2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid Owner Complaints

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to respond normally while depressing the brake pedal. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated during the failure. The failure caused the steering wheel to lock up, the brake pedal became extremely firm, and the accelerator pedal became inoperable. Additionally, the exterior lights shut off unexpectedly and the vehicle lost electrical power. The vehicle was safely pulled into a parking lot, and the contact waited for several minutes before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted; however, 30 seconds after resuming driving the vehicle shut off again. The vehicle was towed to a Ford dealer; however, the mechanics were unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 179,000.

NHTSA ID

11747119

Incident

Jun 25, 2026

Mileage

179,000 mi

While driving a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid Titanium (approximately 157,000 miles), the Electronic Power-Assisted Steering (EPAS) system suddenly failed without warning during heavy rain in Philadelphia, PA. I was driving near the riverfront area by [XXX] when the steering immediately became extremely stiff and difficult to turn. No prior warning lights or steering-related symptoms were present before the failure. Due to wet road conditions and the sudden loss of steering assist, I temporarily lost the ability to maneuver the vehicle normally and nearly collided with roadside structures near the river. Considerable physical force was required to maintain directional control and safely move the vehicle. This created an immediate safety hazard to myself and nearby traffic. The vehicle has not been involved in a crash, but the failure created a near-miss situation. My VIN currently shows no open recall for this issue, despite similar steering-system failures reported in comparable Ford vehicles using EPAS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11739868

Incident

May 23, 2026

The factory-installed rearview backup camera on my 2013 Ford Fusion fails intermittently. When shifting into reverse, the display screen frequently goes black, shows a distorted or flickering image with multicolored lines, or displays an error message stating the camera is unavailable. The failure is unpredictable but occurs more often in hot weather or after rain, suggesting a hardware defect. The component that has failed is the rearview camera system, likely the camera module itself, which is available for inspection. This malfunction creates a significant safety hazard by eliminating rear visibility, substantially increasing the risk of a back-over collision with pedestrians, children, or other objects. The failure to display a rearview image is a non-compliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 111. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer due to its intermittent nature, making it difficult to reproduce on demand. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer or other parties regarding this issue. The symptoms first appeared several months ago and have become progressively more frequent. The primary warnings are the on-screen error messages and the loss of the video feed itself.

NHTSA ID

11696672

Incident

Mar 1, 2025

The contact's granddaughter owned a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated that while her granddaughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver looked in the rearview mirror and noticed black smoke coming from the rear seats of the vehicle. The contact stated that the driver's sons were in car seats in the rear seats of the vehicle. The driver immediately pulled over to the side of the road, exited the vehicle, and took her sons out of the vehicle. The contact stated that the entire vehicle then caught on fire. The contact stated that the driver's side of the vehicle was more burned than the rest of the vehicle. The fire was extinguished by the Fire Department, who informed the contact's granddaughter that the fire might have originated from the trunk of the vehicle. It was unknown whether a Police report or a Fire Department report was filed. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed and could be totaled. The driver's mother transported the driver and her sons to the emergency room due to smoke inhalation. It was unknown whether injuries were sustained. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11664680

Incident

Jun 3, 2025

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and approaching a stop, the vehicle jerked forward. The contact veered to the right to avoid crashing with another vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under an unknown related recall. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 95,189.

NHTSA ID

11632767

Incident

Jul 15, 2023

Mileage

95,189 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, he became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The traction control and power steering assist warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the electronic power steering gear motor. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 112,000.

NHTSA ID

11603387

Incident

Jul 17, 2024

Mileage

112,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated that while her mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to maneuver the vehicle. The steering assist warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V632000 (Steering) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 125,000.

NHTSA ID

11582565

Incident

Apr 12, 2024

Mileage

125,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that when the vehicle was turned on, the contact heard a loud sound emanating from the engine compartment. On another occasion, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle started shaking. Additionally, when the vehicle was in the park(P) position the vehicle continued to move inadvertently. The parking brake was applied to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the loud noise was from the shifting from the hybrid to gasoline and that the bushing bearings and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,000.

NHTSA ID

11576866

Incident

Jun 15, 2022

Mileage

130,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated that while sitting in the passenger seat as their husband was driving through a fast food drive-through and attempting to make a left turn the power steering suddenly failed. The dashboard was illuminated with several different lights, meanings unknown, however, there were no warning lights before the failure occurred. The driver had used an excessive amount of force to pull to the side where he turned the vehicle off and then restarted it to regain proper function. The failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the electrical power assist system failed. The independent mechanic informed them that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V250000 (Steering) and referred them to Ford. The dealer was contacted and informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V250000 (Steering) but was included in NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V413000 (Power Train) and 20V331000 (Locks, Latches ) . The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V250000 (Steering) then referred them to NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11559858

Incident

Dec 11, 2023

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, an abnormal whining sound coming from the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that while refueling the vehicle, fuel would spew back out of the tank. As both failures persisted, the vehicle began to jerk and hesitate upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. The contact attempted to make an appointment with the dealer but was informed that due to a shortage of employees, the vehicle could not be serviced for months. The contact stated that while waiting for the appointment while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled upon depression of the accelerator pedal while at a complete stop. The "Stop Safely Now" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and diagnosed with a defective purge valve which caused the transmission failure. The contact then received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train). The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the issue and informed the contact that the recall was not related to the transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ID

11481335

Incident

Jan 1, 2022

Mileage

130,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated that the brake lights remained illuminated whether the vehicle was running or turned off. Due to the failure, the contact had to jumpstart the vehicle due to the battery being drained. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer where she was provided an estimate for the repair. Upon investigation, the contact discovered recalls on the 2014 and 2015 model year vehicles for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred her to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 159,000.

NHTSA ID

11477758

Incident

Jul 24, 2022

Mileage

159,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated while driving approximately 30 MPH and slowing down to enter a parking lot, as she slowed the vehicle, it would not respond to the shift lever, and as she stopped and tried to shift the vehicle to park, the shift lever stopped responding. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact turned off the vehicle and called for a towing service and had it taken to a dealer who diagnosed that the transmission shifting cable needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

NHTSA ID

11476582

Incident

Jun 29, 2022

Mileage

180,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 35-40 MPH, she heard abnormal grinding sounds coming from the driver's side front wheel. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the ball joint and unknown suspension parts were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic who referred the contact to a certified transmission specialist. The vehicle was taken to a certified transmission specialist and was then towed to a second certified transmission specialist. Both transmission specialists diagnosed that the bushings were grinding in the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as the parts for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.

NHTSA ID

11470659

Incident

Mar 23, 2022

Mileage

136,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated that the driver’s side seat belt retractor failed to extend. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V875000 (Seat Belts) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

NHTSA ID

11469321

Incident

Jul 1, 2021

Mileage

45,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift out of gear. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was referred to the NHTSA for assistance. The contact stated the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V362000 (Power Train). The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.

NHTSA ID

11465016

Incident

May 16, 2022

Mileage

135,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while attempting to park, the vehicle became stuck in the reverse position while shifting into the drive position. The contact applied the emergency brakes to prevent the vehicle from reversing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V471000 (power train) however the recall was not associated with the VIN. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ID

11442840

Incident

Dec 6, 2021

Mileage

75,000 mi

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the steering assembly replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ID

11440666

Incident

Oct 26, 2021

Mileage

90,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2013 FORD FUSION HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE VEHICLE WAS AT A STAND STILL, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO RESTART VEHICLE, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART TWICE. THE CONTACT STATED THE POWER TRAIN WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE RESTARTED AFTER THE THIRD ATTEMPT. THE CONTACT STATED THE FAILURE RELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 18V169000 (POWER TRAIN). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 48,700.

NHTSA ID

11324385

Incident

May 13, 2020

Mileage

48,700 mi

HELLO. I JUST BUY CAR AND AFTER TWO DAY COMING SOME NOISE FROM ENGINE MECHANIC TEL ME THIS IS TRANSMISSION. SO ALSO HE TOLD ME 95% OF FORD FUSION HYBRID 2013-2014 HAVE A SAME PROBLEM. I THINK FORD HAVE TO RECALL. *TR

NHTSA ID

11323458

Incident

May 5, 2020

Mileage

172,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FUSION HYBRID. AFTER AN ALIGNMENT WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND THE VEHICLE SHOOK WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. WHEN THE CONTACT SLOWED DOWN, HE HEARD A LOUD HUMMING NOISE. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO BARTOW FORD (LOCATED AT 2800 US-98, BARTOW, FL 33830, (800) 301-8570) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.

NHTSA ID

11288438

Incident

Nov 17, 2019

Mileage

112,000 mi

WHILE COMING OFF OF AN EXIT MY RIGHT FRONT PASSENGER DOOR FLEW OPEN AND I WAS ALMOST IN AN ACCIDENT BECAUSE IT FRIGHTENED ME AS ANOTHER CAR BEHIND ME HAD TO BRAKE AS WELL TO AVOID HITTING ME FROM THE BACK. I READ UP ON THIS CAR AND THERE IS INFORMATION STATIN THE THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE DOOR LOCK/LATCHES WHERE YOU THINK YOUR DOOR IS LOCK AND IT IS NOT. NOW I TRY YO CLOSE IT, THE DOOR WILL NOT LOCK AT ALL. I DID NOT SEE A RECALL ON MY VIN BUT I NOT HAVE TO CONTACT FORD BECAUSE THERE IS INFORMATION ALL OVER THE INTERNET STATING THAT IS A KNOW FACT TO HAPPEN ON THE 2013 AND I BELIEVE THE 2014 MODELS. I ALSO HAVE AN ISSUE WHERE THE SYNC WITH MY FORD DOES NOT WORK CORRECTLY. I AM UNABLE TO USE TOUCHSCREEN BECAUSE WHEN I DUE I GET AN ERROR MESSAGE POPS UP ON THE SCREEN SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT THE USB AND POWER SOURCE AND DOES NOT ALLOW ME TO DO ANYTHING ELSE. I LITERALLY HAVE TO TURN OFF AND RESTART MY SCREEN.

NHTSA ID

11228541

Incident

Jun 30, 2019

Mileage

107,000 mi

PERIODICALLY WHEN APPLY BRAKE, NO ENGAGEMENT, AS IF I HIT A PATCH OF ICE, THEN THE BREAK ENGAGES.

NHTSA ID

11217566

Incident

Jun 3, 2019

Mileage

35,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING MYSELF TO MY EMT SALARY, FULL BENEFIT JOB WHEN MY CAR BEGAN TO SMOKE. WHEN I PULLED OVER AND LIFTED THE HOOD FLAMES CAME ROARING OUT. I PERSONALLY WAS ABLE TO PUT IT OUT BEING A FORMER FIRE FIGHTER. NOW INSURANCE SAYS THEY CAN NOT COVER THIS DUE TO IT BEING AN ENGINE FAILURE. DESPITE FULL COVERAGE, GAP INSURANCE, AND FIRE CASUALTY INSURANCE THEY COULD NOT PAY OUT FOR A NEW ENGINE. ONLY THE FIRE DAMAGE DONE UNDER THE HOOD AND NOTHING ELSE. THE DEALERSHIP EXPLAINED I NEEDED AN ENTIRELY NEW ENGINE PUT IN AND THAT IT WOULD COST 7,000.00. I HAD THIS CAR LESS THEN 6 MONTHS WHEN IT CAUGHT FIRE. I ALSO HAVE 11,000.00+ LOAN OUT ON THIS CAR. I FILED A CLAIM WITH FORD MOTOR AND THEY HAVE IGNORED ALL MY ATTEMPTS. I AM UNABLE TO GET ANOTHER LOAN DUE TO ALREADY HAVING AN OPEN CAR LOAN AND NOT ENOUGH CREDIT. I LOST MY JOB AS A RESULT TO NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD A RENTAL AFTER BLOWING THROUGH MY ENTIRE SAVINGS FOR ONE. I TEMPORARILY LOST CUSTODY OF MY SON DUE TO NOT TRANSPORTATION TO HIS SCHOOL. I LOST MY HOME DUE TO NOT HAVING MY FULL TIME JOB ANYMORE. I AM NEARING THE POINT OF LIVING ON THE STREETS. I LOST MY EMOTIONAL SUPPORT ANIMAL DUE TO HAVING NO HOME. PLEASE HELP A SINGLE MOTHER COME BACK FROM SUCH A LOSS. *JS

NHTSA ID

11217114

Incident

Feb 25, 2019

Mileage

96,237 mi

LOSS OF POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING, BARELY ABLE TO KEEP CONTROL AS IT HAPPENED MID TURN AND HAD TO STEER AWAY FROM CURB AS THE STEERING WHEEL WAS MOSTLY LOCKED UP. ERROR CODES INCLUDING STEERING ASSIST FAULT, ADVANCED TRACK FAULT, AND HIII START FAULT APPEARED AND STEERING WHEEL STAYED LOCKED UP. ATTEMPTED TURNING VEHICLE OFF AND ON BUT ERRORS AND STEERING WHEEL FAILURE REMAIN.

NHTSA ID

11216917

Incident

May 30, 2019

Mileage

76,000 mi

WHEN I PUT THE BACK SEATS DOWN TO CARRY ITEMS THE BACK SEAT WILL NOT GO BACK IN PLACE. YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE BOTTOM SEAT OUT AND REMOVE THE CENTER SEATBELT BOLT WHICH IS ATTACHED TO THE FRAME AND RELEASE THE PRESSURE ONCE YOU DO THIS THE RETURNS TO A NORMAL POSITION IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE. THE MIDDLE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR SEEMS DEFECTIVE. IT WAS STATIONARY

NHTSA ID

11208356

Incident

May 3, 2019

Mileage

88,700 mi