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Ford · NHTSA safety record

2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 69 safety complaints about the 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid with the US government. Of those, 7 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 8 people were injured and no death is recorded. No recall campaign has been matched to this year, make and model.

The most complained-about system is the power train, named in 18 complaints, 26% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 47,000 miles, the median across the 40 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers August 2016 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

69 complaints on file

69

Complaints

7

Describe a crash

1

Mention fire

8

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
POWER TRAIN 18 · 26%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13 · 19%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 13 · 19%
STEERING 12 · 17%
SERVICE BRAKES 8 · 12%
AIR BAGS 7 · 10%
ENGINE 7 · 10%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 · 6%
SUSPENSION 3 · 4%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 3 · 4%
WHEELS 3 · 4%
EQUIPMENT 1 · 1%
0 8 15

One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 69.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2023 at 19.

20 15 10 5
16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2016 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA has not crash tested the 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid. Its New Car Assessment Program tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It is not a low score.

What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke during ordinary use.

Defect investigations

2 on file

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Pedestrian alert sounds

DP22005

Closed defect petition · opened January 27, 2023 · closed August 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000

the electrical system

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified NHTSA he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by NHTSA regarding the subject matter of the petition.

Front Brake Jounce Hose Failures

RQ22004

Closed recall query · opened August 8, 2022 · closed March 24, 2023 · led to recall 23V162000

the hydraulic brakes

On August 8, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 50 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging front brake jounce hose ruptures on model year (MY) 2013-2018 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. A ruptured front brake hose results in a brake fluid leak. As a result, the driver may experience an increase in pedal travel and a reduction in the rate of deceleration, increasing the risk of a crash. It should be noted that the subject vehicles identified fell outside the scope of NHTSA Safety Recall 20V-469, which addressed front brake hoses rupturing on certain MY 2015-2018 Ford Edge and 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX vehicles. The result causes a brake fluid leak, lengthening the distance needing to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.On March 10, 2023, Ford Motor Company (Ford) submitted to NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-162 (Ford Recall 23S12) to address front brake jounce hoses that may rupture. Ford found the rupture occurs from a localized failure of the internal reinforcement braid due to cyclic fatigue through tensile/bending and torsional inputs during suspension and steering articulations. The supplier for the front brake jounce hoses is Hitachi. This recall affects the subject vehicles equipped with non-hybrid engines and the suspect front brake jounce hoses (a total of 1,280,726 vehicles). The recall covers subject vehicles built from February 3, 2012 to July 19, 2017 when the suspect hoses were used in vehicle production. The remedy is for dealerships to replace both front brake jounce hoses with new hoses that have a revised braid material at no cost. The vehicles equipped with hybrid engines are excluded from the recall because the internal hose pressure is much lower due to the regenerative braking provided by the hybrid brake system. No failures of brake hoses on hybrid vehicles have been reported to ODI or Ford.Ford's actions address ODIs concerns at this time. Hybrid vehicles will be monitored for related failures. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by new circumstances.The 103 ODI numbers cited above can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under the following ID numbers:11511014, 11510867, 11510318, 11509030, 11505993, 11504989, 11504400, 11502147, 11502082, 11501820, 11501283, 11498439, 11498296, 11496842, 11496335, 11494931, 11494851, 11494252, 11493001, 11492084, 11492070, 11491444, 11491274, 11488858, 11488027, 11487627, 11487416, 11487233, 11486150, 11484924, 11484526, 11484080, 11483948, 11483926, 11483739, 11483723, 11482773, 11482690, 11481077, 11480788, 11480294, 11480052, 11479338, 11479334, 11479252, 11479247, 11479187, 11479094, 11479048, 11478985, 11478953, 11478729, 11478216, 11476892, 11476282, 11470558, 11468994, 11467109, 11466294, 11462746, 11461217, 11456065, 11455367, 11444848, 11436419, 11436376, 11430685, 11428329, 11425083, 11421026, 11420738, 11420735, 11420298, 11418197, 11403926, 11397549, 11366991, 11366757, 11361016, 11359968, 11354569, 11352165, 11350344, 11348799, 11343929, 11343205, 11331947, 11329020, 11319596, 11310529, 11292271, 11288455, 11254787, 11253479, 11253244, 11234622, 11230669, 11230050, 11228240, 11221111, 11143630, 11129392 and 11120228.

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

4 injured · crash · towed

Airbags failed to deploy at 30-40 mph head on collision. Vehicle had an airbag light come up, was inspected by Ford and the RCM module was replaced as directed by manual. Airbags were also inspected at the time. Lights were cleared after the replacement. Was the car not reading the speed at the time of the accident? My wife and 2 toddlers were in the vehicle at the time of the accident. I have a wrist injury and whiplash. Injuries could have been worse if it was a vehicle of twice the size or a semi.

NHTSA complaint 11580473. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · crash · towed · 17,000 miles

WHEN I HAD TO BRAKE, THE CAR DID NOT RESPOND TO THE BRAKE EVEN THOUGH I HAD PRESSED HARD ON THE BRAKE. THE RESULT WAS THAT I HIT A CAR IN FRONT OF ME. SINCE IT WAS NOT HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC, MY INJURY WAS TRAUMA TO MY FOOT. THE CONCERN WAS THAT THERE WAS PLENTY OF TIME TO STOP, NOT AN 'EMERGENCY' STOP. I WAS ON A SURFACE STREET WHERE SPEED WAS 35-40 MILES PER HOUR. ALL AIR BAGS WERE DEPLOYED. THE CAR WAS TOWED AND DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS BY MY INSURANCE COMPANY. AS A RESULT, UNABLE TO DO ANY OTHER INVESTIGATION. I DO NOT HAVE

NHTSA complaint 11076148. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 42,000 miles

TAKATA RECALL THIS CAR DOES NOT HAVE RELIABLE BREAKS I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT ON 12/26/18. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND NOTHING HAPPENED. NOW I'M LEFT WITH BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS . AND THE STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG BLEW SMOKE IN MY FACE AND THIS CAR HAS TWO OPEN RECALLS AND IT'S A RENTAL THROUGH HERTZ

NHTSA complaint 11162346. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · crash · towed · 42,000 miles

TL* THE CONTACT RENTED A 2017 FORD FUSION. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE ABS WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. ALSO, THE BRAKE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOORBOARD WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT FACILITY. HERTZ RENTAL CAR IN SAN MATEO, CALIFORNIA WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. A DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 42,000.

NHTSA complaint 11162506. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Backup camera lens is defective and has UV damage / hazing. Makes reversing extremely difficult and dangerous as the lens is not giving a good image output to the infotainment screen to the point it is difficult to identify anything (cars, pedestrians, etc). Ford has a known recall on the fusions for 2013-2016, and have excluded 2017-2020 model years even though hardware is the same. I have ordered and am replacing the backup camera myself. Seems to be a common/known issue. Hoping to log a complaint and have Ford reimburse me for the trouble.

NHTSA complaint 11762144. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING
The rack and pinion has failed twice within 2 and a half years. The steering has completely gone out twice while driving, causing extremely unsafe circumstances that could put multiple people in danger. After doing some research this is a common issue with Ford Fusions which is putting a lot of people in danger since it is a loss of steering issue. My wheel completely locked up while driving on the highway, how is this part not recalled yet? There are two separate safety recalls dealing with steering issues but the rack and pinion is not specifically mentioned so it is not covered under recall. This is extremely unsafe. Please look into this. Thank you.

NHTSA complaint 11760256. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire

While driving roughly 5mph leaving from being parked for over 1.5 hours the hybrid battery caught/ control module caught on fire. Causing part of the truck carpet to catch fire. Since there was someone in the backseat that quickly felt the heat they turned the car off and stopped. The fire was put out. We end having it towed to the ford dealership that could not identify the reason it caught on fire. This is a known issue but the recall only affected 2 days of production.

NHTSA complaint 11661325. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

11,768 miles

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while using the key fob to start the vehicle, the heat on the front driver's seat and steering wheel failed to operate as intended. The contact manually depressed the button to turn on the heat. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted and diagnosed that the instrument cluster and APIM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, White Bear Lincoln, Inc. (3425 Hwy 61 N, St Paul, MN 55110) who diagnosed that the instrument cluster and APIM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the

NHTSA complaint 11648737, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

21,600 miles

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated while making a left turn, the steering wheel made a complete 360-degree turn; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. Additionally, the horn and the buttons on the steering wheel became inoperable. The contact pushed up on the steering wheel, applying a lot of pressure, to steer the vehicle while turning. Additionally, when the vehicle was started, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact believed that the failures were associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V167000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately

NHTSA complaint 11611533, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

towed · 180,000 miles

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle shut off unexpectedly. The message that the engine was overheating was displayed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The RED Triangle Symbol (Master Warning Light) was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the transmission was leaking and that the hybrid system, battery, and engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed there were no open recalls on the VIN related to the failure. The contact was then referred

NHTSA complaint 11598600, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Ford Fusion Hybrid

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2020 8 0 —
2019 35 0 —
2018 59 0 1
2016 53 0 —
2015 46 2 —
2014 65 1 —
2013 126 1 —
2012 96 0 —
2011 132 0 2
2010 508 0 —

Other 2017 Ford models

Escape 2,689 Explorer 1,694 F-150 1,442 Edge 1,365 F-250 SD 1,155 Fusion 1,111 Focus 897 F-350 SD 573

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Ford on this site — 359 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst