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
2,616 reports, newest first.
Steering, Jan 17, 2022
My electric power steering locks so i was not allowed to drive it
Steering, Jan 7, 2022
The contact's son owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH, the steering wheel inadvertently lost power steering. The power steering warning light and the steering assist warning light illuminated. The contact's son was able to continue to drive the vehicle to his residence by manually steering the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the steering rack and pinion had failed. The dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle would be repaired at his own expense because the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
Steering, Jan 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering assist. The contact was able to manually drive the vehicle back to her residence. The contact was informed by an independent mechanic of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall or covered under warranty. The contact requested that the mechanic repair the vehicle at her expense even though she believed that she should not be responsible for the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 69,099.
Steering, Jan 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the "service power steering” and "service StabiliTrak,'' warning messages appeared on the instrument panel. The contact stated that excessive force was needed to steer the vehicle due to the failure. He had initially taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who informed him of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) which he linked to the failure; he was then referred to a dealer for assistance. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed him that his vehicle was not included in the recall. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
Steering, Jan 6, 2022
(1) On 12/15/21, the Power Steering Assist Fault light on my 2012 Ford Fusion went on. (2) I was unable to schedule a repair until 1/3/22, because of the two-week Christmas and New Year's holidays. (3) On 1/3/22, I took the car to my dealer, Germaine Ford in Columbus, Ohio, for repair. (4) The dealer informed me that the steering column had failed, and I need to replace it at a cost of approx. $3,000. (5) I asked about warranty and recall. The dealer told me Ford's extended warranty for steering column failure had expired two weeks earlier, on 12/17/21. The warranty for steering column failure on my car lasted from 12/17/11 - 12/17/21. (6) The steering failure occurred while my car was still under warranty (12/15/21), but two weeks prior to my taking the car to the dealer for repair--the earliest appointment I could get. (7) I called Ford Motors customer service to ask for a warranty extension or financial consideration, given that: (a) the steering failure occurred during the two-week Christmas/New Year holiday period, while my warranty still was in effect; (b) my steering warranty had expired just two weeks prior to my dealer visit; (c) my repair cost was approx. $3,000; and (d) steering failures on 2012 Ford Fusions are well documented and have resulted in injuries and deaths. (8) Ford denied my request for a further extension on my steering warranty, in spite of the fact that steering failures on 2012 Ford Fusions are well documented and have resulted in injuries and deaths. (9) I asked Ford Customer Service what the appeal process is. I was told my only option was to report the steering column failure and warranty lapse to NHTSA. (10) Given that my car was under warranty when the Power Steering Assist light went on & given that steering failures on 2012 Ford Fusions are well documented and have resulted in injuries and deaths, I feel Ford should extend my warranty and cover my $3,000 cost of repair. (11) Any help NHTSA can provide is much appreciated.
Seats, Engine, Jan 3, 2022
My car has a very hard time shifting when I go to take off, I have not been in a wreck because of it yet but when it does shift it shifts very hard I’m afraid to even pull onto a busy road I’m worried one day it will just not shift and I’ll cause a crash.
Steering, Dec 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the son was driving approximately 40 MPH, the power steering assists suddenly failed to cause the steering wheel to become difficult to turn in either direction. The power steering and traction control warning lights were illuminated. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 120,000.
Steering, Dec 27, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the "Steering Assist Fault" warning message was displayed and the steering wheel locked up. The contact was able to pull over and restart the vehicle. The dealer was made aware of the failure and scheduled an upcoming appointment for diagnostic testing. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle had previously been serviced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.
Steering, Dec 23, 2021
The electric power steering suddenly stopped working while my child was driving causing her to almost crash. I had to drive the car home and it is almost impossible for me to turn the wheel at 200lbs - there is no chance that she could steer the car like this and it just suddenly stopped working while driving with no warning. It is scheduled to go to the dealership to be looked at but I am told even though 2012 Ford Fusions are being recalled for this exact issue - hers is not part of the recall? No warning prior to it being disabled - once disabled yes, it tells you it’s not working. I have driven plenty of cars with no power steering and they are drivable - this requires your full body weight to force the car to turn and at 120lbs - you just don’t weigh enough to turn the car or stop it safely. I am thankful she was not on the Highway because that could have ended VERY badly.
Steering, Dec 17, 2021
I was driving in North Miami Beach, Florida when I suddenly felt something change in the car. At the same time, I noticed a warning light turned on. I decided to stop to see what was going on. At the time is when I noticed the steering wheel went stiff. Invoked up what the warning light meant and it was for the power steering. I took the car in to the mechanic to change the rack and pinion. This fixed the problem, but six months later the problem was back. From then on the steering wheel is stiff. It is dangerous to drive this way so I took it to Ford to get fixed, but I was quoted $2,500 with only a 2 year warranty. I have read online from other Ford Fusion drivers the issue usually reoccurs even when fixed. There is a recall for my model vehicle for power steering, but Ford told me my particular VIN does not fall under the recall even though it fits the model and year description of the recall.
