3rd gen Ford Fusion transmission reliability...

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Apr 13, 2013
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As some of you may know from a previous thread, I am looking at purchasing a 2017 Ford Fusion SE with the 2.5 / 6 speed auto. I know the 2nd gen Fusion had some serious transmission issues, and I thought that they had those resolved starting in 2013 with the 3rd gen Fusion. Upon researching this vehicle, I am coming across reports of hard shifting that has only been resolved by rebuilding the trans, only to have the issues resurface in as little as a year. Does anybody know if these issues are widespread? Does anybody have a 3rd gen Fusion with the 6 speed auto and taken it to high mileage with minimal issues?

I am looking at replacing my wifes Jetta, we LOVE the car, but it has had more repairs than we would like doth during and after warranty expiration. Looking at a possible a/c system replacement now and it may be time to jump ship.

I don't want whatever new (to us) vehicle we go with to be a nightmare.

I would still prefer a 2016-2017 Accord but believe it or not they are very few and far between. Ive searched for months and only come up with 2 real options, both of which had more wear and tear than either of us would like to see.

Thanks in advance for any and all advice.
 
firstly, there is no 3rd gen.. the 1st was 06-12, 2nd 13-20.
there was a facelift/refresh in 2010, but its still the 1st gen.
secondly, the trans you're asking about is the 6F, which Ford used basically across their lineup, except the for focus/fiesta that had its own POS trans that never should have reached production.... nothing fusion specific to
 
Can anyone confirm if the issues were resolved? I’m seeing reports of early second gen models still having issues.
 
I have the same transmission in my Escape... the 6f35... and it’s been rocksolid with 100k+ And I abuse this thing.
 
I have the same transmission in my Escape... the 6f35... and it’s been rocksolid with 100k+ And I abuse this thing.
Good to hear. What year, how many miles and how often do you change transmission fluid?
 
I have the same drive train in my Escape. When I first bought the car I babied it and the trans seemed to jerk a little at times. I started driving it harder and the trans shifted way smoother. I serviced it at 60k with a full fluid exchange. It still shifts good and I have no issues with it. Im at 84k now. I don't foresee any problems.
 
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Good to hear. What year, how many miles and how often do you change transmission fluid?
It's in my signature, 2010 Escape 2.5 FWD, about 105K miles, and I changed the fluid at 70K, 75K, and 80K to clear out most of the old fluid, and in the future I plan to do it every 30k approx so maybe I'll do it soon, but I'm busy right now so I might leave it for a while longer. I absolutely beat on it that's why I change it often. I basically floor it everywhere I go, the car is always full of heavy stuff, etc. For regular usage 50-60k ATF changes is fine on this tranny.
 
We have replaced some, but my mom has one and if it was a case of us replacing them all the time I would have told her to pass. This reminds me I need to change the ATF on hers again, its really pretty easy. Plus the PTU on hers has drain and fill plugs so servicing that is simple. For reference hers is a 2014 Dark Side Titanium AWD with the 2.0L Ecoboost
 
I think the reason for the transmission woes is the recommended 150,000 mile fluid interval from Ford.

I think the manual lists 30K for "Special operating conditions"

Also Ford says to do 3 drain and fills on a change.

This is for the 6F35

I bought mine with 47K miles and have done one drain and fill so far.. need to do another one as im approaching 60K.. I think i will do it every 30K after this one.

The way mine looked at 47K miles the previous owner mustve been specially operating.
 
I think the reason for the transmission woes is the recommended 150,000 mile fluid interval from Ford.

I think the manual lists 30K for "Special operating conditions"

Also Ford says to do 3 drain and fills on a change.

This is for the 6F35

I bought mine with 47K miles and have done one drain and fill so far.. need to do another one as im approaching 60K.. I think i will do it every 30K after this one.

The way mine looked at 47K miles the previous owner mustve been specially operating.

