CSR

Ford · NHTSA safety record

2018 Ford Fusion Hybrid

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

59

Complaints

8

Crashes

1

Fires

7

Injuries

1

Deaths

Owners of the 2018 Ford Fusion Hybrid have filed 59 safety complaints with NHTSA between April 2018 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 10 of them (17%). The typical failure was reported at 67,000 miles, the median across the 27 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

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.

Defect investigations (2)

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.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 59.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 10 17%
POWER TRAIN 10 17%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 8 14%
SERVICE BRAKES 7 12%
STEERING 7 12%
AIR BAGS 6 10%
WHEELS 5 8%
ENGINE 4 7%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 3 5%
SEAT BELTS 3 5%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2 3%
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 2 3%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2024 at 15.

2018 2024 2026
2018 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

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

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 death

2018 FORD FUSION HYBRID. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO SAFETY ISSUE WITH VEHICLE. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE OWNER OF THE VEHICLE WAS FOUND DECEASED, WEDGED BETWEEN THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AND THE DOOR POST IN THE DRIVEWAY OF A MOBILE HOME. THE ENGINE WAS RUNNING AND THE VEHICLE WAS IN GEAR. IT APPEARED THE VEHICLE ROLLED UP AGAINST THE STEPS OF THE MOBILE HOME. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED, BUT THERE WERE NO DISCREPANCIES FOUND. *JS

NHTSA complaint 11153788. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed

The air bags did not deploy on the front passenger side after a two car accident. There was an injury to the passenger of the car. Vehicle was inspected by police and there were no warning signs

NHTSA complaint 11744654. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

IN HEAD ON CRASH AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY

NHTSA complaint 11432841. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed · 90,000 miles

The contact owned a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, she was rear-ended by another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The contact was later treated for various bruising in an area hospital, as well as receiving a CT scan and an x-ray of her left ankle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic; instead, it was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.

NHTSA complaint 11543940. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS
The leather-covered dashboard panel, in the approximately 4-6 inch section between the base of the windshield and the first seam across the dash, has shrunk, rippled, and pulled away from the underlying substrate. This area also houses the driver-assist camera housing and the defrost vent. The vehicle was purchased new and has been Ford-maintained, professionally detailed, and garage-kept throughout ownership; the leather has been regularly cleaned and conditioned as part of routine dealership detailing, ruling out lack of care as a cause. The vehicle's build date is January 2018, which falls within the range covered by Ford Technical Service Bulletin 18-2283 ("Instrument Panel Sagging at

NHTSA complaint 11754944, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured

The chrome trim on the parking brake switch started chipping. The sharp edge drew a drop of blood and small pieces attached to your fingers. Replaced the switch in June 2026

NHTSA complaint 11747443. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

crash

I am reporting a serious safety issue with my 2018 Ford Fusion Hybrid SE that affects the braking system and related electronics: 1.The ABS stopped functioning previously. 2.Recently, the car displayed a “Brake Malfunction” warning for the first time, which appears when making sharp turns. 3.The TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system) stopped working some time ago. These issues are extremely dangerous. The electronic brake booster and ABS module are critical for safe braking, especially in emergency situations. With the ABS and brake assist compromised, the pedal can suddenly become rock hard or soft, stopping distance increases dramatically, and traction control/ABS is unavailable during

NHTSA complaint 11682612, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Bad bearings in hybrid transmission

NHTSA complaint 11641439. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES
Leaking fluid, etc similar to recall on other 2018 Ford Fusions

NHTSA complaint 11641441. 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
2017 67 0
2016 48 0
2015 46 2
2014 65 1
2013 126 1
2012 95 0
2011 132 0 2
2010 507 0

Other 2018 Ford models

Every Ford on this site — 348 vehicles, 1210 recall campaigns and 10 open investigation s.

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. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

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