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
1,110 reports, newest first.
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.
Engine, Jun 1, 2024
The vehicle has started going through coolant and the exhaust has a sweet smell. It has the 1.5 litre ecoboost that has an active recall. I believe this is the issue. We still owe more than its worth and cannot afford to have a known recall issue cost us our transportation. It is only a matter of time before it destroys itself. I previously owned a 2014 fusion 2.0 that blew the motor due to the same issue. I had to put a new motor in that car. We picked the 1.5 engine since there were no reported issues at the time of purchase in 2022.
Engine and engine cooling, May 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the road and the coolant warning light illuminated. The vehicle was pulled to the side of the road where it was restarted and taken to an independent mechanic where the coolant fluid was inspected and refilled. The contact stated that the next day, the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was unable to be restarted. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with a water pump failure that caused the engine to malfunction. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure however, no assistance was provided. The contact stated that while researching online, the contact became aware of an ongoing failure with similar vehicles. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
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.
Engine, May 31, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle shook abnormally while starting. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the engine had previously been replaced. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that there was coolant intrusion into cylinder #2 and determined that the engine needed to be replaced for the second time. The vehicle was not 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 64,000. The repairs were made in August of last year but the mechanic stated an additional $8,200 is need for more repairs.
Engine and engine cooling, May 28, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced an engine misfire, shuddered, and then stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a coolant leak into the cylinder which caused engine damage. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Programs 21N12 and 19B37. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the Customer Satisfaction Programs. The failure mileage was approximately 55,800.
Engine, May 25, 2024
Check engine light was activated on my 2017 Fusion Titanium a week ago. Took car to the dealership on 5/25/24 and was informed that a coolant leak had caused a "milkshake" in the engine, which (as many others are reporting) now needs to be replaced--at a cost of $8000. Vehicle went out of warranty in late 2023.
Engine, Engine and engine cooling, May 22, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The spark plugs were replaced; however, the following day the check engine warning light illuminated again. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with coolant leaking into the engine, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.
Other or unspecified, Service brakes, Fuel/propulsion system, May 21, 2024
My brakes are grinding squealing/rattling and i have pads replaced, no rotor wear, not sure what’s wrong. I’ve brought my car in to be serviced 3+ times and have left with no fixed car and worse brakes. When i bring up issues with my car that are related to the recalls the car has, they tell me those recalls don’t apply to my car although im having the same problems. My brakes have progressively gotten worse/louder and the pressure on my pedals is not the same. I’m scared to drive my car and i have been trying to get it fixed for months. This is not the only problem im having, my gas tank “farts” constantly and my car will stall and shut off unless i turn off auto start stop. There is no recall on this yet it’s a KNOWN problem. It makes the car undriveable.
Engine, May 21, 2024
I recently experienced a problem with my 2017 Ford Fusion. The check engine light came on and the car was riding rough. I took it to a local mechanic and he determined that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. He replaced them and did a tune up and the car seemed fine. Two days later the check engine light came on again and the car started riding rough again. I took it back to the same place and he said one of the spark plugs blew again. He did some more research and found a TSB regarding my issue. Their is a known design flaw in these cars that were manufactured between 2017-2019 that allows coolant to leak into the engine. I made an appointment with a Ford dealer to confirm and I was told that my engine would need to be replaced. At this point, when I started the card, white smoke started billowing out of the exhaust and the coolant light illuminated. I have no choice but to replace the engine at my own expense since my warranty has expired. I did extensive research on this and found cases where people's cars have caught on fire. There are also reports of the car shutting down while on highways. Ford is aware that this is a design flaw but has not issued a recall. Thank you.
Engine, May 21, 2024
Coolant intrusion into cylinder 2 cause misfires and lead to failure 2.0L fusion platinum with 90,0000 miles Noticed low coolant level, sloshing novices behind the dash). Machine said the did hear any, I was quite loud for 6 months. Always on excel and sometimes waterfall sounds at stops. Flushed and replaced coolant. Pressure tested 40 min. Sloshing noises started 3 days later. Level Dropped again and caused a missfire. All plugs replaced. Pressure test overnight, no leaks or coolant drop per dealer. Sent home with a nice bill and statement saying nothing is wrong. Rep gets frustrated why I keep asking why and were is the coolant going. Recommended I buy an extended warranty plan. 3rd time same misfire. Called and told me there is coolant in the cylinder and is $9,500 to replace. I wish the customer could she the photos from the scopes. It’s just hard to trust people The cars not worth that going to another dealer to trade in
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.
Engine, May 20, 2024
HELP My vehicle is experiencing the 2017 Ford Fusion 2.0 EcoBoost coolant leak. Seems to be common among thousands of ecoboost engine since 2010. Proven engine defect & current class action law suite. My dealer wants $8000. That is a lot of money for us. To replace engine (May 15th 2024). Can you help with information, what should I do, signing up for Class action lawsuit. I’m probably going to pay the $8000. Because dealer is refusing to cover cost and we are desperate to get vehicle back in use. Also my vehicle when VIN is ran shows no recall but clearly fulls into recall category???? Confused on that. Can you please contact me with ANY help
Engine, May 13, 2024
2017 ford fusion se with roughly 70,000 miles blew its engine in route to Wisconsin from Illinois. Less than 1.5 hrs into the drive, highway, steady speed, sudden drop in speed and white smoke out the back. Immediately pulled off road and happened to be within minutes from a Ford dealership so I dropped it there. Today, [XXX] they advised that the engine rebuild + new turbo would be a 12,000 repair. The car itself is worth about $10-12k in good condition. This car has had no major issues and has been regularly maintained at a ford dealership. Regular oil changes and any repairs were done with Ford! Now, the 3rd cylinder has heavy scoring which is causing pressure issues and oil blowing out the dipstick. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, May 11, 2024
2017 Ford Fusion engine failed while driving in heavy traffic on I10 due to low coolant level/high engine temperature as described in campaign 22-2229 (vehicles equipped with a 2.0L EcoBoost engine may exhibit a low coolant level, white exhaust smoke and/or a runs rough condition with or without an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL)). Replaced engine assembly (62,897 miles) at the direction of Ford Dealer.
Engine, May 10, 2024
White smoke started to come out the tailpipe. Check engine light came on a day later. Had codes run, misfire cylinder 4. Changed the spark plugs. Cleared up for a couple of days. Came on again when car struggled to start. Noticed coolant was low after engine temperature warning came on. Pulled over immediately. Checked the coolant and oil for cross contamination. Had my car towed to a shop to look at. Found out it had a blown head gasket causing coolant to leak. Have had the car a couple of years and love it. Was made aware of potential coolant intrusion issue (that is known in fusions and escapes) months after I bought it. The repair from ford will be, replace the short block and head gasket, which will cost me several thousand dollars. Car is at 135k miles.
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.
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.
Engine, May 3, 2024
1. Vehicle went into "limp mode" while driving on the highway. 2. Safety was at risk - Starting slowing down immediately in rush hour traffic. Could not accelerate. Pulled onto shoulder. 3. Dealer could not reproduce. 4. Not inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance. 5. No warning lamps lit prior to incident. Vehicle running normally prior to incident. Restarted the car and issue was no longer present.
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.
Engine, May 2, 2024
My vehicle is exhibiting the same defects that are included in the NHTSA customer satisfaction program 21N12 regarding a coolant intrusion. When hooked up to a scanner it reports DTCs P0300 and P0301-P0303. Is my understanding that this is a safety concern as it could cause the engine to fail and a fire to erupt. Unfortunately by the time this was brought to my attention as of today's date May 2nd 2024, My bed has not been recalled and it does not meet the stipulations of the customer satisfaction program as the current millage exceeds the 84,000 mi specified. I have noticed The coolant needing refilled several times over the years I have owned the vehicle. And this is the third time that I've had issues with misfirings, that required changing of spark plugs and ignition coils to correct. The frequency of the misfirings and some concerns that my mechanic had or what led me to research the issue, though now it seems it may be too late. I am concerned because it is a safety issue.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Electronic stability control (ESC), Engine and engine cooling, May 1, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the electronic stability control (ESC) and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair, and it was determined that rodents had chewed the soy-based ESC wiring harness. The contact was informed that the ESC wiring harness and purge solenoid valve needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that the engine needed to be cleaned due to rodent droppings and that mothballs needed to be placed beneath the hood to deter rodents from entering the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 138,546.
Engine, Apr 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that when his daughter started the vehicle, the vehicle started shaking violently. Additionally, the contact stated that she observed white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.
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.