2012 Ford FUSION

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2012 Ford FUSION has 3041 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 38.0x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is steering problems (48% of all complaints), specifically: tl* the contact owns a 2012 ford fusion. the contact stated the vehicle would experience an intermittent loss of power steering. the contact stated the service power steering light illuminates on the instrument panel when the failure occurs. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the steerin. ⚠️ 10 fire reports filed.

10 fire reports 128 crash reports 76 injuries

3041

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

38.0x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

STEERING

1470 complaints

48%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE CONTACT STATED THE SERVICE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE STEERIN
• POWER STEERING FAILURE. "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT" WARNING ON MY DASH, ALTERNATING WITH "SERVICE ADVANCETRAC" WARNING. POWER STEERING FAILURE WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE. EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL TO CHANGE LANES AND TURN ONTO OFF-RAMP. PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF IGNITIO
• AFTER HIGHWAY DRIVING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND PULLING OFF TO CITY AREA, CAME TO A STOP AND THEN RELEASED BRAKE AFTER STOP SIGN AND GLIDING THRU INTERSECTION THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON SOMETHING TO THE AFFECT OF "POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION". TURNED CAR OFF AND RESTARTED AND

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 46 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE CONTACT STATED THE SERVICE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE STEERIN”

— NHTSA complaint filing

AIR BAGS

406 complaints

13%

• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 3 MPH AND CROSSING AN INTERSECTION WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED BRUISED RIBS
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FUSION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO A TREE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILU
• 2012 FORD FUSION INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. SEVERE DAMAGE TO VEHICLE ON PASSENGER SIDE. THE FRONT SEAT BELTS DID NOT LOCK AND THE FRONT PASSENGER AND THE DRIVER WERE THROWN IN THE CABIN. IN ADDITION, ACCORDING TO BODY REPAIR SHOP AND INSURANCE ADJUSTERS, IMPACT WAS AT THE LOCATION OF THE SENSOR FOR

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 36 crashes

“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 3 MPH AND CROSSING AN INTERSECTION WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED BRUISED RIBS”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

161 complaints

• DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN TORRANCE CA AT 65 MPH WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO BUCK AND JERK AND SLOWED TO ABOUT 30 MPH. IT WOULD NOT TAKE ANY MORE POWER OR ACCELERATION. I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE AND WAS ABLE TO EXIT AND PARK AND I THEN NOTED THE TEMP GAUGE SHOWED HOT ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE DID NOT APPEAR HOT. H
• ON JANUARY 2ND, 2012 ON 2-SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE ENGINE ACCELERATED TO ALMOST 6000 RPM WHILE I WAS STOPPED OR NEARLY STOPPED WHILE PARKING THE CAR. THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE AND I HAD MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE BUT THE ENGINE ACCELERATION HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY AND ON THE SECOND INCIDENT THE BRAKES WERE N
• I WENT TO MY CAR ONE RAINY MORNING TO DISCOVER THE FRONT WINDOWS WERE DOWN AND THE MOON ROOF WAS OPEN, AND THE SEATS AND FLOOR WERE SOAKING WET. I FILED A POLICE REPORT THINKING IT WAS VANDALISM. THE OPEN WINDOWS AND MOON ROOF OCCURRED AGAIN THIS PAST WEEKEND AND BETWEEN GOOGLE AND THE OWNERS MANUA

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 4 fire reports💥 8 crashes

“DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN TORRANCE CA AT 65 MPH WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO BUCK AND JERK AND SLOWED TO ABOUT 30 MPH. IT WOULD NOT TAKE ANY MORE POWER OR ACCELERATION. I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE AND WAS ABLE TO EXIT AND PARK AND I THEN NOTED THE TEMP GAUGE SHOWED HOT ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE DID NOT APPEAR HOT. H”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

