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, Jan 30, 2026
Coolant intrusion into the engine causing my car to missfire going down the road. Car is sitting in my yard unfit to be driven. Dealership claims it had previously been remedied. The car has only been inspected by my mechanic. No prior warnings before the misfire occurred
Engine, Jan 26, 2026
Engine failed. Lost all compression. Evidently this is a known problem with this engine where the head, head gasket and block fail between cylinders.
Engine, Jan 22, 2026
2017 fusion 1.5 ecoboost.(purchased at 128k) 148k miles- 1 time white smoke at start up no check engine light. All of a sudden while driving started to drive rough. Towed too mechanic, determined cylinder #2 has coolant intrusion. Conducted the TSB. For this defect. All symptoms confirmed for the coolant intrusion. Got Quoted $10k for engine replacement. Vehicle has been parked in driveway since 10/24/25 too expensive too repair for a defective problem from ford.
Engine, Jan 15, 2026
My Ford Fusion has the 1.5L ecoboost engine. This engine has engineering issues that are known to Ford. My vehicle started producing white smoke from the exhaust and sluggish performance. At approximately 105,000 miles my vehicle went into limp mode due to a cracked head gasket. This was due to coolant intruding into the cylinders. Ford did a short block engine replacement and reprogrammed the PCM to try to fix the issue. At approximately 220,000 miles the vehicle started producing the same symptoms described earlier and the vehicle now requires a complete engine replacement. Ford refuses to fix this for me, even though it is well documented that this engine has engineering issues. These engines should last longer than 105,000 miles.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jan 12, 2026
Coolant leaking into cylinder, causing sudden rough driving, engine overheating warnings that don’t match temperature readings and distract driving.
Engine, Dec 25, 2025
Vehicle is experiencing coolant intrusion from a crack in the engine block 3rd cylinder which is a known issue by Ford for my particular vehicle year (2017). Ford has issued a TSB/Recall for model years 2017-2019, I believe this issue should qualify for manufacturer recall as this is known issue.
Engine, Dec 23, 2025
Ford Fusion 1.5L Ecoboost engines are known to have a fault short block that causes coolant intrusion. This defect does not trigger a check engine light, so there is no way for a driver to identify the problem until it's too late. Ford issued a Technical Safety Bulletin informing mechanics of this issue but customers were not given an option to repair it. A Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) was initiated to replace some VIN models short blocks, but not all. Other Ford 1.5L Ecoboost engines are having this issue and were not properly informed or given the option to repair through the CSP and are driving cars that can have total engine failure without proper notification. I have taken my Ford Fusion in for all the safety recalls and was never informed of this issue. I was not part of the CSP that aimed to repair the defect because my VIN did not qualify. However, my Ford Fusion 2017 1.5L Ecoboost engine has this same defect and it wasn't caught until damage had been done to the engine and a costly repair was initiated. No check engine light or warning came from Ford to inform me of this issue. I fortunately started hearing noises and went to check it out before taking a long trip in the snow--which could have had disastrous safety consequences if engine failure occurred. I am not the only one with a ford 1.5L Ecoboost engine that has had this issue. Many people have either not been included in the CSP program or were unable to repair in their narrow CSP plan window. Ford is waiting for enough complaints to identify if the issue is more widespread, despite knowing that it is a design flaw. This should be a total safety recall as their is no way for consumers to take proactive action against this defect without extensive knowledge of the issues with these engines, which Ford is not communicating to its customers.
Engine, Dec 19, 2025
This Fusion has the same coolant leak as described in Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12.
Engine, Nov 13, 2025
Recommended by dealer service CS replace long block assembly Using bore scope found coolant leaking into cylinder referred to tsb22-2229 long block recommended. Cost originally was $7923.77. After service manager was talked to price went to$7016.27. Install to be completed by 11/20/2025. Upset but what can I do. Car has 47183. 2017 Ford Fusion
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 12, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined there was coolant intrusion into several cylinders, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 85,000.
Engine, Nov 10, 2025
Vehicles Engine has been affected due to a know manufacturing flaw with design that caused coolant to leak into the cylinder walls of the engine block causing a rough idle, white smoke out of the exhaust and cylinder 2 misfire.
Power train, Engine, Nov 4, 2025
Technical Safety Bulletin 19-2346; coolant infiltrating cylinder #2. Quoted $8350 for long block repair.
Engine, Nov 1, 2025
I was experiencing engine vibration while driving and lack of power when I pressed gas pedal. I took it to an independent garage first, and then to the dealer. Both told me there was coolant and water in the cylinders, and the dealer told me I needed a total engine replacement consisting of the long block and the head gasket. And it was going to cost me $14,000. my car only has 44,000 miles on it and Ford told me there was nothing they could do about it even though it was a known issue dating back several years.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Oct 11, 2025
2 separate dealerships made me pay to replace faulty tires when the new ones blew out within less than a month of purchase. They also pocketed the mail in rebates I was promised for buying new sets of tires from their locations. I started taking my car to an independent garage for regular maintenance. My traction control light has been on since shortly after I bought the car in 2018 but I never imagined I'd be spending my entire savings on repairs immediately after the useless warranty expired. First it was a cracked flex plate which I'm lucky happened when I was driving on a side road as opposed to the interstate. I was going roughly 55mph when I lost my ability to steer, accelerate, or even cut power to the ignition. My car has been towed 4 times with total cost of almost 10K and it still isn't fixed. I reported everything to Ford they don't stand by anything Ford manufactures. I'll probably be living in this piece of trash soon enough as that savings I just wasted was a down payment for a house
Engine, Oct 9, 2025
Misfire in Cylinder 2 caused by Coolant Leak into the Bore.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Oct 5, 2025
Vehicle purchased used at Simmons & Rockwell on [XXX] Mileage 16,323. Mileage 38,559 First Engine Failure & replaced "NEW" July 2019, *** indications & doc of 2nd engine failure about 70k mileage) Mileage 121,163 Second Engine Failure & replaced "NEW" August 2022 and finally Mileage 189,323 with Third Engine Failure Sept 2025 This vehicle had regularly interval oil changes. ALWAYS Serviced & maintenaced regularly INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 2, 2025
Engine has cylinders flooding with coolant due to the design of the EcoBoost engine
Engine, Sep 26, 2025
Coolant intrusion and requires short block replacement
Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Engine, Sep 24, 2025
I am a single mother raising my 6-year-old daughter on my own. This past year has been extremely difficult, as my car has been constantly in and out of repair shops. I have spent more than $8,000 in the last year and a half on unexpected repairs, many of them involving serious safety issues. I was never informed about the recall and never received any notice. This situation has caused me a lot of stress and hardship, and I am asking for guidance and support to help me through it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Engine, Sep 15, 2025
When turned on airconditioner car shuddered engine light came on started blowing white smoke alot and blow buy engine oil in crank case
Engine, Sep 14, 2025
Coolant leak into the cylinders. Replaced the first engine for the same issue, this is the second engine.
Engine, Sep 5, 2025
Check engine light came on Took to dealer 2017 Ford Fusion 2.0 engine. Tech said code p0304 showed on the pcm. Did a scope on cylinder found coolant leaking cylinder Said he referred to tsb22-2229 and it showed replace long block That was May 22 2025. Price for parts and labor$7923.77. 82 years old fixed income Can not afford. Car still sitting in my driveway. Ford gave me a case # but said car was to old to do anything about it
Engine, Sep 3, 2025
Shift cable came off the transmission shifter bushing.
Engine, Aug 30, 2025
My vehicle had been experiencing overheating issues for several years. This would cause my car to go into limp mode making it dangerous for me and other cars around me to have to go around me. This issue is related to a manufacturing defect caused by the design of the motor cooling system. As a result of this defect I had to pay $8k+ to have this car repaired with a new engine. I am thankful no one was hurt or killed as a result of this defect. It could have caused my car to start on fire. Ford needs to take responsibility for this issue.
Engine, Aug 26, 2025
The engine has suffered a complete failure due to a known defect in the 1.5L EcoBoost. This issue was already repaired once under Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 19B37/21N12 (engine short block replacement) on 10/12/2020 at Stilwell Ford, before I owned the vehicle. Less than 5 years later, the exact same defect has occurred again. Details of Failure: •Vehicle began running rough with loss of power and abnormal engine noise. •A compression test performed by my repair shop shows: Cylinder 4 = 0 psi compression, with cylinder wall scoring and oil intrusion. •Shop diagnosis: engine requires complete replacement (~$7,000 repair). •Symptoms are identical to the coolant intrusion / cylinder failure defect covered by Ford’s prior CSP. •This is the second time this defect has occurred on the same vehicle. Safety Risk: •Vehicle misfires and shakes violently, making it unsafe to drive. •Sudden loss of power and potential stalling in traffic pose a serious risk of crash. •Drivers are given no warning before engine failure occurs. Manufacturer Response: •Ford acknowledges this defect under CSP 19B37/21N12 but refuses further coverage since it was “already repaired” once. •As a second owner, I never received notice of the defect. •The fact that the failure recurred shows Ford’s repair program did not fully resolve the defect. Request: I am reporting this as a repeat safety defect. The failure has occurred again after Ford’s supposed remedy. NHTSA should investigate whether Ford’s CSP repairs adequately resolve the defect, and whether additional recalls or coverage extensions are warranted.