112 complaints reported

2016 Ford Fusion Steering

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
112
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
1

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Jan 2026

STEERING WHEEL ALMOST DETACHED FROM STEERING CULLUM. THERE IS A RECALL ALREADY ATTACHED TO OTHER 2016 FORD FUSIONS BUT NOT MY TRIM MODEL (2016 FORD FUSION ENERGY PLUG IN HYBRID). THE VEH IS NOT DRIVABLE

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2026
Dec 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that the instrument cluster and the radio turned off unintendedly. The contact stated that the power train, hill assist, and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel failed to function as intended. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was able to be restarted after several attempts. The vehicle was taken to two dealers; however, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (STEERING); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 2024
Aug 2025

Lost power in the steering wheel. My safety and others is at risk because the steering wheel locks up completely at slow speeds and it's difficult to turn the steering wheel when turning a corner or trying to back up. The problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. The component has only been inspected by an independent service center. On 12/5/25 I received a warning on the dashboard, Steering Assist Fault. I drove to work and parked the car. When I got in the car around noon and proceeded to drive the steering wheel was really difficult to turn and I started seeing other notifications that flashed on the screen. As I drove the steering wheel because more difficult to turn. At low speed the steering wheel locked up and I managed to pull the car over to get out of traffic.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2025
Aug 2025

This incident is replicable. When driving in lower speed (parking) and moments after switching into a gear (drive or reverse) the power steering goes out. The dash flashes with 2 errors “service AndvanceTrac” and “Hill Assist” following dash lights illuminate: Airbags, ABS, & Traction control. Once the vehicle is turned off and then back on, the indicator lights go away and power steering works again. This vehicle was made at Flat Rock by FMC on 8/26/15 and was purchased & registered in the state of New York from 2015-2021 but Recall # 19S26 only refers to Vehicles made at Flat Rock between 8/21/13 - 6/14/15 (This vehicle was made 83 days later)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2024
Jul 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after her son started the vehicle, the steering wheel was difficult to turn in either direction. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V167000 (STEERING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was unknown.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2025
Jul 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, the message steering loss was displayed on the instrument panel and the steering wheel seized. The contact stated that the failure was temporary. The vehicle then regained power steering functionality and the contact continued driving. The contact stated that the following morning while starting the vehicle, the failure recurred. The vehicle then became inoperable. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2025
Jun 2025

I purchased a 2016 Ford Fusion S new from the dealership in 2016. Earlier this year, multiple indicator lights turned on including "Service AdvanceTrac", ABS light, steering and hill assist lights. As time progressed, the Power Steering has become more of an issue to a point now that it is difficult to make tight turns going at low speed. I never received a recall notice, but when I did a search of the 2016 Ford Fusion S vehicle, there is an outstanding recall on similar models in 19V632000. The list of states include the state of Missouri which is where the vehicle was purchased from. At the time the recall notice was sent out (August 28, 2019), the vehicle would have been registered in Kansas. A search by the VIN number does not show a recall notice for it. Presently, the vehicle is registered in Iowa. I hope to get review of my VIN number to see if this recall should have included my vehicle as there are similar models distributed in similar states, with exact issues pertaining to my vehicle which was not included in the initial recall. I have service scheduled for this vehicle at an authorized Ford dealership on July 17th, 2025 which was the earliest I could get the car in. I'm concerned as this is a substantial issue that puts the vehicle at risk for a serious malfunction should the power steering fail completely while being operated. This is a relatively low mileage vehicle for the year which likely why the issue hasn't arose until this point. I appreciate your time and consideration on this matter.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2025
Jun 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the steering wheel failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the assist fault error and an unknown warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with steering gear failure. The contact was informed that the steering gear needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,263.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Nov 2025
May 2025

My car is a 2016 Ford fusion and it was working fine until February of 2025. There was a message that appeared on the dashboard as soon as I started the car. The message was “steering loss, stop safely” making it extremely difficult to turn. The steering can’t even turn left or right. It’s locked in place. I had to get it towed and now it’s undrivable. I can’t even get it fixed because my specific VIN # is not listed for a recall and I’m unsure what to do. I need help what can I do?

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jun 2025
Mar 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, and the power steering warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Mar 2025
Mar 2025

The power steering failed suddenly while driving. The vehicle became nearly impossible to steer and control. Our safety and the safety of others vehicles or pedestrians was put at risk because the car could not be steered or controlled properly. The failure could have easily caused a serious and perhaps life threatening accident. Luckily, due to circumstances, we were able to pull over safely without causing an accident. It suddenly became extremely difficult to steer the car to a safe stop. No warning lamps were illuminated until the problem was actually happening. The warning lamps read "power steering assist fault; pull over safely immediately". The car was towed to a auto mechanic. The mechanic was able to "reset" the power steering but could not diagnose the problem. We then took the car to a Ford Dealer for further inspection. The Ford Dealer diagnosed the car and said it needs a new Power Steering Rack. We were told the original part is "failing" from the inside. The repair at the Ford Dealer is priced at $3170. The car is 9 years old and the mileage is approximately 80,000. For about two days before this incident we noticed that the steering occasionally felt slightly "jerky" while making turns but there was no warning lamps until the power steering completely failed.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Mar 2025
Feb 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at a slow speed, the steering wheel started to wobble with the "Power Steering Assist Fault Service Now" message displayed. The contact pulled into a parking lot and the “Loss of Power Steering - Pull Over to the Side of the Road for Safety" and "No ABS" messages were displayed. The contact attempted to read the safety manual but found no information about the failure. The contact called her husband who had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The independent mechanic later called the contact and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be serviced because no fault codes were found. The vehicle was later towed to a dealer and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V167000 (Steering); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact called the manufacturer and was provided a case number and the contact was then transferred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 180,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2025
Jan 2025

