What breaks most · 2006 to 2019 model years
Ford Fusion problems by year
Owners have filed 13,246 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ford Fusion across model years 2006 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2010 for steering complaints, 2011 for steering complaints and 2012 for steering complaints. The quietest years are 2017, 2016 and 2015.
- Years to check closely: 2010, 2011, 2012
- Fewest complaints: 2017, 2016, 2015
- Complaints on file
- 132462006 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 20103994 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 50399 fires · 355 injuries · 7 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 66kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 124Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 679 | 31 | 5 | Air bags (304) | |
| 975 | 48 | 5 | Air bags (579) | |
| 1160 | 41 | 6 | Air bags (618) | |
| 805 | 47 | 7 | Brakes (339) | |
| 3994 | 85 | 13 | Steering (1124) | |
| 1922 | 60 | 9 | Steering (842) | |
| 1548 | 72 | 6 | Steering (777) | |
| 992 | 43 | 19 | Engine (220) | |
| 519 | 25 | 19 | Steering (125) | |
| 272 | 17 | 13 | Steering (65) | |
| 262 | 18 | 13 | Powertrain and transmission (78) | |
| 106 | 14 | 4 | Electrical system (37) | |
| 8 | 1 | 2 | Steering (2) | |
| 4 | 1 | 3 | Unknown or other (2) |
What fails on the 2010 Ford Fusion
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 28% |
1124 | 25 | Shop steering parts for the 2010 Ford Fusion |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 21% |
852 | 7 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 19% |
776 | 20 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 16% |
659 | 4 | Shop engine parts for the 2010 Ford Fusion |
| Air bags | 13% |
527 | 17 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 11% |
440 | 7 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2010 Ford Fusion |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 6% |
252 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2010 Ford Fusion |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 5% |
205 | 0 | Shop fuel 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.
-
My 2010 FORD fusion display in indication i have a power steering assist failure. The steering wheel is unable to be moved. Only option was to have it towed home.
-
Driving in the city, when steering wheel's power stopped. Indicator warning stated "power steering assist default". I finally was able to pull over to the side of the road. Called aaa and car was towed to my home.
-
My son was driving home when his power steering went out. We checked under the hood, and the plug for the power steering is missing. I'm so glad he or anyone else wasn't injured.
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 30, 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 3994 complaints, led by steering.
What is the most common Ford Fusion problem?
On the 2010 model year, the most-reported component is steering with 1124 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 66,000 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.