This, this and this.
I had the predecessor to this car, a 2000 Taurus.
I put 30-35K a year on it. I put 275K on it, on the original transmission.
The day I sold it, it shifted like brand new.
The transmission on that car had a "Reputation" also.
The key to the longevity in my case: I changed the fluid/filter yearly.
 
my 2016 fusion has been great. its very simple to do a drain and fill during an oil change, it has a drain plug. I drain and fill every other oil change and use maxlife which is very affordable at walmart.
 
my experience with tranny fluids in general is they are misunderstood. i worked with a guy, master ase certified, specializing in transmissions, he could build them blind folded, maxlife was his go too fluid. now we are facing synthetic fluids and big dollars. every manufacturer has their own spec fluids, but in reality , ALL , synthetics are similar. transmissions are complex, because of the engineering required. stick shift easy, but the fine passage ways and valve bodies, solenoids , etc etc etc. heck i almost bought a bmw with 8 speed tranny and hot turbo engine
 
This, this and this.
I had the predecessor to this car, a 2000 Taurus.
I put 30-35K a year on it. I put 275K on it, on the original transmission.
The day I sold it, it shifted like brand new.
The transmission on that car had a "Reputation" also.
The key to the longevity in my case: I changed the fluid/filter yearly.
Yup, my 08 Escape v6 with the "terrible" CD4E transmission is happily living with my coworkers daughter who drives it from SF to LA and back all the time. It had a bit over 200K when I sold it to her. It does have very light torque converter shudder but the fluid hasn't been changed in a looooooong time. But according to the Carfax it's been changed at least twice by the previous owner.
 
Yup, my 08 Escape v6 with the "terrible" CD4E transmission is happily living with my coworkers daughter who drives it from SF to LA and back all the time. It had a bit over 200K when I sold it to her. It does have very light torque converter shudder but the fluid hasn't been changed in a looooooong time. But according to the Carfax it's been changed at least twice by the previous owner.

The key to the Fusion is that the platform has been around long enough that the weaknesses of the vehicle are well known.
When I bought my Taurus new, it was the same deal.
I did my homework and found out what those weaknesses were, and tailored my maintenance regimen to deal with the weaknesses.
In my case, due to the shifting characteristics of the transmission of the car, it tended to be hard of the fluid.
Solution: keep fresh fluid in it.
It worked. There are advantages to platforms like the Fusion that receive extensive fleet use: the problems and solutions are generally well known.
 
reports of hard shifting
They are known to have an 'odd' shift between 2nd and 3rd but if you put the transmission in "S" (Sport) mode, it doesn't occur. I may be wrong, but that leads me to believe it's not a mechanical shift issue, but an electronic shift point issue.
 
They are known to have an 'odd' shift between 2nd and 3rd but if you put the transmission in "S" (Sport) mode, it doesn't occur. I may be wrong, but that leads me to believe it's not a mechanical shift issue, but an electronic shift point issue.
That has been my experience. I drive in Sport mode 100% of the time now.
 
Had an AWD escape turbo and did a lot of towing, and drove if hard.

It was a company car, nothing was done to it for the 100,000+ miles I drove it.

Had a 2016 fusion company car and had no problems with it either.

Two other Fusions were hybrids, so different transmission, no problems with those either.
 
We checked out the 2017 Fusion SE today. The front end was littered with clear coat damage from bugs being baked on. We did test drive it and while it drove well we couldn’t get over the front end paint damage, as well as wheel damage (two of the wheels were curbed). The salesman was shocked that we would drive 2 hours to see the car and walk away because of some bug marks. He showed us a used Fusion hybrid but it was no better.
Long story short, we checked out the VW dealer in that area and ended up walking out with a brand new Jetta S in silk blue! I got $3000 off MSRP and they gave us a fair trade in on our 2014. Pics and more details will follow tomorrow.
 
They are known to have an 'odd' shift between 2nd and 3rd but if you put the transmission in "S" (Sport) mode, it doesn't occur. I may be wrong, but that leads me to believe it's not a mechanical shift issue, but an electronic shift point issue.
That has been my experience. I drive in Sport mode 100% of the time now.

2.0L Escape Titanium FWD 105k miles
Bought used at 90k miles and did 2 D&F shortly after purchasing.
Drain and fill every year or 30k using Valvoline Maxlife ATF.

My driving experience is the same. It's something like, if I let it shift closer to 2k rpm, the 2-3 shift will be firm. If I encourage the 2-3 shift to be around 3k or higher, the shift is soft and identical to the other gear changes--outright forgettable/unnoticeable/unremarkable. I'm pretty convinced it's programming related.
 
Well at least it's not a DCT like they used in the Focus and Fiesta :ROFLMAO:

What's wrong with a 2013-15 Accord? They are just as good as the 16-17 models.
Do you like the Camry? Can't go wrong with Toyota

A non-turbo Malibu should suit your needs and be easier to find than the Accord. There is also the Regal
 
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