RoadVitals

2017 Ford Fusion Problems

Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1,101
Latest Jul 23, 2026
Components namedHow many of our component categories appear on at least one report for this model year. One report can name several.
16
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
45

What this page shows

Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2017 Ford Fusion, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Reports by component

Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Each component in detail

What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words

Engine

Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.

493
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID 11752388 · filed Jul 23, 2026

The vehicle in question has the coolant intrusion into cylinders 2 and 3 with rough idle on startup, P0300, P0302, P0303, and white smoke on startup. The vehicle now has 111339 miles on it and the out of pocket cost is more than what the vehicle blue books for in excellent condition. TSB 22-2134 speaks to all the issue and what the repair is. If this is a known issue then I feel this should be a vehicle recall by Ford due to the costly repair.

NHTSA ID 11751941 · filed Jul 21, 2026
All 493 reports naming engine

Powertrain (other)

Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.

294
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

I was coming home from work and when I tried to shift the gear from drive to park it was stuck on drive and Neutral I contacted the car dealer and they said ford has had this issue that it was a recall on it so I researched and found out that Ford issued major safety recalls (Recall 22S43 and 18S20) for 2017 Ford Fusions regarding a degraded transmission shifter cable bushing. This defect can cause the shifter cable to detach. Consequently, the car may roll away unexpectedly because the transmission isn't actually in Park, even though the shifter says it is.Recall DetailsThe Problem: The underhood shift cable bushing can degrade and fail over time.The Remedy: Ford dealers will replace the transmission shifter cable bushing and add a protective cap over it free of charge (parts and labor). It my VIN# was not coming up as a recall and this is an ongoing issue for this car and I would like to get this resolved as soon as possible with ford recall please thank you

NHTSA ID 11752546 · filed Jul 23, 2026

On 7/8/2026, the vehicle became undriveable. Placing the vehicle in reverse on the shidfter dial using registered a conflicting direction on the dashboard indicator. The vehicle was towed to a dealership and the repair consisted of replacing the shift cable bushing. This was the same fix required in recalls 18S20 & 22V413. On 7/9/2026 the issue was verified by a Ford dealership tech. I was advised that the protective cap is now contained in the repair kit with the shift cable bushing. A brief fleeting warning on the screen indicated a "Shift Fault - See Manual" or words to that effect. The manual only seemed to reference a "Steering Fault" Ford HQ was notified - Reference No: CXH-08533100

NHTSA ID 11749428 · filed Jul 9, 2026
All 294 reports naming powertrain (other)

Electrical

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.

124
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

On 7/8/2026, the vehicle became undriveable. Placing the vehicle in reverse on the shidfter dial using registered a conflicting direction on the dashboard indicator. The vehicle was towed to a dealership and the repair consisted of replacing the shift cable bushing. This was the same fix required in recalls 18S20 & 22V413. On 7/9/2026 the issue was verified by a Ford dealership tech. I was advised that the protective cap is now contained in the repair kit with the shift cable bushing. A brief fleeting warning on the screen indicated a "Shift Fault - See Manual" or words to that effect. The manual only seemed to reference a "Steering Fault" Ford HQ was notified - Reference No: CXH-08533100

NHTSA ID 11749428 · filed Jul 9, 2026

The door entry control numbers are on all the time now which will cause the battery to drain if the car is not driven daily. It says that water from a car wash or rain has gotten in behind the door control panel.

NHTSA ID 11747581 · filed Jul 1, 2026
All 124 reports naming electrical

Brakes

Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.

101
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

NHTSA claim # 11739491 update 05/22/2026 Young Ford Ogden Utah is refusing to execute the remedy for open safety recall 23S12 on my vehicle. They are refusing to run diagnostics test to honor the recall without paying $100 and up fee.

NHTSA ID 11739621 · filed May 22, 2026

NHTSA recall 23V-162/Ford recall 23S12 Vehicle suffered secondary failure of recall remedy part which caused an immediate loss of braking ability. Ford dealer refused a safety tow unless I paid for it upfront which forced me to use my personal roadside insurance. After calling local dealer to assure vehicle had arrived after being towed, dealer said they couldn't look at vehicle until Tuesday , five days later because of the weekend and holiday.

NHTSA ID 11739491 · filed May 22, 2026
All 101 reports naming brakes

Steering

Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.

