2006 Ford Fusion Problems, Recalls & Reliability

920 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2006 Ford Fusion, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 15/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 100,000 miles.

One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2006 Ford Fusion has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.

920Complaints
15/100Trouble index
5Recalls
78,801Typical trouble mileage

Better year

Where 2006 sits among all Fusion years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Airbags 321 complaints (35%) · typically ~100,000 miles
“Takata recall it has been a year and 4 months since i got the recall notice. Why haven't they got a fix yet. I'm worried every time i go out in traffic.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Fusion
Transmission & drivetrain 152 complaints (17%) · typically ~73,000 miles
“Transmission went completely out of gear when exiting the turnpike and entering the highway. The transmission had been slipping intermittently for months.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Fusion
Electrical 92 complaints (10%) · typically ~90,000 miles
“Drivers side front turn signal does not flash, stays solid. Changed the bulb, does the same thing.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Fusion
Body & structure 76 complaints (8%) · typically ~62,061 miles
“The interior rear door handles have broken. I feel this is a saftey issue in exiting the vehicle, in the event of a crash or fire. I would like to see ford recall this part so no further issues arise.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Fusion
Engine 58 complaints (6%) · typically ~93,000 miles
“Takata recall have yet to get papers and get problem fixed. Intermitten failure of the electronic throttle body.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Fusion
Other 40 complaints (4%) · typically ~77,000 miles
“Interior drivers side door handle broke preventing the ability to open the door from the inside.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Fusion

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 569 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 78,801 miles. Half of those reports fall between 52,456 and 106,300 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (5)

AIR BAGS 21V158000 2021

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…

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…

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 19V904000 2019

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.…

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…

AIR BAGS 17V024000 2017 Do not drive

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,…

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…

AIR BAGS 16V384000 2016 Do not drive

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…

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…

EQUIPMENT 14E028000 2014

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain all weather driver side accessory floor mats sold for use in model year 2006-2011 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan, 2006 Lincoln Zephyr, and 2007-2011 Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured November 9, 2007, through…

Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install new replacement mats, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number…

Federal defect investigations

Floor mat interference with accelerator EA12009 opened 2012, closed 2014

Led to recall campaign 14E028000.

Technical service bulletins

24 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and airbags — are on file for the 2006 Ford Fusion. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2006 Fusion TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2006peak 177 in 20172026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2006 Ford Fusion reliable?

The 2006 Ford Fusion drew 920 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 15/100, scored against the model's worst year (2010).

What are the most common 2006 Ford Fusion problems?

The top reported problems for the 2006 Ford Fusion are airbags (321 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (152), and electrical (92).

At what mileage do 2006 Ford Fusion problems show up?

Owners most often report 2006 Ford Fusion problems around 78,801 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 52,456 and 106,300 miles.

Does the 2006 Ford Fusion have recalls?

5 recall campaigns apply to the 2006 Ford Fusion. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.

All Fusion years 2007 Fusion →
Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.