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: power train
312 reports, newest first. Show all
Power train, Sep 16, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while parking the vehicle, the gear shifter failed to shift from drive to park. The contact stated that the gear shifter had seized in neutral. The contact turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted, and the gear shifter was reset. The contact stated that the failure had occurred intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Power train, Sep 10, 2024
Was out of town when I went to shift out of Park, and I received a SHIFT SYSTEM FAULT - SERVICE REQUIRED MESSAGE. My car was stuck in reverse and could only shift into neutral. The shift cable bushing had dry rotted and snapped. This item was recalled on previous fusions up to the 2016 model year, yet the same part was used through the 2020 model year. ALL of these items need to be recalled. They are all defective.
Power train, Electrical system, Sep 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact connected the battery to the charger and the dead cell warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the battery failed to charge. The contact stated that even though the vehicle was not started, the gear shifter independently switched from park and reverse. The contact stated when the vehicle started, the vehicle rolled backwards several feet. The contact stated that the failure almost caused him to be pinned up against the wall of the garage, where the vehicle was parked. The contact stated that he used the parking brake to stop the vehicle from moving. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 33,500.
Power train, Engine, Sep 3, 2024
2017 Ford Fusion Titanium 2.0L Ecoboost purchased brand new. Coolant intrusion into Cylinder #1, causing a misfire,registered in Vehicle Health Alert system; check engine light on. Liberty Ford dealership was notified within the first week of the 1st misfire. Autozone found fault code P0301. Code scanner suggested replacing cylinder #1 spark plug. If misfire cont., it stated to replace Coil on cyl #1. All four spark plugs were replaced and Coil for cylinder #1 was replaced. Veh.began to exhibit a low coolant level, white exhaust smoke & rough running. Coolant fumes were entering the veh. cabin. Coolant added as soon as "Engine Coolant Over Temperature" dash alert. Diagnostic completed at Firestone Complete Auto Care: Determined "Cyl 1 is full of coolant & misfire occurring due to engine burning coolant.TSB out for this issue stating engine block replacement will be needed. Recommend dealership*** Manufacturer's recommended maintenance.… They provided a copy of TSB 22-2229 and stated Ford Manufacturer should replace entire engine (Long Block). I contacted Ford Manufacturer. They stated several times that "this is a KNOWN ISSUE". They stated a diagnostic must be done by a Ford Dealership and submit financial asst. request. They found code P0301 as well as overheating codes are present, coolant level low. Mode 6 shows multiple misfires on cyl1...found same diagnosis. TSB 22-2229 covers this condition, engine build code is 910 and meets criteria." Veh avail for inspection upon request? The veh stranded me away from home 2-4 times. I was given literature that stated low coolant may automatically shut off the engine, even while driving. Antifreeze contains glycols & other liquid chemicals that are sweet smelling but POISONOUS. That entering the veh cabin can possibly cause a person to have damage to the central nervous system, lose consciousness, become nauseated, vomit, dizzy, etc. Ford didn’t notify me of the manufacturer fault that caused the issue, a 3rd party did.
Power train, Aug 29, 2024
The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degraded and detached. Similar issue that was on recall for the 2013-2016 Ford Fusion.
Power train, Aug 29, 2024
While driving my Ford Fusion on the highway at a constant speed of 65 mph, a service light appeared on the dashboard, and the car suddenly lost power to the wheels even though the engine was still running. Fortunately, I was able to pull over to the side of the road safely since there wasn't much traffic at the time. However, had this been a busy road, it could have caused a major accident. I turned off the car and restarted it. However, the problem still persisted, and the car would not shift gears (it has an automatic transmission with a center console shifter dial). I had my car towed to my Ford dealer, and they determined that the transmission had failed. The Ford service manager stated that the transmissions on this particular era Ford Fusion were poorly designed and that many of their customers needed to replace their transmissions on this model as well as several models of the Ford Explorer from the same time period. The vehicle ran perfectly fine for many years previously. Just before the transmission failed (perhaps about 20-50 miles worth of driving before it failed), I had experience several instances of the car having trouble shift out of neutral into drive and reverse, often with a delay in shifting and a slight jolt, which was barely noticeable, when it did shift. I had brought the car to the dealer, and they weren't able to find any problems and said that it worked fine. There were no error codes generated to indicate that there was a problem either. My vehicle is only a little over 5000 miles beyond its 60,000 mile warranty, and the service manager stated that he tells owners that owners "are lucky if they their car makes it to 70,000 miles before the transmission fails". Given that there were few symptoms (which I believe would go unnoticed by most drivers) of a potential failure, the sudden loss of power to the wheels, and that this is a known common issue by Ford, this is major safety issue that must be addressed.
Power train, Aug 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond and made an abnormally loud sound. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where an oil change was performed; however, the failure persisted while driving. The contact stated that the following day, she noticed that oil was leaking from the vehicle onto the ground. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was confirmed that the oil change was performed correctly. The dealer diagnosed that oil was leaking from the transmission. The dealer informed the contact that the transmission needed to be taken apart to determine the source of the leak. The dealer advised the contact to trade the vehicle in due to the significant cost of labor. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 175,000.
Power train, Aug 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while shifting from park(P) to drive(D), the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the vehicle responded as needed after the second attempt. The power train warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure recurred while shifting to drive(D) and to reverse(R) in a drive-thru. The contact stated that the vehicle was undrivable. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission shifter cable bushing had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The dealer was notified of the failure. 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 98,500.
