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.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, coolant entered the engine and the engine overheated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle lost motive power and stalled in a construction area. The contact refilled the coolant reservoir and drove to his residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 181,000.
Power train, Jul 5, 2022
Transmission failure while driving causing a safety issue for myself and others while immobilized in traffic. While stopped at a red light on a highway, my car failed to move forward when pressing the gas. There were no warning lights. Eventually after several tries the car lurched forward. A warning light finally came on when I reached my destination a mile away. The car was taken to a dealer who diagnosed transmission failure. The car has 63K miles on it and now requires a 5K repair to the transmission. The vehicle is still not repaired due to parts shortages.
Latches/locks/linkages, Jul 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, the trunk would inadvertently open whenever the temperature was over 80 degrees. The contact also stated the trunk would inadvertently open while shifting gears. There was a clicking sound coming from the instrument panel whenever the trunk would open independently. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.
Power train, Jul 1, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while shifting into reverse, the gear shifter inadvertently shifted into park(P). The contact also stated the gear shifter was seizing continuously. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle and the vehicle operated as needed. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the gear shifter. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 89,000.
Air bags, Jun 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while at the car wash, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall and he had to pay out-of-pocket for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 65,000.
Other or unspecified, Jun 28, 2022
While driving the vehicle the vehicle stalls or stops when attempting to shift to either reverse or drive. An alert comes on indicating shifter issues then vehicle was inoperable. Had to call for a wrecker to have it towed due to the issue. Left us stranded in a parking lot away from home. Local certified mechanic advised it was bushings, shifter cable to the transmission that went bad on the vehicle. He said there was a recent recall from Ford, so I contacted Ford by phone. I was told that my vehicle even though it is the exact same recall from Ford issue with my car, my VIN number was not included into the recall by Ford. I'm having to repair my car on my own at my cost.
Power train, Jun 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving on a local roadway at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into drive(D) or reverse(R). The contact stated that an unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact called and had the vehicle towed to his son's residence. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.
Power train, Jun 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while the vehicle was park(P), the instrument panel indicated that the transmission was in drive(D). Due to the failure, the contact's husband called for a tow; however, the tow truck driver was able to instruct her husband over the phone on how to correct the failure. Once the vehicle was able to be driven, the contact's husband called the dealer where he was informed about the defect. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the defective part was replaced. Approximately six months later, the same failure recurred while the vehicle was in neutral(N) but the instrument panel showed the vehicle in park(P). The contact's husband was able to perform the same repair to correct the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
Other or unspecified, Jun 15, 2022
The shift bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission has degraded then subsequently detached in the past in 2021. In 2022 after the shift bushing was replaced, it has now degraded again (without detaching yet) causing the vehicle to be stuck in reverse or drive after shifting vehicle. This has caused me on multiple occasions to place the vehicle in reverse to backup into the roadway and become stuck without the ability to shift the vehicle out of reverse. The only way to correct it was to turn off the vehicle to force it into park then start the car to place it into drive. This same thing occurred in the previous time before it detached. Being stuck in the roadway without the ability to shift is very dangerous. This is all due to having a 3 dollar shift bushing degrade over time. I hope FORD takes this seriously and replaces this shift bushing with a safer alternative.
Power train, Service brakes, Jun 15, 2022, crash
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in her driveway on a hill without the emergency brakes, the vehicle rolled down the hill and bumped into her husband's parked vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer but was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated on April 2022, while she was driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle began to shake and failed to go over 50 mph. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V427000 (Power Train), however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and transferred her to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000. The consumer stated she should be reimbursed for the repairs.
Electrical system, Jun 14, 2022
The APIM in the vehicle is malfunctioning causing a constant drain on the 12v battery system. I brought the car to Ford and they said it is a common issue with the APIM malfunctioning, they quoted me 1800 to change the APIM which i can not afford. I was driving to work and my car smelled like rotten eggs, I started feeling nauseous and light headed. When I got to work I opened my trunk to get my backpack and noticed the smell was really strong in the trunk and was coming from the 12v battery. I touched the battery and it was scorching hot. After some research I found out that the rotten egg smell was the battery producing hydrogen sulfide gas which can be fatal. I believe an investigation should be opened to look into this for if I passed out behind the wheel from the gas myself and others would have been at risk of injury or death.
Power train, Jun 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while shifting the vehicle into drive(D), the vehicle shifted into park(P) and the “Shift System Fault” and "Service Required" messages were displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that the gear shifter bushing had deteriorated. The vehicle was not diagnosed; however, the contact had purchased the bushing. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 76,872.
Service brakes, Jun 13, 2022
Both driver & passenger break line hoses have had to be replaced at only 56k miles. There was no corrosion on the hose, nor any wear & tear. There was a lengthwise split in the rubber exterior of the hose and breakdown of the interior braided hose which lead to break fluid leaks. Occurred on both driver & passenger front hoses.
