Buyer Research

2015 Ford Fusion — Should You Buy One?

Typical asking price: $7,000–$12,000. There are 4 high-severity known issues you need to know before handing over a check.

Deciding between model years? Compare the 13 Ford Fusion years we've written up →

Kestrel Take

Thirteen recalls — the most of any car we have written up — on a good-looking sedan whose 1.5L EcoBoost pulls coolant into its cylinders. The recalls cover steering that quits, a steering wheel that can come off, a shifter cable that lets the car roll away, and brake hoses that burst; the engine problem has no recall at all. A 2.5L Fusion with all thirteen closed is a bargain. A 1.5T with a low coolant reservoir is not.

What we checked

Reconciled against public records, 2026-09-25

NHTSA holds 1,061 owner complaints for the 2015 Ford Fusion, and 13 recall campaigns.

A big number here usually means a lot of these were sold, not that it is a bad vehicle — popular models collect more complaints for the same rate of trouble. So the total on its own says little. What is worth reading is the shape of it. 31% of them are about one thing — the engine. That much concentration is a genuine pattern rather than background noise, and it is the first thing to check on any example you look at.

13 recall campaigns cover this model year. Recalls are repaired free, for any owner, with no time limit on most safety campaigns — but only if someone books it in. Ask the seller to show it was done, or have any dealer check the VIN; it takes them a couple of minutes and costs nothing.

Counts come from the NHTSA complaint and recall database — free, public, and worth checking yourself.

Known Issues for the 2015 Ford Fusion

Ranked by wallet impact. These are documented, recurring problems — not freak accidents. How we decide that.

1.5L EcoBoost coolant intrusion — overheating, misfires, then a long blockHigh — wallet impact

332 complaints, the largest cluster, and 'coolant' appears 333 times in them. The 1.5L (and 1.6L) EcoBoost's cylinder head lets coolant into the combustion chambers: misfires on cylinder 3, white exhaust, a reservoir that empties with no leak, and an engine that overheats and cracks. Ford has issued technical service bulletins on it and extended coverage on some model years, and faces a class action; there is no recall. Ask a Ford dealer whether this VIN carries any. A cooling-system pressure test and a look at the plugs before purchase.

Repair cost (estimate): $2,500–$5,000 — around 53% of what this car is typically worth

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the engine (332).

Electric power steering loses assist (recall) and steering wheel can detach (recall)High — wallet impact

Recall 15V250 (and 19V632 for salt states): the EPS can lose assist without warning — 181 complaints describe exactly that, with the hill-assist and AdvanceTrac warnings. Recall 18V167: the steering wheel retaining bolt can loosen and the wheel can come off in the driver's hands. Both free. Both non-negotiable.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under steering (181); 13 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Shifter cable bushing lets go — the car rolls away in park (two recalls); TCM (recall)High — wallet impact

Recalls 18V471 and 19V362: the bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission degrades, the car shows Park but is not in it, and rolls. Recall 14V736: transmission control module software. Recall 22V413: the PRNDL display can show the wrong gear. Many of the 155 power train complaints and 5 of the crashes are the roll-away. Free repairs; use the parking brake every time regardless.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the transmission and drivetrain (155); 13 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Front brake hoses can rupture (recall); brake pedal bushing (recall)High — wallet impact

Recall 23V162: the front brake hoses can rupture and leak fluid — a soft pedal and longer stops. Recall 22V011: a brake pedal bushing that can fail in hot-climate states. Free.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: NHTSA complaints filed under the brakes (136); 13 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Seat belt pretensioner cables (two recalls) and door latches (recall)Medium

Recalls 16V875 and 19V590: heat from the pretensioner can weaken the front seat belt anchor cable. Recall 20V177: door latches in hot states. Free.

Repair cost: $0 with the recall — verify it was performed

Source: 13 NHTSA recall campaigns on this model year.

Walk-Away Red Flags

✗1.5T or 1.6T with a low coolant reservoir, white exhaust, or a sweet smell
✗Any recall open — there are thirteen
✗A car that has ever rolled on its own
✗Misfire codes in the scan history

Good Signs

✓A 2.5L or a Hybrid — no EcoBoost coolant intrusion
✓All thirteen recalls closed with repair orders
✓Cooling-system pressure test passed
✓Long block replaced under Ford's program, with paperwork