51
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

I am the owner of a 2017 Ford Fusion with 61,000 miles on the odometer. Please note that I have always taken good care of my car, having it serviced promptly when required. In recent weeks, I have had to replace my complete steering rack (cost $4,500) and two weeks later, my 1.7-liter Ecoboost engine due to a coolant leak into the number two cylinder at a cost of $6,700. Ford has known about both problems for years and they have resulted in both class action and small claims suits against the company. Regarding the engine, Ford issued Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12, Technical Service Bulletin TSB 22-2134 and Customer Satisfaction Program 19B37 - Supplement #4 to replace the car's engine short block. This covered cars for 7 years of service or 84,000 miles - with, as quoted in the Ford memo sent to dealers on June 9, 2022, "coverage automatically extended to subsequent owners," for presumably the life of the car. Since this is clearly a manufacturing error (as Ford admits in its June 9, 2022 memo to dealers) and not due to negligence on my part, I should be reimbursed for my expenses. The NHTSA should also open a recall case on this matter for owners like myself.

NHTSA ID 11746906 · filed Jun 27, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The vehicle was started; however, the steering wheel failed to function as intended. The contact moved the gear shift lever to reverse(R), and the steering wheel seized. The tow truck driver had a difficult time trying to move the vehicle onto the flatbed truck. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that high friction on the gear and the entire steering alignment needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

NHTSA ID 11720997 · filed Feb 27, 2026
All 51 reports naming steering

Fuel system

Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.

36
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Coolant leaking into cylinder, causing sudden rough driving, engine overheating warnings that don’t match temperature readings and distract driving.

NHTSA ID 11710371 · filed Jan 12, 2026

Have had to replace the same 2 coil pacs in last three months. Car will not accelerate properly will not shift into gears properly took to have information test done keeps coming back fouled 2 & 4 coils

NHTSA ID 11698058 · filed Nov 7, 2025
All 36 reports naming fuel system

Driver assistance

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.

29
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Rear Backup Camera keeps malfunctioning. The display screen from camera glitches or goes black and eventually it will state that rear camera is not available.

NHTSA ID 11729461 · filed Apr 6, 2026

2 separate dealerships made me pay to replace faulty tires when the new ones blew out within less than a month of purchase. They also pocketed the mail in rebates I was promised for buying new sets of tires from their locations. I started taking my car to an independent garage for regular maintenance. My traction control light has been on since shortly after I bought the car in 2018 but I never imagined I'd be spending my entire savings on repairs immediately after the useless warranty expired. First it was a cracked flex plate which I'm lucky happened when I was driving on a side road as opposed to the interstate. I was going roughly 55mph when I lost my ability to steer, accelerate, or even cut power to the ignition. My car has been towed 4 times with total cost of almost 10K and it still isn't fixed. I reported everything to Ford they don't stand by anything Ford manufactures. I'll probably be living in this piece of trash soon enough as that savings I just wasted was a down payment for a house

NHTSA ID 11692641 · filed Oct 11, 2025
All 29 reports naming driver assistance

Other / unspecified

Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.

28
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while pulled over on the shoulder and attempting to change a tire, the contact was unable to remove the lug nuts to change the tire. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the vehicle was diagnosed with faulty lug nuts. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.

NHTSA ID 11582467 · filed Apr 11, 2024

The contact's daughter owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the power steering assist, traction control, and hill stop assist warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the rack and pinion needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,720.

NHTSA ID 11574308 · filed Feb 27, 2024
All 28 reports naming other / unspecified

Airbags

Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.

28
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The dash deteriorated to the extent that, according to a Ford engineer, the passenger airbag will not deploy properly.

NHTSA ID 11584932 · filed Apr 24, 2024

I was a victim in a car crash driving this vehicle when another vehicle hit me and deployed my air bags. Due to the air bags deployment I ended up with significant burn marks to my arm which is likely to permanently scar.

NHTSA ID 11543218 · filed Sep 7, 2023
All 28 reports naming airbags

Visibility

Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.

14
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle and attempting to close the front passenger side window or the front driver's side window, the windows raised up but failed to remain closed. The contact stated that the windows immediately rolled back down independently. The cause of the failure was not yet determined, and the vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed of a TSB related to the failure, but no assistance to repair the vehicle was offered. The failure mileage was 22,000.

NHTSA ID 11672002 · filed Jul 8, 2025

Steering wheel clock spring is not working. Controls wipers, turn signals, speed control, voice commands, lane aware and allows to toggle thru control settings do not work. Ford doesn’t have part available or an ETA. This part covers vehicles from 2013 thru 2024 so currently vehicles coming down assembly line are using. My car is unusable like this. Aftermarket part is also unavailable. Please help

NHTSA ID 11620321 · filed Oct 17, 2024
All 14 reports naming visibility

Transmission

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.

