2012 Ford Fusion
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Steering is the leading concern among 2,616 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 3rd highest complaint count among 15 Fusion model years with reports.
Of the 2012 reports, 111 involved a crash and 9 involved a fire. 66 people were injured and 3 people died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Air bags, frontal, driver side, inflator moduleMar 10, 2021
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.
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S12.
Campaign 21V158000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontalFeb 16, 2021
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as a replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.
Campaign 21V081000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator moduleFeb 16, 2021
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain air bag inflator and/or module replacement service parts that may have been used as part of a collision repair. The parts include certain driver-side air bag inflators and/or modules, designed to fit 2005-2014 Ford Mustang and Mustang GT500. It also includes certain passenger-side air bag inflators and/or modules designed to fit 2005-2014 Ford Mustang, 2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion, 2010-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2011 Ford Ranger, and 2007-2010 Lincoln MKX vehicles. Please see Ford's recall report for the specific part numbers. These parts may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Ford will notify dealers that purchased the affected parts, and dealers will provide replacement parts to purchasers, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.
Campaign 21E013000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator moduleDo not drive until repairedJan 7, 2019
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of 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, Ford is recalling certain 2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles and 2011-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of 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." Ford is also recalling certain 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2010-2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, and 2010-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall 19S01.
Campaign 19V001000 on NHTSA.gov
Air bags, frontal, passenger side, inflator moduleDo not drive until repairedJan 10, 2017
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.
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began mailing March 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.
Campaign 17V024000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, electric power assist systemJun 2, 2015
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.
If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18.
Campaign 15V340000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: service brakes
130 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Sep 11, 2026
While driving my 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid (VIN: [XXX]), the braking system suddenly failed. When applying the brake pedal, there was completely zero brake resistance, and the vehicle failed to engage proper braking power, creating an extremely hazardous driving condition. The vehicle was inspected by a certified Ford dealership (Lithia), which officially documented that the vehicle is "UNSAFE TO DRIVE due to having no brake resistance." The diagnostics confirmed that the ABS Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU), the ABS module, and the Brake Master Cylinder have failed and require total replacement. The dealership also noted that the necessary braking parts are currently completely unavailable (backordered/no parts available). This is the exact same safety defect covered under Ford's previous Safety Recall 19S54 (NHTSA Campaign 19V904) for older Fusion models. However, the recall was never expanded to include the 2012 models, despite them using the same problematic braking infrastructure and experiencing identical catastrophic failures. NHTSA needs to investigate and force Ford to expand the recall to 2011-2012 models before this braking defect causes fatal accidents. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Aug 6, 2026
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was soft and spongy. The brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard before the vehicle stopped. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the failure was not duplicated. The contact was informed that an inspection was completed, and the brake pads and rotors were in good working order. The contact stated that the failure had occurred two months after the brake pads and rotors were replaced by an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.
Service brakes, Jul 1, 2026
My car does not always respond when the brakes are tapped. They are soft/squishy at times and I have to push the pedal all the way to the floor for the car to stop. This issue has been occuring off & on for approximately 3 years though it's been more frequent since June of 2026. I have never seen any warning or failure light/notification any of the times this has happened. The issue was determined to be a faulty master cylinder by the service department at Colley Ford in Glendora, CA.
Service brakes, Jun 24, 2026
Brake system. Pedal is soft and braking force to stop is reduced. Yes, at first they thought it was the brake booster, and know thinking it is the master cylinder, now they aren't even sure what it might be. Ford dealership techs. No, pedal was "squishy" when braking
Service brakes, Jun 3, 2025, crash
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that his wife was involved in a crash noting that while stopped at a traffic light upon traffic beginning to move forward, the contacts wife took her foot off of the brake pedal slightly however the vehicle continued to lurch forward and in the process bumped into the vehicle in front of her with the entire front end of their vehicle. No property damage was reported. The vehicles came to a stop upon impact. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer. No warning lights were illuminated however the following message was displayed on the instrument panel that read "Brake Failure". A Police report was not filed. The vehicle was not destroyed. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was advised that the Anti Lock Braking System Module was faulty and would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 134,021.