Steering, Dec 17, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 15-20 MPH, the steering wheel was inadvertently locked. The warning message "Power Steering Assist Fault" illuminated. The contact stated that as she turned off and restarted the vehicle, the steering wheel became easier to steer; however, the steering wheel locked 10 minutes later while driving. The contact was able to pull to the nearest parking lot and park the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the nearest dealer who diagnosed that the power steering control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they could not assist because NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (STEERING) had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000.
Steering, Dec 17, 2021
2012 FORD FUSION. CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING THERE WAS A SUDDEN LOST OF STEERING.
Air bags, Dec 13, 2021
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was made aware of the issue however, the contact was informed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Steering, Dec 13, 2021
On Sunday, December 12, I dot in my car and noticed the power steering assist fault light was on. I proceeded to drive and was struggling to turn the steering wheel. This is a very dangerous situation. I drive to work many miles as well as drive my daughter to school every day. This is a clear danger to my family and I as well as the community.
Steering, Dec 10, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon the start of her vehicle, the power steering assist fault warning light appeared on the instrument panel. The contact then called a dealer and was informed of NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was then referred to the manufacturer who then referred her to NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 172,000.
Other or unspecified, Dec 6, 2021
Started the vehicle, immediately received a prompt informing me that the power steering needed to be serviced. The steering wheel is completely stiff, rendering the vehicle inoperable. According to NHSTA, there was a recall issued for this issue however my VIN number does not fall under the recall. Initial estimates range from 1500, to 2000. It is a known issue for 2012 ford fusions, yet my vehicle does not qualify for the recall. Which seems very unreasonable.
Other or unspecified, Dec 6, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the power steering assist failed, and the steering wheel was difficult to maneuver. The contact pulled over and parked the vehicle in a parking lot where it remained. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) had expired for the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 194,790.
Steering, Dec 3, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while making a left turn, the vehicle inadvertently lost power steering. The warning message "Power Steering System Default" illuminated. The contact stated she was able to continue to drive the vehicle with manual steering. The dealer was notified of the failure. The contact was awaiting a call back from the dealer. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.
Steering, Dec 1, 2021
The power steering assist failed while driving on freeway. Steering all but locked up. Power assist failure code presented itself beforehand, pretty much from the week I purchased it, and the owner's manual instructed to pull off road, turn off engine and restart to stop code (??), which always worked, until 2 weeks ago. It was a very scary and unsafe situation when it failed while driving. After research I found out Ford used shoddy and faulty parts for the power steering modules. I never received any correspondence from Ford or NHTSA for my vehicle, yet when I called a Ford dealer they said my car was affected and could be fixed if under 150,000, which it is not. But, had I k own this was an issue, I would have had it repaired from the beginning, and not followed what the FORD MANUFACTURER OWNER'S GUIDE SUGGESTED each time. I want my car repaired by Ford and they are refusing stating NHTSA was responsible for recall informing, which again I was not informed.
Other or unspecified, Nov 28, 2021
Electric power steering assist fault. Had power steering one minute and the next minute it is extremely difficult to steer. Called Ford and told them the issue. They said that the recall for this had been done already. They downloaded new programming, but never changed the part. Then they put an extended manufacturer warranty to 150,000 miles. Incident happened just over the extended warranty period and have done research on many complaints about the same issue. Ford refuses to do anything about it and repair costs are over $2,000.00. This is extremely dangerous and may cause serious injury or even death at higher speeds. Luckily no one was hurt this time.
Other or unspecified, Nov 27, 2021
Power Steering Assist Fault. When attempting to operate vehicle, it would not allow for steering. This put my entire family at risk for accident.
Structure, Nov 26, 2021
Door handle open mechanism failed (of driver side door) thus causing a safety issue because you cannot exit the vehicle when inside, except by rolling down the window. This issue has been reported by several other owners.
Other or unspecified, Nov 26, 2021
The powersteering fault was never taken care of when we went to get it fixed at the dealership. We had taken it in because it was a recall error and because the fault "didn't show up" when they were trying to fix it they said that they couldn't do anything about it and returned the car to us in less than one day which the work that was actually required would have taken longer to do. We didn't know what to do or how else to complain but now the vehicle is permanently stuck with this error and wont budge.
Steering, Nov 23, 2021
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Focus. The contact stated that upon the start of the vehicle, the power steering assist failed to operate without warning. The contact had initially taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where he was informed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The mechanic also informed him that since the power steering was electric, the vehicle had to be serviced and programed by an authorized dealer. The contact then took the vehicle to a dealer and it was confirmed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. He was provided an estimate for the repair but was declined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided the contact a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Other or unspecified, Nov 20, 2021
2012 Ford Fusion SE 4cyl 81,782 miles Power Steering Rack failure - Hazardous situation without previous system degradation, warning or indication. Loss of steering control, not able to steer, steering wheel would not turn without using great force. After engine stop and restart, the dash lamps were illuminated: Fault Lamp = Service Power Steering Now Fault Lamp = Service Advancetrac System Problem happened during a vacation road trip in the mountains of Kentucky. The vacation was interrupted. The car towed to Greenwood Ford dealership in Bowling Green KY. Fault not covered under recall or warranty. Steering rack replaced at a cost of $3200. Ouch. will it happen again? Dealer could not return failed parts to me without additional $1500 core charge paid by me. We also paid towing and rental car costs. The same failure is happening to many 2012 Ford Fusions.