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
Suspension, Power train, May 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after shifting from park(P) into drive(D), the gear shifter erroneously shifted back to park(P). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the shifter cable bushing was faulty and needed to be replaced. The shifter cable bushing was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, the steering wheel abruptly jerked to the left. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who determined that the front ball joints were faulty and needed to be replaced. No further information was available. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Power train, May 3, 2024
The contact's daughter owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at approximately 20 MPH, the gear shifter inadvertently shifted into park(P). The shift system fault warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence and the contact inspected the vehicle and became aware that the shifter cable was detached from the shifter cable bushing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,000.
Power train, Apr 29, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while pressing the accelerator pedal the vehicle had experienced random jerking and hesitation. Later, while at attempting to accelerate from a stop light the vehicle would not accelerate forward and stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 99,000.
Power train, Apr 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked; however, upon returning to the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the gear shifter was not in park. The contact stated that the message " Vehicle Will Not Start – Gear Shifter Not in Park" was displayed. The contact researched the failure online and reattached the shifter cable to start the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and it was confirmed that the shifter cable bushing needed to be replaced. The dealer confirmed that the VIN and the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V366000 (Power Train). The vehicle was currently at the dealer being repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 189,000.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 14, 2024
I have the 2.5 liter engine in my 2017 ford fusion but it’s also experiencing the same coolant leak symptoms of other engine models of this year of vehicle. Car has no visible leaks but coolant levels keep dropping. Temp gauge goes up and down back and forth. Car seems to be sputtering while driving. Currently just passed 100,000 miles this week. I’ve had the vehicle for 7 years and it seems like recall after recall.
Power train, Apr 11, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle jerked abnormally. The contact continued to drive at 35 MPH, and the engine revved up. The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle several times. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that internal components inside the transmission had failed, and the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, opened a case, and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
Power train, Apr 8, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle began to lose motive power. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
Power train, Apr 4, 2024
There’s a recall for my vehicle for the Torque converter, however it does not come up under my vin when I take it to dealership. Torque converter has gone out. Ford won’t fix it, there’s a recall however my vin didn’t match criteria etc. so now I’m stuck in limbo.
Power train, Mar 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH, the vehicle jerked when accelerating. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with a failed transmission. The vehicle was not repaired due to cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
Power train, Mar 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while accelerating from a stop sign, the RPM rose to 3,500 RPM however, the transmission failed to shift into gear. The vehicle then shifted into drive(D) and lost motive power before jumping out of drive and back into low gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle home and the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on two occasions, the contact had to replace a plastic clip under the hood that was used to control the shifter knob. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Power train, Mar 11, 2024
The vehicle's automatic transmission began started shifting "roughly" and the service engine light for the powertrain came on. I was told the transmission code was for the "Traction Plate" and that I needed to replace the transmission.
Power train, Feb 15, 2024
We were in reverse backing into a parking stall and tried to put the car into park. An error popped up something to the effect SHIFT SYS FAULT We were unable to put the car in park/drive/or any other gear. Parking brake was automatically applied. We were stuck, had to have it towed by a flat bed truck and repaired. Thank god this did not happen in the middle of a street where traffic would have been....could have been tragic. It was towed on a Friday 2/9/24 and fixed on 2/13/24 It was a shift cable bushing that wore out and cracked. Similar to this recall from 2016 ford fusions (Copied below). This should have also applied to ANY Fords that had a similar "plastic" piece that could crack and wear out causing the car to be inoperable. Campaign/NHTSA# 19S16/19V362 Issue Date 2019-05-13 Description On your vehicle, the bushing in the transmission shifter cable may degrade over time. This may cause the transmission shifter cable to not be able to fully move the transmission to the selected gear position. Safety Risk On your vehicle, the bushing in the transmission shifter cable may degrade over time. This may cause the transmission shifter cable to not be able to fully move the transmission to the selected gear position. Remedy If the driver attempts to shift to park in this condition, the transmission may not be in the park position even though the shifter position indicates the vehicle is in park, and the transmission not in park warning may not appear. This could result in unintended vehicle movement, increasing the risk of injury or crash
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 15, 2024
The car started shaking while driving down the road and when coming to a stop. The gears were not shifting properly. I took it to a mechanic shop and they told me several different things "could" be wrong, supposedly fixed it, $700 for that. Started shaking and shift gear problems again, took it in again and spent $2800 for the supposed fix. Several days later same thing, took it back again and they said to take it to a transmission shop because they couldn't do anymore. Found out there was a recall on the torque and the different mechanic "fixed" that. Now it won't shift into several of the gears. Over $4500.00 spent! Transmission
Power train, Feb 12, 2024
Vehicle lost ability to drive forward & reverse on the freeway. Upon inspection, the torque converter had gone bad & contaminated the transmission fluid causing the transmission to go out. Now my vehicle needs a new torque converter & transmission. There was a recall "17V427000" but it did not include my vehicle; however, it looks like the same issue.
Power train, Feb 8, 2024
About 4 weeks ago my car lost the ability to move while driving. The wrench light popped up to see manual. Upon checking the manual it stated that the problem was with the power train. I took it to get looked at and the service center further confirmed that it was a piece inside the transmission. I see that there was a safety recall issued in 2017 for the power train torque converter for 2017 Ford Fusions. However, when I type in my VIN number the recall does not appear for my car. Is there a way for the recall to be issued for my car being that I drive the exact car type that was affected and am having the same problem?
Power train, Engine, Jan 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the vehicle stalled. Upon restarting the vehicle, the vehicle failed to move forward or reverse. The system default warning light was displayed. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the vehicle was not covered under the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 77,432.
Power train, Engine, Dec 26, 2023
2017 Ford Fusion 2.0L ecoboost engine is available for inspection. The engine block was designed incorrectly and coolant leaks into the cylinder. There is a risk of fire from the intrusion of coolant in the cylinder. Many other people are having this issue and they did recall the 1.5L engine. They need to on the 2.0L as well. My local mechanic identified the issue and I called the Ford dealer who didn't even need to see it said I need a new engine based off the mechanic's testing. After losing coolant and constantly refilling with no coolant being seen coming from the vehicle, the check engine light comes on. The code listed states that one of the cylinders is misfiring. This is due to coolant in the cylinder. With the risk of fire, Ford needs to put a recall on this issue for the 2.0L ecoboost.
Power train, Dec 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle shuddered and hesitated to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving 60 MPH. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the torque converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V427000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
Power train, Dec 13, 2023
******* DELETE VOQ ******* THIS COMPLAINT IS BEING MARKED FOR DELETION BECAUSE IT IS REQUESTED BY THE CONSUMER THAT THEY WISH TO HAVE IT REMOVED. DJR ******* DELETE VOQ *******
Power train, Engine, Dec 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact pulled over to the highway shoulder and the vehicle was initially towed to an independent mechanic. The contact was informed by the mechanic that the engine needed to be taken apart to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer where the contact was informed that the torque converter and the transmission needed to be repaired. The vehicle was towed for a third time to another independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the flex plate had fractured in five separate places and needed to be repaired also. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 107,510.
Power train, Dec 4, 2023
I was pulling onto the beltway and my car would not shift when I accelerated. Then the engine revved up when I accelerated and the car had no power. It remained in the same gear. Then it wouldn’t move at all. I was able to coast off the highway. Turned the car off and started again. It did the same thing. Staying in the gear and then not accelerating. I find it interesting that other 2017 ford fusion had a previous recall for this. My vin isn’t included on the list
Power train, Nov 17, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted, but failed to shift into drive. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who was unable to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the torque converter. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V427000 (Power Train), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 84,000.
Power train, Nov 14, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the transmission failed to shift into drive(D). The Shift System Fault, Service Required message was displayed. The contact noticed that the shifter cable was detached and reconnected the shifter cable. The transmission was then able to shift into drive(D). The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 94,000.
Power train, Oct 30, 2023
Car started rough and engine light came on. Coolant low. Took car to Ford dealer service department and was told the problem was coolant intrusion. Was told not to drive it as eventually the car would overheat and engine block would crack. Only fix is to get a new engine.
Power train, Oct 30, 2023
Shift System Fault: transmission shifter cable bushing wore out, cap fell off, shifter cable got detached, so I cannot shift the car out of Park. I have a 2017 Ford Fusion and it was not included in the recall, even though this Shift System Fault problem is the same problem that the Ford Fusions included in the recall are having.