicle was covered under warranty; however, the contact was later informed that the engine repair was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle remained with the dealer unrepaired. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA #: 11633826
mediumENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
Filed: Dec 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated the vehicle was started and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into cylinder #2, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

NHTSA #: 11628210
mediumENGINE
Filed: Nov 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a ticking and knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer. The cause of the issue was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 79,000.

NHTSA #: 11625858
mediumENGINE
Filed: Nov 2024

There was a recall on 2020 Ford Fusions in 2022 on flex plate. My car miles at 90,000 and I started to hear the ticking noise. I did my research and I seen that it has the same noise that my car is making now. I called the dealership and the dealership said that I had no active recalls on my car and that the recall was specific to certain cars. Even though my car wasn’t apart of the specific VIN. I had a mechanic check it out and it was the flex plate. I’m still having issues with my flex plate but they want me to come out of pocket , I never had a engine light or anything come on I just started hearing this loud noise and it progressively has gotten worse.

NHTSA #: 11625760
mediumENGINE
Filed: Oct 2024

THE COMPONENT THAT HAS FAILED IS THE FLEXPLATE, TRANSMISSION FLUID PUMP, AND TORQUE CONVERTER. IT WAS EVALUATED BY FORD AND CONFIRMED THAT IT IS THE SAME ISSUE AS A PREVIOUS CSP THAT FORD ISSUED IN 2022/23, BUT I WAS NEVER NOTIFIED OF THE ISSUE. NO LIGHTS OR WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE ISSUE. IT BECAME NOTICEABLE ON OR AROUND 9/20/24.

NHTSA #: 11618436
mediumENGINE
Filed: Sep 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and stalled while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted and notified of the failure. The vehicle was diagnosed with an internal engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

NHTSA #: 11616876
mediumENGINE
Filed: Sep 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, smoke and an abnormal odor was coming from the rear of the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the dealer. The dealer determined that the failure was caused by a purge control valve failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000.

NHTSA #: 11616206
mediumENGINE
Filed: Jul 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the sound was also noticed while idling or with the air condition activated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the flex plate needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 84,994.

NHTSA #: 11603014
mediumENGINE
Filed: Apr 2024

Intrusion into cylinder 2.

NHTSA #: 11584802
mediumENGINE
Filed: Nov 2023

Failure of the Flywheel. It’s broken in pieces according to the dealership at greenway Ford. Did some searching on line and other people have report the same issues. The problem is they installed crappy plates that crack between 60k-90k miles. As others have reported the Luckily for them It was at an intersection and could pull over to the side of the road but imagine if this happens to you while on the freeway!

NHTSA #: 11554830
mediumENGINE
Filed: Aug 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was making an abnormally loud sound. The vehicle then failed to shift into drive or reverse. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the cam shaft thrust plate was damaged and there was damage to the crank shaft. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 99,964.

NHTSA #: 11539374
mediumENGINE
Filed: Jun 2022

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.

NHTSA #: 11470174
mediumENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Filed: Dec 2021

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 #: 11443428

Other 2020 Ford Fusion Issues