Electric rack and pinion steering failed while driving. It will not be available because the core need to be exchanged for the new part. I could not steer the car. I had no power to the steering. Luckily I could get it into my driveway before it completely locked up. Yes the garage I had it towed to had to push the car into the garage because it was not drivable. No one but the mechanic has inspected the part. I received a warning stating my power assist steering needed attention, and please drive slowly to a stop. I do not have any repair invoice because my vehicle is still being repaired The reason I am filing this complaint is that Ford has had problems with this steering component and was recalled in other Fusions but when contacting them, they said that mine was not covered under the recall for what appears the exact same reason.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2025
Jan 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The message "Loss of Power Steering - Pull Over to the Side of the Road for Safety" was displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel had seized, which prevented the contact from pulling to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the residence of a family member. An independent mechanic diagnosed that the power steering pump and the power steering harness had failed due to internal friction. The vehicle was then towed to an unknown dealer, where it was diagnosed that the power steering rack had failed due to internal friction and needed to be replaced. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that after the steering rack replacement, that a four wheel alignment needed to be performed, and the TCM and the ECM needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was not repaired and was in the process of being shipped to the contact's State of residence. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 84,036.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2025
Dec 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became inoperable. The contact stated that the steering wheel felt loosened. The contact stated that the steering wheel made it difficult to turn to the left or the right. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the power steering module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 142,178.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 2024
Dec 2024

My 2016 Ford Fusion's power steering went out while driving, making it extremely difficult to turn effectively, especially at lower speeds. After the loss of power steering, the dashboard started showing warnings about "Hill Assist", "Powertrac" being unavailable and "Power steering loss - stop safely". The steering also feels "clunky" where the steering wheel jumps when turning. There are also clicks heard from near the engine compartment when turning. Now, the warnings on the dashboard display when first starting the car. I brought it to a Ford dealership who diagnosed the issue and determined that the steering gear needed to be replaced. They quoted $6000 to replace the entire power steering assembly. This issue seems to be part of Ford recall 19V632, however my VIN is not covered. I live in Minnesota and my car is in contact with road salt and other contaminants (especially in the winter) very often. There were no problems with steering prior to this issue.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2024
Nov 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle became difficult to maneuver. The Advance Trac warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an auto repair shop where it was diagnosed and determined that the rack and pinion steering system needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Nov 2024
Jul 2024

Loss of power steering and multiple codes light up on dash about an hour prior to loss. Experienced a slow escalation of having difficultly steering of approx 1-2 days where steering did not seem as responsive. Was able to return home, but upon restart i had no power steering steering and multiple diagnostics failure lights coming on [Steering Loss Stop Safety, Service Advance Trac, Hill Start assist not available]. This currently is in a state of not being able to drive. Losing power steering assist puts safety at jeopardy at any speed to not allow for any fine movement or directional control. If this happened at any rate of speed this is a concern. It being the weekend I will need to discuss with my local mechanic as well as local dealership on course of action. I have tried to restart several times with the warnings and still lack of steering

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2024
Jul 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the steering wheel was very loose. The contact spoke with the dealer where and it was confirmed that the vehicle was included in two recalls not related to the steering. The dealer confirmed that the failure experienced was related to NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V632000 (Steering) and 18V167000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recalls. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 143,910.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Mar 2024
May 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH and attempting to make a right turn, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact used excessive force to pull to the side of the road and allowed another individual more capable of maneuvering the vehicle without power steering functionality. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the Traction Control and Hill Assist Failure warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 101,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2024
May 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the steering wheel was seized. The message “Steering Loss - Drive Safely” was displayed. The contact turned off the vehicle and had the vehicle towed to the residence. The contact was notified of an unknown recall related to the steering. The dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The failure mileage was 127,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2024
Apr 2024

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while pulling out of the driveway, he observed a popping noise emanating from the engine compartment and the power steering assist failure warning light illuminated. Additionally, the steering wheel became stiff and did not operate as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2024
Feb 2024

This problem randomly occurred. My steering wheel stopped working & it took a severe amount of force to control the steering wheel. No prior problems with the vehicle

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Feb 2024
Jan 2024

Car initially showed a warning alert for failed traction control. Attempted to reset using steering wheel reset, failed. Tried backing car up and steering became extremely hard to do, requiring maximum effort to turn wheel. Steering power assist light lit up on dashboard. Parked car. Made appointment with Heritage Ford, South Burlington, VT. Upon subsequent investigation discovered that 2016 Fusion had been recalled #19V632000 but only when sold in Northern States where salt was being used or currently registered in (Vermont was included). I moved to Vermont to be with family in 2020. Failure occurred about [XXX]. 1). Had this failure occurred, while driving we could have had a fatal accident. 2). Shouldn’t there be provisions for folks who move into northern states originally identified or is Ford dictating these non recalled cars remain in non salt applying states for their life? Shouldn’t all cars have been recalled to prevent catastrophic failures? 3). Failing the recall shouldn’t the cars be supplied with warning placards saying that exposure to excessive road salt could result in catastrophic steering failure? 4). I recently asked the service rep (Amanda) at Heritage if there were any other recalls for this car and she said no. Does that mean this vehicle is exempt from the recall because it got to the state after some arbitrary deadline? Does allowing cars to travel the roads of any Northern state with this defect make sense? INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2024
Jan 2024

When I was backing out of my apartment complex and tried to turn left the car just stopped and when you turn the wheel it says service advance trac and hill Start car hasn’t been drove since last Friday

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 2016 FORD FUSION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 2024

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 2016 Ford Fusion has 112 Steering complaints on file. 1 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.