Power train, Aug 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while starting the vehicle and shifting to drive(D), the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission shifter cable bushing had failed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) because the VIN was not included. The dealer informed the contact that a fee would be charged for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power train, Aug 7, 2024
In regards to the automatic transmission and torque converter. On May 14th 2024, while driving in a school parking lot at a speed of less than 5 MPH, I attempted to reverse my vehicle. To my surprise, the car did not respond and failed to move. After this attempt, I shifted the gear into drive, and the vehicle initially moved for about five seconds before becoming immobilized again. This malfunction left my car stuck in the middle of parking lot traffic, creating a potentially hazardous situation. Despite the engine starting without any difficulty, the vehicle remains unresponsive and cannot be driven in either forward or reverse. This issue has not only caused inconvenience but also raised concerns about safety, as it has rendered the vehicle inoperable. There was a message on the dashboard with a wrench that stated "Powertrain: See Owners Manual"
Power train, Engine, Aug 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission experienced rough shifting from first to second gear. Additionally, the engine was misfiring. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to two other independent mechanics, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced as well as the engine due to coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,790.
Power train, Jul 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle and attempting to shift to drive(D), the gear shifter failed to move out of park(P) and required to be hit to move out of park(P). The power train warning light was illuminated, and the message "See Owner's Manual" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring daily. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 93,415.
Power train, Jul 22, 2024
Shift cable bushing failed. I attempted to back out of a parking spot when the dash lit up with a Shift System Failure. Put on the emergency brake, turned off the car, and popped the hood. The bushing had broke and was laying on a piece of metal under the shift cable.
Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Jul 19, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds the vehicle would not properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty. The transmission was rebuilt and the failure was remedied. The vehicle later experienced engine failures causing the check engine light to illuminate, a slushing liquid sound was present inside the dashboard and the vehicle had experienced harsh driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine coolant was present inside the engine cylinders and the engine 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 78,000.
Power train, Jul 16, 2024
Faulty torque converter and transmission range control module. Repaired both and now the vehicle shifts hard while driving.
Power train, Engine, Jul 8, 2024
I took our 2017 Ford Fusion in a couple of weeks ago for a service code showing we had a misfire on #2. We had the repair completed which included new plugs and coils. This past week, the car showed an alert that said the car was overheating. I drove it to the service center and the car gave me an alert that the computer had reduced power to lower the temp of the engine. The mechanic just called me and said that we have coolant in the cylinder. They said this is a known problem and that it is listed under TSB 22-2229 which superseded TSB 22-2133. I have called Ford and Ford dealerships and they sent me to this site to file a complaint. Their answer was that they couldn't fix it until the NHTSA told them to fix it--even though they stated they have seen a lot of these issues.
Power train, Engine, Jul 2, 2024
I was driving the car and it started to overheat so I pulled over. I then drove the car to my home and it had a miss in the engine along with white smoke coming out of the exhaust. After getting home I checked the coolant and it was low so i filled it up and as the car sat there idling you could see the coolant disappear and the white smoke and rough idle. I could not see where the coolant leaked out on the ground. I also had to have the transmission replace at the dealership I bought it from due to transmission complete failure. Time to recall this make and model. 1. Engine, Transmission failure 2. Sitting along the highway in the middle of no where.. a woman, you can guess, not safe!! 3.Yes Transmission replaced by dealership and Engine confirmed by service center to have coolant in cylinders. 4. No warning lights at all for either. Only temp gage for overheating.
Power train, Jun 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and making sharp turns, the rear end of the vehicle made an abnormal popping sound and was swaying from side to side. The vehicle was taken to a tire mechanic, where it was determined that the rear differential had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to another independent mechanic, where it was determined that the rear differential bushing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Power train, Jun 27, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact selected drive(D); however, the gear shift selector reverted to park(P). The power train warning light was illuminated. The contact inspected the shifter cable bushing and became aware that the shifter cable was not connected. The contact connected the shifter cable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the shifter cable bushing and cap needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 114,677.
Power train, Jun 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed a loud knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a fractured flex plate. The contact was informed that the flex plate needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the repair was not eligible for coverage under Customer Service Program: 22N12. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
Power train, Jun 12, 2024
RECEIVED A NOTICE ON MY DASH STATING THE SHIFT SYSTEM HAS A FAULT AND SERVICE IS REQUIRED. I AM UNABLE TO PUT MY CAR INTO REVERSE, DRIVE, OR ANY GEAR. IT IS CURRENTLY STUCK IN PARK. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR FORD FUSIONS BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 2013-2020. IN 2017 FORD RECALLED 259,182 CARS DUE TO A FAULTY SHIFTER CABLE.
Power train, Engine, Jun 3, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, it was difficult shifting gear. The contact stated that the vehicle was slow to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was experiencing transmission failure. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V427000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 153,000.
Power train, May 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the gear shifter independently shifted into reverse. The contact stated that the failure caused the vehicle to roll away. The vehicle then struck a parked Police vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times. The contact stated that several times while in reverse, the gear shifter independently shifted into the park. The vehicle was not repaired or diagnosed by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Power train, May 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the workplace. The contact stated that when she shifted the vehicle into reverse(R) the vehicle hesitated and then jolted into gear. The contact turned the vehicle off and then shifted into drive(D) and the vehicle hesitated and jolted into gear. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who scanned the vehicle and retrieved DTC code: P0657. The mechanic referred the contact to a dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
Power train, May 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact stated that the vehicle started losing motive power and stalled with the power train failure warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, but the failure persisted, and the contact drove the vehicle to a safe location. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000. The VIN was not included.