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, Sep 5, 2023
Driving down the road transmission started shifting erratic people behind me had to slam on their brakes almost causing an accident as I had to pull over because it would not shift into the next gear. The vehicle only has 84,000 miles on it and I don’t know how this is going to be safe to drive with my kids in the vehicle. I called to see if there is any recalls and they Said no. When I look it up online, there is many complaints, including torque, converter and transmission.
Power train, Sep 5, 2023
Failure to shift properly, RPM’s increasing while transmission is changing gears. No warning lamps, messages. Symptoms increasing over a 3 week period. Took car to Ford Dealer on 7/15/2023; diagnostics done indicating failure of torque converter and transmission pump. As of today, 9/5/2023, car is still at dealership with no repairs made. Dealer says unable to get parts for repairs, and they have no idea when parts might be available.
Power train, Sep 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while reversing from the driveway, the shifter knob linkage detached. As a result, the vehicle failed to move. The power train wrench symbol illuminated and went off. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The contact stated that the failure was similar to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Engine, Sep 4, 2023
My car has a overheating due to a faulty head gasket that is causing coolant to leak into the pistons.
Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 4, 2023
humming sounds from gas tank. Car stalls and difficult to crank when getting fuel. Car has a horrible smell from gas fumes.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 3, 2023
On August 10th 2023 while traveling at highway speed on Il Rt 80, The vehicle started shaking violently. There was heavy vibration coming from the engine, & service engine light began to flash. Car was pulled off the road immediately into a gas station. This incident was abrupt, Isolated & nothing prior indicated an issue. My daughter and her friend were in the vehicle and very fortunate to have safely pulled off a busy highway without accident or injury. The vehicle has since been inspected by a Ford Dealership & a licensed auto repair shop. It has been reported that the engine has failed due to internal engine components in the lower portion of the motor. It is not feasible to rebuild this part of the motor. It has been advised I get a new replacement engine by the dealership & shop.
Engine, Sep 1, 2023
Engine was running rough, and had a check engine light. The code came up as P0302, which is a cylinder 2 misfire code. White smoke coming out of the exhaust. My mechanic confirmed that cylinder 2 had coolant leaking into the chamber and sent me a photo. I called both the dealership and Ford directly. Neither would help, as the car had 94,000 miles and an extended warranty was not purchased. Had this engine failed at speed, losing power could have increased the likelihood of an accident.
Power train, Sep 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to operate properly after shifting out of park(P). The contact stated that the transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed twice to the dealer. The contact stated that on the first occasion the shifter cable bushing was replaced, and on the second occasion the cable was replaced. The contact stated that after the repairs the failure returned after shifting into reverse(R). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall. The contact was also informed that she would not be reimbursed for any prior repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 132,563.
Air bags, Aug 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the air bag module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed there was no recall on the VIN related to the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 89,000.
Engine, Aug 30, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that there was a rough idle while starting the vehicle, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, a misfire code was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that there was coolant leaking into the cylinder and that the small block needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 128,000.
Engine, Aug 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was a rattling sound coming from the vehicle. The contact was unaware of a warning light being illuminated. On another occasion while starting the vehicle, the vehicle overheated, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact turned off the vehicle and waited until the vehicle cooled down, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that coolant was leaking into cylinder #2, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 104,000.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Aug 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
Power train, Aug 15, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle made a beeping sound and independently shifted into neutral(N). The contact was able to coast the vehicle into a parking lot and shifted into park(P). The contact stated the vehicle failed to respond while shifting into drive(D) or reverse(R). The gear shift indicator light indicated that the transmission was in park(P). The power train warning light was illuminated, and a message indicating a transmission failure was displayed. The vehicle was towed to a transmission specialist, where the transmission shifter cable was replaced; however, the failure recurred 3 weeks later. The vehicle was towed to the transmission specialist. The vehicle was not repaired. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under an unknown recall because the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 127,746.
Engine, Aug 12, 2023
Engine light indicator started displaying in June 2023. Palmetto Ford dealership (Charleston, SC) inspected and confirmed through diagnostics coolant intrusion into Ford Ecoboost 2.0 combustion chamber. Entire engine (Long Block) needs to be replaced. Estimate of repair cost pending. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Loss of coolant results in engine overheating and fire hazard plus potential sudden malfunction while driving placing vehicle occupants at risk of harm. The manufacturer, Ford Motor Company is well aware of the defects associated with its Ecoboost engine in several Ford models.
Engine, Aug 11, 2023
Coolant intrusion into cylinder 3 on 2.0L ecoboost motor. The original motor was replaced under factory warranty at roughly 58000 miles. The replacement motor now has roughly 18,000 miles and 18 months on it and the same problem is occurring. Ford is refusing to stand behind their product and cover the repair/replacement of the defective replacement long block.
