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 and engine cooling
133 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 19, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, which caused the engine to fail. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that the VIN was not included in TSB: 22-2134 (Certain 2017-2019 Model Year Fusion and Escape Vehicles Equipped with a 1.5L GDI Engine – Short Block Replacement After Coolant Intrusion). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 78,900.
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 18, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 60 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power, with white smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder lane and parked the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine had experienced coolant intrusion and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Mar 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine was shaking abnormally, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact checked the engine bay and noticed that the coolant reservoir was abnormally low level on coolant. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and the contact was informed that there was a misfire in cylinder #3 due to coolant intrusion in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 49,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated intermittently while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The dealer determined that the long block engine assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 26, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact attempted to jumpstart the vehicle but was unsuccessful. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the starter had failed. The starter was replaced; however, several days later, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed back to the same mechanic, where it was diagnosed for a second time. The contact was advised that coolant intrusion had caused the engine to fail, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 6, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the head gasket, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the new engine not being available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 5, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that occasionally the "Coolant Level Low" message was displayed and after starting the vehicle and driving at various speeds, there was thick white smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact decided to replace the head gasket and discovered that the engine block was cracked. The contact researched and became aware that the failure might be caused by coolant intrusion into the engine. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall related to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 58,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 3, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and attempting to depress the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant leaking into the cylinder block and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, opened a case, and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The contact related the failure to TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: 19-2172 (Coolant in Cylinders, White Exhaust Smoke And/ Or Illuminated MIL). The failure mileage was 47,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 29, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the head gasket had failed, causing coolant to leak into the oil, which caused the engine to fail. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that it was a factory defect. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a related recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jan 28, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started to hesitate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a local dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure due to coolant intrusion into one of the cylinders. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer but was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 24, 2025
See attached document for complaint.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 22, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 55 MPH, the vehicle started shaking abnormally. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road and call her husband. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence. The contact stated that the dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with a crack in the head gasket and that coolant was leaking into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 122,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that it was difficult to start the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle shuddered, and there was grey smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive coolant consumption. The vehicle was taken to Miller Auto, where and unknown spark plug was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, causing cylinders #1, #2, and #3 to misfire. Additionally, the cylinder overtemperature protection was activated. The mechanic determined that the engine or the short block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jan 13, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle hesitated and shifted out of gear independently. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated independently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a blown head gasket. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 138,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had been illuminated and that the hood of the vehicle was trembling while an abnormal sound came from the engine upon starting the vehicle. The contact also stated that while driving the vehicle at various speeds the engine would stall. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the failure was attributed to coolant intrusion into cylinder 2 and that the entire engine would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 47,254.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into the cylinders and that the engine's long block needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 37,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Dec 18, 2024
The contact’s son owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that his son attempted to start the vehicle and became aware that the engine was struggling to turn over. The check engine warning light illuminated and there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust. The contact checked under the hood and the coolant level was significantly low. The contact’s son left the vehicle parked. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired because the vehicle was out of warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Engine and engine cooling, Dec 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving, the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH, made an abnormal clunking sound, with an engine misfire while shuddering significantly. The contact stated that the failure persisted while driving. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in the engine block. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under Ford Campaign Number: 21N12, because the campaign had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 47,500.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an engine misfire with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, causing 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 and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle began to shake with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was referred to the manufacturer for further assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local O'Reilly's who diagnosed the vehicle with the cylinder #1 misfire. The vehicle was later taken to the local dealer who determined that there was coolant intrusion into the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 82,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 15, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle began to shake, prompting her to pull to the shoulder of the roadway where the failure persisted. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who determined that coolant intrusion into multiple cylinders damaged 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 Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 128,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Nov 14, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated when starting the vehicle from a cold start the vehicle was vibrating and idling roughly. The contact stated that the failure was a recurring failure. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 35 MPH the vehicle was again running roughly and he was smelling the odor of coolant in the passenger cabin. The contact stated that the check engine and "high coolant temperature" warnings had been illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed and the dealer determined that coolant had intruded into the engine block and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was advised by the dealer that this was a known engine failure. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 21, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine started to vibrate violently. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that coolant was leaking into the engine block, resulting in damages to the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 84,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Oct 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon the start of the engine, the "Service Engine Now" warning message appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion and needed an engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.