2006 Ford Fusion Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Jul 21, 2026 · 730 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Fusion years
Fewer complaints than other years 12th of 15 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
Not rated

Owners have filed 730 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 Ford Fusion. That ranks 12th out of 15 Fusion model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (319 complaints, 44%), typically at around 101,500 miles. Complaints mention 38 crashes, 4 fires, 33 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2006 Ford Fusion problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Air Bags319 · ~101,500 mi
Power Train150 · ~73,000 mi
Structure74 · ~62,061 mi
Electrical System71 · ~87,000 mi
Engine47 · ~98,375 mi
Latches/locks/linkages37 · ~49,100 mi
Vehicle Speed Control28 · ~94,000 mi
Service Brakes27 · ~115,275 mi
Unknown or Other25 · ~76,000 mi
Exterior Lighting21 · ~93,500 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Air Bags problems31944%101,500“takata air bags” (29%)—
Power Train problems15021%73,000“slips gear” (7%)$2,800
Structure problems7410%62,061“door handle” (35%)—
Electrical System problems7110%87,000“smart junction” (14%)$1,050
Engine476%98,375——
Latches/locks/linkages375%49,100——
Vehicle Speed Control284%94,000——
Service Brakes274%115,275——
Unknown or Other253%76,000——
Exterior Lighting213%93,500——
Fuel/propulsion System122%76,667——
Steering122%73,063——
Engine and Engine Cooling112%71,500——
Service Brakes, Hydraulic112%77,500——
Suspension112%72,000——
Seats101%37,000——
Seat Belts91%77,500——
Equipment71%51,000——
Visibility71%1,000——
Tires61%9,000——
Wheels61%4,000——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)41%115,713——
Equipment Adaptive/mobility30%59,200——
Fuel System, Gasoline20%64,000——
Electronic Stability Control10%11,000——
Forward Collision Avoidance10%205——
Fuel System, Other10%———
Visibility/wiper10%86,000——

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2017, with 163 complaints
2006: 122006122007: 10102008: 102008102009: 21212010: 632010632011: 62622012: 432012432013: 45452014: 442014442015: 29292016: 402016402017: 1631632018: 12120181212019: 23232020: 192020192021: 14142022: 5202252023: 442025: 1202512026: 11

n = 730 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2006 Ford Fusion recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator moduleMar 10, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V158000 · 2,602,668 vehicles

Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S12.

Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/moduleDec 18, 2019 · NHTSA campaign 19V904000 · 600,166 vehicles

Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles. The valves within the ABS Hydraulic Control Units (HCU) may react with brake fluids containing specific corrosion preventative additives. This reaction may cause the valves to not close properly.

Risk: If the valves do not properly close, additional brake pedal travel may be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will flush the brake system with DOT 4 fluid and install a new brake fluid reservoir cap. In addition, the HCU will be tested to detect a possible stuck valve condition, replacing the HCU as necessary. All services will be performed free of charge. The recall began April 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S54.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not driveJan 10, 2017 · NHTSA campaign 17V024000 · 654,695 vehicles

Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain 2009 Ford Ranger, Edge, Fusion and Mustang, Lincoln MKX, MKZ and Zephyr and Mercury Milan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Ford is recalling certain 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ, 2005-2008 Ford Mustang and 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began mailing March 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator moduleDo not driveMay 31, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V384000 · 1,892,343 vehicles

Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Ford Ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles, and 2005-2011 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles and 2005-2008 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Any vehicle not included in "Zone A", or "Zone B" is not included in the safety recall. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Ford mailed interim letters informing owners that parts are not yet available on July 15, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

NHTSA defect investigations

  • Floor mat interference with accelerator (EA12009) — opened Dec 12, 2012, closed Jun 12, 2014, led to recall 14E028000.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

The contact's wife owned a 2006 Ford Fusion. The owner received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V001000 (Air Bags) and 21V158000 (Air Bags) and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The contact's wife no longer owned the vehicle. The manufacturer was unreachable.

Air Bags · received Jul 21, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11751757

Tuve un Choque mi carro no freno y Choque a un carro que iba a dar vuelta a la izquierda, frene y mi carro no lo hizo , el impacto fue el que freno , mi carro se dano todo el frente , el punto es que yo lleve mi carro a remplazar las bolsas de aire al dealer , hace como 7 messes que porque estaban…

Suspension · received Jun 9, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11665852

The contact owns a 2006 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake had to be depressed to the floorboard to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The brake pads and rotors were replaced, but the failure recurred. The vehicle…

Service Brakes, Hydraulic · received Sep 13, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11544388

The contact owns a 2006 Ford Fusion. The contact became aware of an oil leak on the ground underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that oil was leaking from the engine. The mechanic was unsure where the leak originated. The vehicle was not repaired. The…

Engine · received Jun 13, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11526878

The contact owns a 2006 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal creaking sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired on several occasions due to the…

Engine · received Jun 5, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11525395

Other Ford Fusion years

2007 Fusion →

YearComplaintsRecalls
2020 Fusion1833
2019 Fusion3163
2018 Fusion4422
2017 Fusion1,1124
2016 Fusion1,64113
2015 Fusion99413
2014 Fusion1,33019
2013 Fusion1,79219
2012 Fusion2,5165
2011 Fusion2,7927
2010 Fusion5,13011
2009 Fusion1,0236
2008 Fusion1,3535
2007 Fusion1,0644
20067304

See all Ford Fusion problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2006 Ford Fusion?

Owners most often report air bags, power train, structure problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 319 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2006 Ford Fusion?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2006 Ford Fusion a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Fusion model years, the 2006 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.