Steering, Aug 11, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while reversing, the steering wheel was significantly loose. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted while driving. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist because the recall repair of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V167000 (Steering) was previously completed on the vehicle. The contact stated that the recall remedy failed to fix the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Engine, Electrical system, Aug 10, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Focus. The contact stated while reversing from a the driveway, the vehicle was sputtering as if the cylinders had misfired. When the vehicle was shifted into drive, there was slow acceleration. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that spark plugs misfire in cylinder 2. The independent mechanic advised the contact to go to the dealer because it was an engine issue. The vehicle was driven to the dealer where it was diagnosed that a spark plug misfire in cylinder 2. The vehicle was not repaired due to a fee. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was informed that the vehicle was no longer under Warranty. The failure mileage was 98,500.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Aug 9, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to stop. The contact stated that she had to apply pressure to the brake pedal that extended to the floorboard and glided to a stop. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was inspected, and the independent mechanic noticed that the brake fluid level was low. The contact then stated that after the brake fluid was refilled, the mechanic noticed that brake fluid was leaking from the front brake hose. The vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the front brake hose had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer nor the manufacturer were made aware of the failure. Parts distribution disconnect. The failure mileage was unavailable.
Engine, Aug 8, 2023
The component that failed is the engine. A coolant intrusion problem on cylinders causing coolant to access the combustion area. This is causing large amounts of white smoke to be emitted from tail pipe. Also there is a cylinder miss that shakes the vehicle while driving. This is very frightening by the driver. I am afraid of the day it breaks down on the side of the road, leaving me stranded and a hazard to other drivers. Vehicle was taken to the dealer only to find that the entire engine needs replacement due to a design flaw of the cylinder block. This is not a single incident issue, but rather a widespread issue in vehicles manufactured from 2015 to 2019. Vehicles listed is also for the 1.5 and 2.0 liter engine. It is stated in Ford's Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12. This is for the 1.5 liter engine. No program has been issued for the 2.0 liter which leaves many vehicles with potential engine failures still on the highway.
Power train, Engine, Aug 5, 2023
Ford Fusion 2.0 is currently at 71,000 miles and experiencing signs of coolant intrusion. Rough cold start with white smoke coming out of the exhaust. Check engine light illuminated showing a P0301 code (misfire in cylinder '1'). Still trying to research a reputable dealer/repair facility that can perform the repair without any hassle. The engine is drinking about 1/4 cup of coolant per day as of writing this. This is a well-documented issue plaguing the EcoBoost engines and is a very costly repair, let alone very dangerous if left to fester.
Engine, Aug 3, 2023
Engine light came on so took the car into a Ford dealer. They told me the engine block was cracked and I needed a whole new engine costing $5700. The car could overheat and catch on fire. Mileage is only 50,00 miles.This is a defect in Ford EcoBoost engines that Ford has been aware of for years but refuses to do anything to remedy.
Power train, Aug 3, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that when attempting to park the vehicle to refuel it, the gear shifter was stuck into drive (D) position. Additionally, the contact stated that the gear shifter was later stuck into park (P) position. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed that the transmission shift cable bushing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V413000 (Power Train), 19V362000 (Power Train) and 18V471000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recalls. The failure mileage was approximately 79,921.
Engine, Aug 1, 2023
Vehicle check engine light continues to turn on. Auto Zone diagnostics show engine misfire. Ford states that coolant is leaking into the engine and that vehicle needs a new engine. Engine coolant overheat message continues to pop up, car shakes and engine is HOT. Engine fire could occur, car could break down in an instant, putting my family's safety at risk. Ford previously recalled certain 2013 and 2014 Ford vehicles equipped with the 1.6L engine for a very similar issues under recall campaigns 12V551 and 17V209. However, no such recall exists for the similar issues reported by consumers with the 1.5L and 2.0L Ford Ecoboost engines. Please help me hold Ford accountable for safely recalling & fixing this vehicle!
Power train, Aug 1, 2023
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, and the engine revved but failed to respond as intended. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that she drove the vehicle off the highway and onto an exit ramp and eventually the vehicle stalled on the side of the road. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer, who diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact then had the vehicle towed to a transmission specialist who replaced the transmission with a refurbished transmission. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that recently the transmission failed again, and the vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Engine, Jul 31, 2023
This 2017 Ford Fusion is equipped with the 1.5L Ecoboost engine. This engine experienced a catastrophic engine failure due to coolant intrusion into cylinder #2. Check engine light comes on and flashes indicating it should not be driven. This was confirmed by factory service at Corwin Ford in Spokane WA. The vehicle has just over 80,000 miles. Dealer says this is a known issue where the engine block is machined so thin between the cylinder wall and the water jacket that the block cracks and coolant leaks into the cylinder. Ford knows about the issue and at one point issued "Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12" to address the issue. However the window of coverage is so narrow and notification to owners was not made. Ford knows about this issue and it is a safety concern. The potential for total loss of power while driving can result in an unsafe driving condition. The intrusion of coolant into the cylinder and potentially the oil system can pose a fire hazard. Ford should recall this engine and replace with a redesigned engine block.