13
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon reversing out of the driveway and attempting to shift to drive(D), the message "System Fault - Consult Manual" was displayed. The contact was not able to shift to drive(D). The contact looked underneath the vehicle and noticed that the shifter cable was loosened. The contact was able to insert a screwdriver into the end of the cable, and the contact was able to shift to drive(D). The contact drove to the residence. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the shifter cable bushing had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an undisclosed recall however, the model year was not included. The dealer confirmed that the vehicle was not covered. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ID 11678715 · filed Aug 6, 2025

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ID 11637306 · filed Jan 21, 2025
All 13 reports naming transmission

Exterior lighting

Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.

9
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

I experienced an issue identical to safety recall 22S02. Rear brake light remains on due to a broken Brakelight stop bumper. Dealership did not offer to fix at no charge.

NHTSA ID 11751907 · filed Jul 21, 2026

Steering wheel clock spring is not working. Controls wipers, turn signals, speed control, voice commands, lane aware and allows to toggle thru control settings do not work. Ford doesn’t have part available or an ETA. This part covers vehicles from 2013 thru 2024 so currently vehicles coming down assembly line are using. My car is unusable like this. Aftermarket part is also unavailable. Please help

NHTSA ID 11620321 · filed Oct 17, 2024
All 9 reports naming exterior lighting

Seat belts

Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.

7
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Driver's side selt belt does not latch all the time. Yes can be inspected. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? If the seat fails, injury can occur in a crash Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Appointment is July 18 Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? no Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? no

NHTSA ID 11750259 · filed Jul 14, 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion Energi. The contact stated while parked and attempting to fasten the rear passenger's side and driver's side seat belts, the seat belts failed to retract. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the seat belts could not be ordered because the seat belts had been discontinued. The approximate mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ID 11623626 · filed Nov 5, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Interior & seats

Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.

6
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the passenger’s side doors failed to open as intended. The contact stated that the door handle had detached from the door. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the door failed to open from the outside. The contact stated that the failure had occurred twice. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 87,419.

NHTSA ID 11655313 · filed Apr 17, 2025

I obtained my vehicle on Lease in 2017 with 40K miles from Ford of Branford CT. When off lease I purchased it outright. I still own the vehicle and am still having Two main problems, One since almost the beginning. The First is the automatic seat control(driver's). This system would periodically push the driver into the Steering Wheel. I brought it into that dealership several times for that reason, while still in CT. They did claim to get it to stop doing this with some resets, but over time it continued. Around 2020, the vehicle began going totally dead. Initially it was determined to be the Starting Battery. My concern was it to ba a Compiter or Power drain problem. Several batteries and Dealership visits didn't solve it. I moved to SC in May 2022. These problems continued there, where Cox Ford of Southern Pines took over. After more Service visits the only answer was a BAD BATTERY. Recently, after returning from Vacation and having to jump start the vehicle two times, I had several conversations with the service department. Finally a new Service writer found some information. A Technical Service Bulletin described how in this vehicle, how under seat wiring for the automatic seats, were becoming frayed and shorting on metal rails.(182025A). Also another for Battery Drain (SSM 50250). My Automotive background (which I no longer do) Tells me that electric seat wiring, grounding against seat rails could cause the Battery to be Draining. I believe they could be connected.

NHTSA ID 11637769 · filed Jan 22, 2025

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Body & structure

Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.

6
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

Trunk pops open on its own

NHTSA ID 11642087 · filed Feb 11, 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while placing her grandchild in the car seat in the rear of the vehicle, she became aware of mold inside the vehicle. The contact stated that the rear passenger’s side and the trunk had mold. The contact stated that water had leaked into the vehicle from the overhead light. The contact stated she was constantly sick and had ear infections. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The vehicle was inspected; however, the contact was unsure of the results. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was a known issue; however, the repair would be an out-of-pocket expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ID 11607534 · filed Aug 9, 2024

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Suspension

Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.

5
reports

From owner reports, verbatim

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after shifting from park(P) into drive(D), the gear shifter erroneously shifted back to park(P). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the shifter cable bushing was faulty and needed to be replaced. The shifter cable bushing was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, the steering wheel abruptly jerked to the left. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who determined that the front ball joints were faulty and needed to be replaced. No further information was available. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA ID 11587886 · filed May 9, 2024

Shift linkage keep detaching from the the transmission causing the transmission too slip. It detaches often it’s been going on for 2 months now. I called Ford dealership to see have they heard of this problem and they answer was no. It might be a recall on this vehicle.

NHTSA ID 11420862 · filed Jun 14, 2021

Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .