We present a detailed comparison of fusion in ${}^{16}\mathrm{O}+{}^{40,48}\mathrm{Ca}$ within a fully microscopic time-dependent Hartree-Fock framework over sub-, near-, and above-barrier energies. While ${}^{16}\mathrm{O}+{}^{40}\mathrm{Ca}$ fusion cross sections are reproduced within the available experimental energy range, calculations for the neutron-rich ${}^{16}\mathrm{O}+{}^{48}\mathrm{Ca}$ system systematically overestimate the measured near-barrier cross sections. The discrepancy persists across the tested energy density functionals, indicating that it is not tied to a particular parametrization. Analysis of the dynamical interaction potentials reveals an outward shift and softening of the barrier region at the lowest collision energies. These results are then compared to a frozen density description where the barrier modifications are absent and the predicted cross sections are brought closer to experiment. This demonstrates that the observed discrepancy is closely linked to dynamical surface rearrangement and isovector effects, and highlights the sensitivity of low-energy fusion to both the structure and dynamics of neutron-rich nuclei. This suggests that limitations in the isovector sector of conventional Skyrme EDFs in describing the structure of ${}^{48}\mathrm{Ca}$, as highlighted by CREX, are also manifested in the fusion dynamics of the ${}^{16}\mathrm{O}+{}^{48}\mathrm{Ca}$ system.

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• Low & intermediate energy heavy-ion reactions
• Models & methods for nuclear reactions
• Nuclear fusion
• Nuclear reactions