2006 Ford Fusion problems & reliability
730 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 Ford Fusion, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
23 complaints report injuries (33 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2006 Ford Fusion vehicles were involved in 63 fatal crashes with 46 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Air Bags → | 319 | 44% |
| Power Train → | 150 | 21% |
| Structure → | 74 | 10% |
| Electrical System → | 71 | 10% |
| Engine → | 47 | 6% |
| Latches/locks/linkages → | 37 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 28 | 4% |
| Service Brakes → | 27 | 4% |
| Unknown OR Other | 25 | 3% |
| Exterior Lighting → | 21 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 77,000 miles (middle 50% between 52,000 and 106,688 miles), based on 421 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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 · filed Jul 21, 2026
“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 defectuosas ,, a mi…”
Suspension · filed Jun 9, 2025
“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 was not repaired. The…”
Service Brakes, Hydraulic · filed Sep 13, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Floor mat interference with accelerator
Engineering Analysis EA12009 · opened Dec 12, 2012 · closed Jun 12, 2014 · led to recall 14E028000
Technical service bulletins
24 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 Ford Fusion. The 10 most recent:
When performing any transmission fluid change or topoff involving Motorcraft® Premium ATF, MERCON® V has replaced all versions of Motorcraft® Premium ATF and can be used going forward. Mixing Motorcraft® Premium ATF…
SSM 52243 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 8, 2024
Certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2005-2006 GT, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion and MKZ/Zephyr, 2006-2011 Milan, and 2007-2010 Edge & MKX Vehicles Driver & Passenger Airbag Module Quality Control Inspection REASON FOR THIS…
22B05 S1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 27, 2023
Certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2005-2006 GT, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion & MKZ/Zephyr, 2006-2011 Milan, and 2007-2010 Edge & MKX Vehicles Driver & Passenger Airbag Module Quality Control Inspection: Ford Motor…
22B05 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 28, 2022
Certain 2006-2010 Model Year Fusion/Milan/MKZ/Zephyr Vehicles Equipped with Anti-Lock Brake Systems DOT 3 Brake Fluid and Anti-Lock Brake System Function In some of the affected vehicles, customers may return to the…
21N11-S3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 7, 2021
Certain 2006-2008 Model Year Fusion and Milan, 2006 Zephyr, 2007-2008 MKZ and 2007-2008 Edge, MKX and Ranger Vehicles - Driver Airbag Inflator Replacement
17B23-S1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 8, 2018
Certain 2006-2008 Model Year Fusion and Milan, 2006 Zephyr, 2007-2008 MKZ and 2007-2008 Edge, MKX and Ranger Vehicles - Driver Airbag Inflator Replacement
17B23-S1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 8, 2018
Certain 2006-2008 Model Year Fusion and Milan, 2006 Zephyr, 2007-2008 MKZ and 2007-2008 Edge, MKX and Ranger Vehicles - Driver Airbag Inflator Replacement
17B23 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 11, 2017
The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a…
SSM 46085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2016
Ford/lincoln/mercury: some vehicles, with diagnostic codes (dtcs) p0351, p0352, p0353, p0354, p0355, may experience a malfunction indicator lamp in the powertrain control module (pcm) and one or more coil on plug(s)…
TSB-13-4-17 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2013
Ford/lincoln/mercury: may have sludge buildup in throttle body leading to less airflow or engine idling rpm fluctuation and hard starts or battery disconnect or dead battery after keep alive memory (kam) clear. Models…
TSB-12-8-1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2012
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2006 Ford Fusion has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2006 Ford Fusion?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 77,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.