Steering, Service brakes, Apr 18, 2025
Unknown, my son in law came inside one day and said that the steering wasn't working I didn't realize at the time it didn't have a fluid port. So I wasn't sure how to get it done but then the power was being lost also from the engine. I called to see if it had any recalls but it doesn't supposedly but then why is it that other fusions same year have the issue and it was recalled or is mine just to late to be taken advantage of? I am unable to drive it and the dealership I bought it from didn't offer an extended warranty so it has been sitting on the side of my house because it is unsafe to drive. Please help me.... thank you. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Dec 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the brakes failed to engage. The contact stated that the parking brake was used to slow and stop the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake master cylinder needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 137,221.
Steering, Electrical system, Service brakes, Dec 22, 2024
I was going down the road around 50 mph and advancetrac lights came on , service power steering now . Showed up on dash . Couldn't steer vehicle almost crashed
Steering, Electrical system, Service brakes, Dec 20, 2024
I was driving down the road around 50 mph and the steering wheel locked up on me and has not let goes in any electrical in the car keeps glitching radio the dash light
Service brakes, Oct 9, 2024
When coming to a stop the brake pedal went straight to the floor. No warnings were lamps were present. A mechanic checked the brake lines, master cylinder, and calipers and was not able to reproduce the issue. The mechanic deduced that the likely culprit was a faulty ABS control module. Had I been on the interstate or even had another vehicle infront of me, this would have been absolutely disastrous. This seems related to the recall for the older model fusions. This needs to be looked at.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Sep 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to slow the vehicle, the brake pedal briefly became squishy. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard and required increased effort to bring the vehicle to a complete stop. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed failures with the hydraulic control unit and anti-lock braking system. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
Service brakes, Sep 13, 2024
The abs control module failed at 59,000 miles. It's difficult driving on wet rainy roads with no ABS System, it's a Hughe safety risk especially on wet roads. The month of August was really rainy and it was extremely stressful driving. I have been looking for a repair but several auto repair shops including FORD can't get the part.
Service brakes, Sep 4, 2024
I noticed a couple of months ago my brakes where acting weird one minute they were fine and then sometimes the pedal would go to the floor and one day I was behind someone who had stopped suddenly and I hit my brakes fast and they went to the floor, for me not to hit the person in front of me I had to run off the road I was doing 30 mph and nobody was hurt but if I didn't have the options to run off the side of the road I would have rear-ended the other car and would have put me and the other people in a dangerous situation now my brakes go to the floor all the time I had it checked and every time I hit the brakes while in park they hear air coming from the ABS module which needs to be replaced is what I was told there was never no warning light that came on and never have come on before, this incident would have been much more dangerous if I was on interstate doing 70 + and I could have not stopped I've learned that the same problem has a recall on the 2006 - 2010 Ford fusion and all the reviews I've read the same problem is happening for the 2012 Ford fusion also so why hasn't it been put on the recall list because this puts people's life's in danger and it is a very hazardous safety issue
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Aug 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal felt spongy and required to be pushed down to the floorboard to stop the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while responding, extending the braking distance. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact state that the failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, but the failure could not be replicated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring more increasingly. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the HCU had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Service brakes, Jul 7, 2024, crash
Intermittent loss of brakes, with pedal going to the floor. Couldn't stop when a deer ran out in front of me!! Entire brake system looks good. Is there a recall??
Service brakes, Jul 7, 2024
I started slowing down because a car in front of me was turning left. My brake pedal went to floor with no pressure whatsoever. Thankfully the car turned before I hit them. I lived 2 blocks away and was able to coast into my drive. Brake pads are good, master cylinder is good, calipers good, and no fluid leaking. There has to be a recall for this because it is very dangerous!!!
Service brakes, Jul 7, 2024
After I went over a set of railroad tracks, my brake pedal went to the floor while driving. I was able to stop but it scared me so bad because I almost wrecked! After stopping, I pumped brake pedal a few times and then it worked fine. I have newer pads, rotors, and calipers. Brake fluid was still full, and no leaking. Master cylinder is good. No idea what the problem is but I have seen online that this happens to a lot of 2012 Ford Fusions.
