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2013 Ford Fusion: engine and transmission complaints

HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
46%
816 of 1,760 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

46% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2013 Ford Fusion are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.

Worse than 58% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 195 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 42%).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
816
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
1,955
this model year
Fires reported
94
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
19
65 crashes · 55 injuries

Complaints by component

STEERING418 · 21%
ENGINE398 · 20%
POWER TRAIN315 · 16%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER200 · 10%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM189 · 10%
STRUCTURE179 · 9%

The years either side

2010
38%
1,709 of 5,125
2011
23%
573 of 2,784
2012
14%
301 of 2,613
2013
46%
816 of 1,955
2014
39%
504 of 1,427
2015
48%
473 of 1,061
2016
54%
873 of 1,691
2017
71%
807 of 1,191
2018
77%
374 of 504
2019
60%
272 of 467
2020
50%
112 of 229
2021
no data
2022
no data
2023
no data

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Same car, a better year

Other midsize sedans with no elevated signal

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE,WHEELS,ENGINE11/23/2015CRASH3 INJURED
(TAKATA RECALL) I HEREBY STATE THAT I WAS IN A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT WITH THIS VEHICLE WITH NO FAULT OF MY OWN. AT THE TIME OF THE ACCIDENT 03/15/2014 THIS VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOTALED OUT BUT WAS NOT DONE SO.THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WITH THE WAY AND THE IMPACT THAT I WAS HIT BY OTHER PARTY. I THAN TOOK THIS VEH…
STRUCTURE,ENGINE08/09/2017FIRE2 INJURED
MY 2013 FORD FUSION CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE MY FAMILY AND I WERE DRIVING ON THE 405 FREEWAY. WE BARELY GOT OUT ALIVE AND THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY INCINERATED...BURNT TO PIECES ! IRECEIVED A RECALL FOR ENGINE FIRES AFTER THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE AND NEARLY TOOK OUR LIVES!!. MY 8 YEAR OLD DISABLED DAUGHTER IS SO TRAUMATIZED FROM T…
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE07/04/20251 INJURED
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 …

Three of 816 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (19)

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2016 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 Ford Edge, and 2016 Lincoln MKX vehicles originally sold, or currently reg…
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 th…
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…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2013 Ford Fusion

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle. Combined across 2 body styles NHTSA files separately.