What breaks most · 2006 to 2020 model years
Ford Fusion problems by year
Owners have filed 22,344 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ford Fusion across model years 2006 to 2020. Three years stand out: 2010 for steering complaints, 2011 for steering complaints and 2012 for steering complaints. The quietest years are 2018, 2006 and 2015.
- Years to check closely: 2010, 2011, 2012
- Fewest complaints: 2018, 2006, 2015
- Complaints on file
- 223442006 to 2020, all trims
- Worst year
- 20105126 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 789170 fires · 534 injuries · 7 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 78kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 127Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 730 | 38 | 5 | Air bags (319) | |
| 1064 | 58 | 5 | Air bags (615) | |
| 1353 | 53 | 6 | Air bags (638) | |
| 1022 | 65 | 7 | Brakes (473) | |
| 5126 | 122 | 13 | Steering (1659) | |
| 2783 | 80 | 9 | Steering (1426) | |
| 2513 | 107 | 6 | Steering (1471) | |
| 1789 | 63 | 19 | Steering (389) | |
| 1328 | 51 | 19 | Steering (326) | |
| 991 | 33 | 13 | Engine (270) | |
| 1613 | 58 | 13 | Engine (439) | |
| 1106 | 37 | 4 | Engine (393) | |
| 437 | 9 | 2 | Engine (201) | |
| 311 | 5 | 3 | Engine (150) | |
| 178 | 10 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (66) |
What fails on the 2010 Ford Fusion
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 32% |
1659 | 32 | Shop steering parts for the 2010 Ford Fusion |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 17% |
894 | 8 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 15% |
793 | 21 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 14% |
700 | 6 | Shop engine parts for the 2010 Ford Fusion |
| Air bags | 12% |
590 | 27 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 9% |
484 | 7 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2010 Ford Fusion |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 8% |
435 | 30 | Shop brakes parts for the 2010 Ford Fusion |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 6% |
324 | 4 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2010 Ford Fusion |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Steering wheel will not turn. Tried to reset but that did not work. Mechanic diagnosed it as a power steering rack failure. Steering rack needs to be replaced.
-
Having loss of power steering assist the advanced trac peering steering says service now I feel it should fall under a recall cause I took it to a mechanic shop and they told me they ford fusion have issues with the power assist steering cause it goes out
-
Vehicle experienced loss of power steering so it was hard to steer.When I called a ford dealership I was told my vehicle didn’t qualify for any power steering recalls so I would have to pay full price which is unaffordable
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Ford Fusion years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2010, 2011, 2012 carry the most filings on the Ford Fusion. The 2010 alone has 5126 complaints, led by steering.
What is the most common Ford Fusion problem?
On the 2010 model year, the most-reported component is steering with 1659 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Ford Fusion problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Ford Fusion complaints that include mileage is about 78,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.