Electrical system, Jun 9, 2022
Vehicle constantly has 12v battery dying. Replaced with new battery and same thing 12v battery keeps dying. Hooked up my current meter to the car and it is constantly drawing 11amps from the battery. Pulled fuses until the current draw stopped and issues is coming from the APIM. I also did some research into the issue and it appears a lot of people are having the same issue where the APIM is not shutting off. How has there not been a recall on this yet? This can be dangerous if you can't start your car and your stuck in a snow storm for example.
Electrical system, Jun 8, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the cross-traffic alert button detached from the dashboard. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the cross-traffic alert button to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact took the vehicle to another dealer, Sheehy Ford Lincoln of Gaithersburg (901 N Frederick Ave, Gaithersburg, MD 20879, (301) 358-4443), and was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.
Power train, May 30, 2022
As I was driving my shifter cable bushing came off in the parking lot and my cable came loose. I couldn’t switch gears and I had to shut off my car. It put my car into automatic parking brake but I checked under the hood and my shifter linkage was detached and the bushing was missing. Had this happened on the open road it could’ve caused a wreck.these bushings are made poorly.
Engine and engine cooling, May 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, the high engine coolant temperature warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the head gasket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed of coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 108,849.
Electrical system, May 20, 2022
While driving, the dashboard goes black. When this happened, I slowed down to stop. After I’m almost stopped, the engine stops and spins the gear shift into park making grinding noise as cars do when they go into park before coming to a complete stop. This has happened twice.
Steering, May 20, 2022
Steering wheel wobbles and is loose. Can pivot up, or right / left about an inch. NOT a rotational loose (like worn bushings). Pivot point is right behind the wheel itself, as if it was the bolt that is part of other recalls (but 'not applicable' to my VIN???). Only 33k miles on car. 2017 year Fusion. Taking to dealer to "fix" today. Issue noticed during light morning commute on 5/18/2022 No other inspection to date. No warning lamps, messages, or other notices, now, or prior.
Engine, May 18, 2022
I have a 2017 Ford Fusion bought in June 2020. (No warranty) Oct 2020 the Transmission went out. I REPLACED IT. August 2021 the Wrench came on and was giving code P0302 cylinder 2 was misfiring. Changed all the spark plugs and coils except #2 because the was stuck or stripped. 5 people and Ford dealership (they wanted to much) tried to get it out (no luck) took it to a shop they got it out but had to re thread it. It drove fine. THEN one day I'm driving and my car literally started over heating and said I was low on coolant pulled over and let it cool down gave it more coolant. Drove it like nothing to see here. Everything was fine, SO I THOUGHT 1 week later it did the same thing but the coolant kept running out and my car immediately started to blow out smoke actually turned off before i could pull over in the middle of the freeway (extremely dangerous) for everyone called. I took the car back to the mechanic and told him what was wrong and this dude said I blew the engine I need a new one. WTF! HOW? Gave me a quote for $4900. #Ford you need to do a EFFIN recall bruh how is literally everyone going through the same gd problem? ITS a malfunction with Ford. Then to find out that Ford has a faulty built engine block that allows coolant to leake over to spark plug #2, #3 causing them to misfire, knowing it will cause problems for the consumer is down right evil disgusting and dishonest. People are spending hard earned money on these cars getting loans, to get reliable working cars to take car of our families. only to have the car stop working at no fault of our our own. I HATE Ford for this warranty or not yall knew this was happening to these 1.5 EB engines And I know there's lawsuits out there for this. I'm definitely looking into that
Other or unspecified, Apr 29, 2022
When putting into reverse it jolts and shakes and makes a real loud noise and says vehicle and low gear and needs to be stopped (not sure of the exact wording} then when put into drive it does the same thing but not as rough as I try to continue to drive forward there is no power I barely step on the gas and it sounds real rough and loud it seems like it's hot under the hood more than usual I had to diagnose test run it's saying it's the power train system it's eating through all my gas the electrical has been acting weird the last few months but there was no warning signs popping up on my dash until out of nowhere my check light engine came on I called the dealership here in Ogden Utah they stated that my vehicle is outside of the recall time frame but it seems like everyone with a 2017 well actually from the last 10 years there's been issues it seems and it's all the same problem mostly I really don't think I should have to come out of pocket since this is an ongoing issue with Ford and their fusions
Service brakes, Air, Apr 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while his wife was driving the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard with the brake warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact discovered splattered brake fluid underneath the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed the dealer and was provided an estimate to replace both brake lines. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle and that the warranty did not cover the repair. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.
Visibility, Apr 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front window defroster was inoperable causing a visibility hazard to the driver. Additionally, all the windows in the vehicle were inoperable and would not roll down. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 92,000.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Apr 10, 2022
The car will not shift. The car will start but I cannot shift from Park to neutral or drive
Other or unspecified, Apr 8, 2022
Trunk randomly opens while driving. This has now happened 10-15 times over the past couple of years. I was unaware of nhtsa until researching the problem tonight after it most recently happened or I would have reported sooner.