caveman

Not to dig up an older thread but I currently own a 2006 Ford Fusion with a 3.0. It was a car I bought when I was still in college (in 2008 when the car was $13,000 and had 20,000 miles) and even though I have other cars now, it still is my daily driver. I have over 330,000 miles on it now with the original engine and transmission. What I can say is that the car has been phenomenal, but I've also maintained it very well throughout the time that I've had it. Things to check: 1. Is the coolant reservoir full? If not, look at the water pump located on the right hand side of the engine where the short stretch belt is attached to the cam. If you see any sludge, it needs a new water pump. 2. Is there any whining? The alternators and compressors on these vehicles are very stout...I still have the originals in mine. They are starting to go now finally...but they will most likely whine to warn you that they are. 3. Look in the front valve cover...is it still shiny underneath near the valves? If so, then most likely the person who owned it before took good care of it. These vehicles do not do well without regular oil changes for a number of reasons. The first being that the timing gear and the intake phasers rely very heavily on the quality of oil you use. If the oil is never changed, they can sludge up causing problems with the timing tensioners, chain, solenoids and phasers. While I personally would be willing to change the timing chain and phasers on mine if it came down to it, almost any mechanic, even Ford will tell you that it is a terrible job on these vehicles. Most will drop the engine and replace it. 4. Check the fluid condition on the transmission. I've changed my transmission fluid every 40,000 miles with the exact specification (3x3 D&F) for fluid (it's expensive but worth it). The transmission still shifts flawlessly. 5. If one coil goes, change them all along with the plugs. Many have had problems with the PCM and melting coils. Most of those individuals probably did not change the plugs or switch out their coils ever. I did...twice...not because any of them went out but because I knew that it could end up frying the PCM. There are services out there that will repair it but it's still expensive. 6. The engine mounts are a weak spot. There are three that will most likely need to be replaced. The pass side engine mount is easy (although the bolts can get rusted in), the torque strut in the back (I haven't seen a single Fusion/Milan with one intact), and the mount under the battery. A symptom of bad mounts is vibration through the wheel. My car runs as smooth as ever, no vibrations...I've changed each mount though. 7. Any misfire needs to be taken seriously. These vehicles have very expensive exhaust-manifold integrated catalytic converters. They are hard to change with the engine in the vehicle. If you let misfires go on for too long...expect that you'll have to drop the engine to replace the cats. 8. The ball joints are a pain to replace. This is a job for a shop that has the right tools since the front subframe will need to be dropped to get the rear lower control arm removed. Check these first...it's an expensive job. Mine lasted 200K+ before I switched mine out but my suspension was in really rough shape by the time I had them replaced. I did most of it on my own, but the ball joints I sent to a shop. 9. Don't forget to change the coolant with the right stuff (the Zerex yellow, not green, blue, orange, etc) Bottom line is that if the owner took good care of the car, it has a lot of life left in it. My car has had the following replaced: 1. Coils 2. Front valve cover gasket 3. Water pump 4. EGR Valve 5. Starter 6. Power Steering Pump 7. Oil pressure switch 8. Pump and injectors (part of a life extension job). 9. Wear and tear items. #2-8 have all been in the last year and some were done to keep the car running longer (it's still my favorite out of a 19 Outback 3.6, 2016 Accord V6, and 16 Jetta TSI). I still drive it because it's comfortable, smooth and has never left me stranded...but care is important. I don't have any doubt after the last time I hooked up my scantool (almost perfect fuel trims and cat performance) that I've got another 100K on this car. For any others looking for a good car at a bargain, a well maintained Fusion 3.0 V6 is an excellent choice.

Not sure if you ever got this resolved, but there's a torque strut that connects to the chassis behind the engine/trans. The mounts on these cars are insanely bad, but the torque strut is worse. It prevents the motor from moving forward and backward and dampens some of the vibration that naturally occurs with a 60 degree V6. I have a 2006 with 310,000. All three mounts were shot and I honestly thought the car was done for because it was running so rough...it runs like brand new (or at least feels like its brand new) after replacing the two mounts and the torque strut. The torque strut had completely detached from the inside and the motor was free to move back and forth (which also probably pushed components up against my firewall, enhancing the vibration and noise). Also, I'd get this taken care of sooner than later...my engine was probably a week or so from snapping one of the mounts due to their condition and the fact the torque strut wasn't dampening the front/back motion. It's a cheap fix...just go slow with the bolts and work them little by little to free up the corrosion...they will snap.