2017 Ford Fusion
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 1,110 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 8th highest complaint count among 15 Fusion model years with reports.
Of the 2017 reports, 37 involved a crash and 8 involved a fire. 30 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Service brakes, hydraulic, foundation components, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsMar 10, 2023
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.
A brake fluid leak will increase brake pedal travel and extend the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S12.
Campaign 23V162000 on NHTSA.gov
Steering, steering wheel/handle barMar 12, 2018
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion vehicles. The steering wheel retaining bolt may loosen allowing the steering wheel to detach while driving.
A steering wheel detachment can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel bolt with a longer bolt, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S08.
Campaign 18V167000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, torque converterJul 6, 2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Edge and Fusion vehicles. On vehicles with 2.0L gas engines and six-speed automatic transmissions, the torque converter weld studs may have been inadequately welded.
If the torque converter weld studs fail, the torque converter will not be connected to the engine flexplate and the vehicle will lose the ability to move, increasing the risk of a crash.
Ford or Lincoln will notify owners, and dealers will replace the torque converters, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S16.
Campaign 17V427000 on NHTSA.gov
Seats, mid/rear assemblyDec 5, 2016
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured September 27, 2016, to September 28, 2016. The left rear seat backs pivot pins may have been improperly welded.
During a crash, the improper welds may fail, allowing any stowed luggage to move into the passenger compartment, increasing the risk of injury.
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left hand, second row seat back frame, free of charge. The recall began January 10, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S43.
Campaign 16V874000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
498 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Jul 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the turbo was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer that stated that the engine was misfiring, and that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and advised that the vehicle was not under warranty. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 108,000.
Engine, Jul 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, a huge white smoke exited the exhaust pipe, and the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with catastrophic engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,100.
Engine, Jul 3, 2023
The engine over heats out of nowhere. We took it to a Ford dealer, our car has 68,000 miles on it and we are being told we need a full engine replacement at a cost of $9,000. There was a technical service bulletin put out 12/10/2019. Ford is aware of this issue on two models for a few years. No compensation or recalls are being offered.
Engine, Jul 3, 2023
Coolant leak into the engine between cylinder sleeve and cylinder wall there is a gap
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 2, 2023
Car dies and fuel tank honks all the time even while putting gas in it won’t start or will die it happens at red lights all the time I have a hard time grit to start back up it’s very dangerous
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jun 29, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine misfired, causing the vehicle to jerk while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact also stated that white colored smoke was coming from the exhaust pipe with the check engine light illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic who discovered that coolant had leaked into the engine block. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer who confirmed the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was informed that the warranty had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
Engine, Jun 27, 2023
I purchased a Ford “Reclaim” from a dealership that said the vehicle was in good working order and that Ford had fixed all prior issues and I was ensured by the dealer that Ford can not put an “unsafe” reclaim back out on the market. After starting to have issues with the vehicle myself (at approx 50k miles). I located the previous warranty claims on the vehicle. At 33k miles the previous owner had the short block engine repaired in 2020 due to coolant leaking into cylinder 3. In October of 2022 I took the 2017 Ford Fusion 1.5L into a independent shop with concerns that it was blowing white smoke out of the tailpipe. A chemical test was ran and “no indication of a blown head gasket”. I was advised to take it to the dealer. I did, they were unable to run diagnostic at that time but put a mark on the coolant reservoir. In May 2023 the car was still blowing white smoke from tailpipe on start up, I had lost approx 2” of coolant from reservoir and oil was reading overfilled but no milkiness. I took it back to dealer who did diagnostic and coolant was once again leaking into a cylinder; they said repair was possibly covered under a ford CSP program as long as I was under 84k miles. I was at 80150. They are replacing the short block (for the second time) under the CSP, however this should be an investigation or even a full recall as so many people have reported this issue and fords “all access” to this CSP only lasted 4 months, and now has a mileage cap. This 2017 Fusion has needed two engines block replacements in less than 84k miles. I am fortunate I did not sustain an accident or injuries due to engine failure.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jun 26, 2023
The contact's partner owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while his partner was driving 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the temperature gauge started rising. The driver stated the vehicle started to vibrate and lost motive power while attempting to accelerate. The driver continued driving to the residence. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed the engine short block needed to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Engine, Jun 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling, the vehicle shuddered. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinder and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 60,000.
