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Owner-Reported Problems · NHTSA

2012 Ford Fusion — Problems & Complaints

NHTSA has 2,616 owner complaints on file for this vehicle. Every report below was filed by a real owner with the US government's road-safety agency.

2,616
Complaints
filed with NHTSA
111
Involved a Crash
owner-reported
9
Involved Fire
owner-reported
66 / 3
Injuries / Deaths
across all reports
Years to Avoid

Ford Fusion — Complaints by Model Year

Years flagged AVOID have at least twice this model's average complaint count — the strongest public-data signal of a bad year.

5,129 complaints

2,794 complaints

2,616 complaints

1,957 complaints

1,430 complaints

1,066 complaints

1,722 complaints

1,111 complaints

442 complaints

378 complaints

Problem Areas

What Owners Complain About Most

Steering 1,511 reports
Air Bags 436 reports
Electrical System 177 reports
Power Train 162 reports
Service Brakes 131 reports
Unknown Or Other 127 reports
Engine 119 reports
Structure 101 reports
In Their Own Words

Recent Owner Reports

Steering ODI 11708126 12/31/2025

I recently started to experience hard steering while in transit the power assist light came on and so does the advanced track warning light. I discovered there was a recall so I took it in to the Ford dealership, which was JC Lewis Ford in Savannah, Georgia, but the technician told me that there were too many miles and after 150,000 miles, the recall was null and void

Service Brakes ODI 11633453 12/31/2024

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the brakes failed to engage. The contact stated that the parking brake was used to slow and stop the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the brak…

Fuel/propulsion System ODI 11164240 12/31/2018

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V735000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); HOWEVER, THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. WAYNE FORD (444 US-46, WAYNE, NJ 07470, (973) 256-8800) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT…

Steering ODI 10817167 12/31/2015

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FUSION. THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE AND EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER STEERING WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V340000 (STEERING); HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED AFTER THE REPAIR WAS PERFORMED. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE REMEDY WAS INSUFFICIENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFA…

Steering ODI 10817177 12/31/2015

I PURCHASE THIS CAR USED WITH 15000 KM ON, ISSUE OCCURRED AT 73000KM. FORD FUSION 2012 SEL AWD I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND THE STEERING LOCKED UP, IT WAS EXTREMELY HARD TO STEER. I DROVE IT DIRECTLY TO THE DEALERSHIP. BENTON FRY FORD BELLEVILLE, ON THEY INSPECTED IT AND INDICATED THAT THE CONTROLS ARMS NEEDED TO REPLACED. I TOLD THEM TO GO HEAD THE APPROX.. COST WAS $1000.00. HO…

Same Vehicle

Recalls & Crash Tests

Complaints are one half of the picture — see the official recalls and NHTSA crash-test stars for the 2012 Ford Fusion, or check your exact car by VIN with the free VIN lookup.

Check Another Car

Problems Checker

Any year, make and model: open the Car Problems Checker. Data: NHTSA (US DOT, public domain), cached up to 7 days.

Questions

FAQ

Is the 2012 Ford Fusion reliable?
Owners have filed 2,616 safety complaints with NHTSA for the 2012 Ford Fusion, most often about steering. Compare the complaint counts across model years above — a year with far more complaints than the model's average is the strongest 'avoid' signal in public data.
Which Ford Fusion years should I avoid?
The rule of thumb used by analysts: a model year whose complaint count is well above the model's own average (we flag 2× or more) usually had a real manufacturing or design problem — not just noisy reporting. Use the year-by-year strip on this page.
Where do these complaints come from?
Directly from NHTSA, the US government road-safety agency. Any owner can file a Vehicle Owner Questionnaire; NHTSA publishes them as public domain data. We cache each lookup for up to 7 days.
Do complaints mean a recall is coming?
Sometimes. NHTSA opens defect investigations when complaint patterns emerge, and investigations can end in recalls. Check the recalls page for this vehicle to see what has already been recalled.