Sign inCreate free garage
Research · Midsize Cars

2006 Ford FusionRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 730 owner complaints for the 2006 Ford Fusion. Most complaints involve air bags (319) and power train (150). The EPA rates it 21–24 mpg combined.

Check a VINAdd to my garage
Combined MPG
21–24mpg
EPA · 3 versions
NHTSA overall
—
Not rated by NCAP
Safety recalls
5campaigns
Latest Mar 2021
Owner complaints
730
Top: air bags
Fuel cost / yr
$2,700est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

5 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Air bags: inflator module

Park It: do not driveRemedy pending

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.

Air bagsReported Jan 10, 2017NHTSA 17V024000

Air bags: inflator module

Park It: do not driveRemedy pending

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.

Air bagsReported May 31, 2016NHTSA 16V384000

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

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.

Air bagsReported Mar 10, 2021NHTSA 21V158000
See all 5 recalls with remedies
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 4, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

730 complaints filed with NHTSA · Jan 2006 – Jul 2026
  1. Air bags319
  2. Power train150
  3. Structure74
  4. Electrical system71
  5. Engine47
  6. Latches/locks/linkages37
  7. Vehicle speed control28
  8. Service brakes27
  9. Exterior lighting21

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

By model year

Complaints for each Fusion model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
2006730
20071,064
20081,353
20091,023
20105,129
20112,795
20122,617
20131,957
20141,433
20151,066
20161,737
20171,114
2018444
2019378
2020185
Crashes reported
38
Fires reported
4
Injuries reported
33
Deaths reported
0
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 4, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Air bags

319 reports25 crashes
“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.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 21, 2026Air bagsODI 11751757

Power train

150 reports2 crashes1 fire
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD FUSION. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION ENGAGED INTO FOURTH GEAR, OVERDRIVE, AND THEN DOWNSHIFTED WITHOUT WARNING. THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, BUT MANAGED TO MOVE THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO A TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION GEAR FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE DEALER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,547.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 29, 2019Power trainODI 11240447

Structure

74 reports3 crashes
“I HAVE ALREADY CONTACTED NHTSA, REFERENCE # 11119887, I EXPLAINED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS SOLD TO ME ON JANUARY 21, 2017 BY AL PIEMONTE FORD DEALERSHIP IN ILLINOIS. I HAD NO KNOWLEDGE THAT THE VEHICLE ALREADY HAD AN AIRBAG RECALL ON IT AND THEY SOLD IT TO ME WITHOUT DISCLOSING THIS INFORMATION. THEY LATER SENT ME MY FIRST RECALL NOTICE IN THE MAIL 16S26 / NHTSA RECALL 16V-384 WE WERE INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT AND THE AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WHEN I WENT TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER, WHERE I WAS TOLD TO GO, THE FORD DEALERSHIP INFORMED US THAT THE RECALL WAS ONLY FOR THE PASSENGER SIDE NOT FOR THE DRIVER SIDE AIRBAG. I SHOWED THEM PROOF OF OUR ACCIDENT INCLUDING PICTURES FROM THE INSURANCE SHOWING THE FORD DEALER THAT NEITHER OF THE AIRBAGS DEPLOYED DURING THE ACCIDENT. WE PROVIDED PROOF AND PAPERWORK TO THE FORD DEALER. THEY ONLY REPLACED ONE AIRBAG FOR FREE AND FORCED US TO PAY $536.41 OUT OF POCKET. THIS IS OUR ONLY VEHICLE AND WE HAVE A SMALL CHILD. THEY TOLD US THE FACT THAT THE DRIVER SIDE DID NOT DEPLOY DURING THE CAR ACCIDENT IS NOT THERE PROBLEM AND THERE IS NOTHING THAT THEY COULD DO; SO WE HAD NO OTHER CHOICE, WE WE'RE FORCED TO HAVE BOTH AIRBAGS REPLACED. I…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 23, 2019Air bags, StructureCrash reportedODI 11209510
All 2006 Fusion problemsSend a problem to a mechanic on findmechanic.ai
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 4, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

3 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Midsize Cars
Engines
2.3L 4-cyl · 3.0L 6-cyl
Transmissions
Automatic 5-spd · Manual 5-spd · Automatic 6-spd
Drive
Front-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 4, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
Fusion
Auto 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.3 L · Front-Wheel Drive
212924$2,700370
Fusion
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.3 L · Front-Wheel Drive
202823$2,800386
Fusion
Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.0 L · Front-Wheel Drive
182721$3,050423
  • Fusion
    Auto 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.3 L
    21 city · 29 hwy · $2,700/yr
    24
    mpg comb.
  • Fusion
    Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.3 L
    20 city · 28 hwy · $2,800/yr
    23
    mpg comb.
  • Fusion
    Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.0 L
    18 city · 27 hwy · $3,050/yr
    21
    mpg comb.
Estimate your fuel costCost of ownership
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 4, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

2 tested variants
NHTSA has not published 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2006 Ford Fusion as of Nov 4, 2026.
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Nov 4, 2026Vehicle 1987Vehicle 1888
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2006 Fusion questions

How many recalls does the 2006 Ford Fusion have?

5 safety recalls as of Nov 4, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 2006 Ford Fusion problems?

Owners filed 730 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are air bags (319), power train (150), structure (74). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2006 Ford Fusion get?

The EPA rates the 2006 Ford Fusion at 21–24 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (3 versions rated).

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Nov 4, 2026