Engine, Jun 8, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine misfired and the vehicle decelerated. The contact then stated that the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that coolant had leaked into the cylinder and cylinder #4 misfired. The contact was informed that the short block and head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Engine, May 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that coolant was leaking into the engine and that the vehicle was previously repaired under Customer Satisfaction Program: 19B37. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that the vehicle was not under recall and advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 108,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, May 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the ABS warning light illuminated intermittently and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact there was a failure with the serpentine belt. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine and engine cooling, May 16, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Escape. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35-45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that there was internal engine failure. Additionally, antifreeze was leaking into the spark plugs and the engine was overheating. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000. The VIN was not available.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Engine, May 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed, and the brake pedal was spongy. The brake pedal went to the floorboard. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Power train, Service brakes, Engine, Apr 26, 2023
The shifting was not working when making the selected gear and it was driving in an unintended direction when it was selected reversed. The car was driving forward when the operation selects was in reversed. The car was accelerated by itself when I was driving the car and the dashboard did not gave me any warning light that something in the car need attention.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Apr 26, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, with a message that the #2 cylinder was misfiring. Additionally, there was white smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking and vibrating, and the coolant level was low. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that there was water and coolant in cylinder #2, causing severe damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 86,000.
Power train, Service brakes, Engine, Apr 26, 2023
The shifting was not working when making the selected gear and it was driving in an unintended direction when it was selected reversed. The car was driving forward when the operator selects was in reversed.
Service brakes, Air, Electrical system, Engine, Apr 25, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and required to be jumpstarted. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. The contact stated that the failure mostly occurred while coming to a complete stop. The contact stated that on some occasions, the ABS warning light would illuminate and the ABS would make abnormal sounds prior to the failure; on other occasions, the check engine warning light was illuminated and a message indicating that the vehicle was overheating was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed three times out of the five to a Cadillac dealer and a Ford dealer. The dealers replaced the water pump, the alternator and an unknown part; however, the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would lose electrical power while the battery was fully charged. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) that he related to the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Engine, Apr 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 45-60 MPH, he heard a rattling sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the dealer stated that the flex plate was cracked. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 78,000.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Engine, Apr 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The warning light turned off after refueling the vehicle with fuel. The failure persisted and had gotten worse with the check engine warning light remaining illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic and the fuel pump was replaced. The check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was returned to the certified mechanic who stated that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.
Engine, Apr 13, 2023
Complete engine failure due to a known defect in the 1.5L Ford ecoboost engine in my 217 Ford Fusion. This has left me with a repair that will cost $8,000 to replace the engine for a vehicle with 98,000 miles. No assistance offered from the manufacturer after reaching out.
Engine, Apr 6, 2023
Check engine light came on, ran codes P0302, misfire on cylinder 2. Took to dealer, need to replace motor due to coolant leak in cylinder at cost of $8400 car only has approximately 80,000 miles on it
Service brakes, Engine, Apr 6, 2023
The Ford Fusion suffered a brake and engine failure. Ford mechanics claim it is due to a plastic part in the vacuum pump. This vehicle is completely unsafe and is prone to mechanical failures that snowball into hazardous driving conditions.
Service brakes, Engine, Apr 5, 2023
Brake failure - major near miss accident on Sunday March 26, 2023.
Engine, Apr 4, 2023
Shortly after turning on the car, the check engine light came on, but the car seemed to be running normal. After about 5 minutes, the wrench light came on. When this happened, I was unable to accelerate and the transmission was having difficulty shifting. I pulled over to the side to restart the engine to see if it would reset, and it did not. On the way to the dealership, the situation got worse, in terms of acceleration. After diag optics were run, it was determined the throttle body needs replacing.