2015 Dodge Charger vs 2015 Ford Fusion
Two midsize cars, compared on what actually matters when you're buying used:
what breaks, when it breaks, and what it costs you.
2015 Dodge
Charger
6/10
The Charger is the last true V8 four-door — cheap thrills if you get the Hemi and skip the AWD Pentastar with the ticking rockers.
VS
2015 Ford
Fusion
5/10
Looks like a baby Aston Martin, drives better than a Camry, but the 1.5L and 1.6L EcoBoost engines are literally cracking themselves in half — engine choice is everything.
Milo scores the 2015 Dodge Charger higher — 6/10 against 5/10.
By the numbers
Green is the better number — higher on every score, lower on failures, complaints and recalls.
| Dodge Charger |
Ford Fusion |
| Known failure points | 7 | 7 |
| NHTSA complaints | 135 | 1053 |
| Safety recalls | 8 | 13 |
| Service bulletins | 12 | 12 |
| Reliability | 58 | 48 |
| Cheap to own | 55 | 45 |
| Fun factor | 78 | 62 |
| Holds value | 62 | 38 |
| Enthusiast cred | 70 | 30 |
The most expensive thing that goes wrong
2015 Dodge Charger
5.7 Hemi lifter tick / MDS lifter collapse — cam and lifters if ignored
$2,500–$5,50080k–130k mi
2015 Ford Fusion
1.5L/1.6L EcoBoost coolant intrusion — cracked cylinder head lets coolant into the cylinders, blows the engine (this is THE known killer)
$5,500–$9,00060k–100k mi
If you buy one, buy this one
✅ 2015 Dodge Charger
2015 Charger R/T Road & Track in RWD, 5.7 Hemi with the 8-speed ZF, 3.06 rear, Bilstein suspension, paddle shifters — ideally 70k–90k miles with documented oil changes and the Uconnect recall completed. Bonus points for a manual-cloth SRT-style seat and a color that isn't white or silver.
✅ 2015 Ford Fusion
2015 Fusion SE or Titanium with the 2.5L Duratec (I4, naturally aspirated) — slow but truly reliable; OR a Titanium AWD 2.0L EcoBoost with full service records and documented coolant checks. Look for cloth or leather Titanium with the driver assist package, panoramic roof, and adaptive cruise.
Narrowed it down? Get the full report
This comparison is model-level.
Milo's report goes car-level — the one you're actually looking at:
- A line-by-line negotiation script
- The pre-purchase inspection checklist
- VIN-specific open recalls
- What it's really worth right now
- Your next 15,000 miles, forecast
- Hidden features & money-savers
Run my free report →
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Scores and findings blend documented NHTSA recalls and complaints with
patterns synthesized from owner communities. Always inspect the specific vehicle and
verify open recalls by VIN before buying.