Service brakes, Dec 26, 2023
While my Student Driver 15 year old son was practicing for his driving test, the Brakes went out. The dash was lit up like a Christmas Tree, and when the Brake pedal was depressed, it touched the floor. The car did slow down briefly, then there was no friction what so ever from the brakes. My son, and wife could have ended up in a horrible accident, as the only way to stop the car was by allowing the car to roll to a complete stop. This is actually a know issue for Ford Fusions from 2006-2010. I brought this car to a dealership, and they diagnosed it as the ABS ABS Hydraulic Control Unit. They have already completed the repairs. One of the comments that was made is that if it had been a 2006-2010, it would have been replaced under recall. After the Brakes went out the Service Advance Trac light, and Check Brake system shown on my Dash Light. This is a very dangerous issues especially since I live in a heavily populated college town. My family, and/or another innocent bystander could have been extremely injured or even killed. I feel like Ford knows about this problem, and should be responsible to replace it.
Vehicle speed control, Service brakes, Engine, May 21, 2023
Their is a recall for Ford Abs Module yet their needs to be one for 2012 Ford Fusions Se as well I have paid over 3200 dollars for my brakes alone . I have had 2 near misses and was in an unreported incident today from power loss on my breaks . Very unsafe for me and those around
Service brakes, May 19, 2023
My braking has not been correct. The brake pedal goes, almost to the floor, unless I pump the pedal. It has put me in scary situations when I have to hit the pedal hard. When I hit the pedal hard, it starts to stop, then goes down to the floor. The pedal is very spongy most of the time, with little reaction when you put your foot on it. At a higher rate of speed, you cannot slow down fast. Advise me my next course of action please
Electrical system, Service brakes, Apr 30, 2023
Brakes failed while driving. Finally stopped after multiple attempts after pressing brakes to the floor. ABS, advancetrac, and ABS lights came up on dash while this was occurring (not prior). Dealer reproduced /confirmed concern. ABS module fix of $2750. Luckily I was driving slowly and no other cars, people, or animals were in the vicinity; otherwise, this could have resulted in injury/deaths.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Mar 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH in a parking lot, the vehicle went over a traffic speed bump, the brake pedal was depressed she felt soft. The brake pedal had to be depressed to the floorboard to stop the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the brake failure had become constant. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the brake booster assembly, master cylinder, and vehicle suspension arms in the front wheels needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the brake failure recurred. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V904000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The failure mileage was approximately 72,000. The contact stated that repairs have been made but something is still wrong with the vehicle.
Steering, Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Feb 6, 2023, crash
The braking system failed. Yes it’s available upon request for inspection. The safety of myself and others were put at risk because it caused me to hit something in front of me. I stepped on the brakes and the pedal went straight to the floor. This has happened multiple times it is putting my safety as well as my children’s safety at risk. When I step on the brake pedal there is nothing goes to the floor till I pump the pedal. Initial Lu when hitting the pedal it jerks the steering wheel out of my hand to the right every time. It’s not only putting my children’s, and my self in harms way but any other driver that might be even near me while driving considering it takes the steering wheel out of my hand uncontrollably.
Service brakes, Jan 29, 2023
Brake system failed while driving. Brake pedal went to the floor and lost all brake assistance. After diagnostics, it was determined to be the ABS control module and hydraulic module. This same model was subject to a recall that ended in 2010 MY however the same issues are persisting into the 2012 MY.
Service brakes, Jan 27, 2023
Brake pedal intermittantly sinks to floor; vehicle will stop but braking distance is substantially increased. No brake warning light comes on. Vehicle brought to dealer in November 2022 but dealer could not reproduce issue. Problem re-occured in January 2023; vehicle was towed to dealer. Again, dealer could not reproduce issue because it is very intermittant. At my insistance, and as a customer-pay repair, dealer replaced ABS HCU (hydraulic control unit) and ABS electronic control module. Note that there is a recall on older Fusion models for HCU failure but not 2012 model.