158 complaints

• ON JANUARY 2ND, 2012 ON 2-SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE ENGINE ACCELERATED TO ALMOST 6000 RPM WHILE I WAS STOPPED OR NEARLY STOPPED WHILE PARKING THE CAR. THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE AND I HAD MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE BUT THE ENGINE ACCELERATION HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY AND ON THE SECOND INCIDENT THE BRAKES WERE N
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FUSION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE ABNORMALLY DECELERATED. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO JERK FORWARD WHILE DECELERATING AS IF THE BRAKES HAD SUDDENLY BEEN APPLIED. THE FAILURE RECURRED INTERMITTENTLY WHEN DRIVING DIFFERENT SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN
• COMPLAINT 1) WHEN ACCELERATING, THE TRANSMISSION FLARES DURING THE SHIFT FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR, AND THE VEHICLE LOSES ACCELERATION DURING THE SHIFT. THE PROBLEM IS MORE SEVERE WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING IN WARM WEATHER FOR MORE THAN 24-48 HOURS. THE MISBEHAVED SHIFT CAUSES DISTRACTION TO THE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500💥 3 crashes

“ON JANUARY 2ND, 2012 ON 2-SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE ENGINE ACCELERATED TO ALMOST 6000 RPM WHILE I WAS STOPPED OR NEARLY STOPPED WHILE PARKING THE CAR. THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE AND I HAD MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE BUT THE ENGINE ACCELERATION HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY AND ON THE SECOND INCIDENT THE BRAKES WERE N”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

132 complaints

• WHEN SHIFTING FROM FIRST GEAR TO SECOND GEAR THE CAR WILL VERY ROUGHLY GO INTO GEAR, AND SECOND TO THIRD AND THIRD TO FOURTH IS NOT MUCH BETTER. FROM FOURTH TO FIFTH AND FIFTH TO SIXTH IS FINE MOST OF THE TIME. I HAD TWO CALIBRATION UPDATES PERFORMED BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM A
• DRIVING ALONG AT AROUND 40 MILES PER HOUR, THEN NOTICE THE LOSS OF POWER, A BRIGHT YELLOW LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASH - STOP SAFELY HAZARD WARNING (RTT) - WHICH ACCORDING TO THE OWNERS HANDBOOK INDICATES HYBRID COMPONENT FAULT/FAILURE THAT WILL CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO SHUTDOWN (WHICH IT HAD ALREADY DOWN
• ALL FOUR TIRES HAD TO REPLACED BY ME AFTER ONLY 12,000 MILES. TWO OF THE TIRES BLEW OUT. POWER STEERING FAILURE OCCURRED WHILE I WAS DRIVING. SERVICE ADVANCETRAC IS ALSO NO LONGER WORKING. I HAVE TRIED TAKING MY CARE TO A FORD DEALERSHIP BUT THEY REFUSED TO FIX ANYTHING. THEY TOLD ME THE TIRES WE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 6 crashes

“WHEN SHIFTING FROM FIRST GEAR TO SECOND GEAR THE CAR WILL VERY ROUGHLY GO INTO GEAR, AND SECOND TO THIRD AND THIRD TO FOURTH IS NOT MUCH BETTER. FROM FOURTH TO FIFTH AND FIFTH TO SIXTH IS FINE MOST OF THE TIME. I HAD TWO CALIBRATION UPDATES PERFORMED BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED THE CAR FROM A”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

STEERING(~50K mi)

$500

AIR BAGS(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 3041 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
STEERING: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STATED THE VEHICLE WOULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERMITTENT LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE CONTACT STATED THE SERVICE POWER STEERING LIGHT ILLUMINATES ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURS. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THE STEERIN
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
AIR BAGS: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 3 MPH AND CROSSING AN INTERSECTION WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE DRIVER SUSTAINED BRUISED RIBS
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN TORRANCE CA AT 65 MPH WHEN THE CAR BEGAN TO BUCK AND JERK AND SLOWED TO ABOUT 30 MPH. IT WOULD NOT TAKE ANY MORE POWER OR ACCELERATION. I WAS IN THE RIGHT LANE AND WAS ABLE TO EXIT AND PARK AND I THEN NOTED THE TEMP GAUGE SHOWED HOT ALTHOUGH THE ENGINE DID NOT APPEAR HOT. H
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: ON JANUARY 2ND, 2012 ON 2-SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE ENGINE ACCELERATED TO ALMOST 6000 RPM WHILE I WAS STOPPED OR NEARLY STOPPED WHILE PARKING THE CAR. THE CAR WAS IN DRIVE AND I HAD MY RIGHT FOOT ON THE BRAKE BUT THE ENGINE ACCELERATION HAPPENED VERY QUICKLY AND ON THE SECOND INCIDENT THE BRAKES WERE N
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)