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Research · Midsize Cars

2008 Ford FusionRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 1,353 owner complaints for the 2008 Ford Fusion. Most complaints involve air bags (638) and service brakes (479). The EPA rates it 20–23 mpg combined.

Check a VINAdd to my garage
Combined MPG
20–23mpg
EPA · 4 versions
NHTSA overall
—
Not rated by NCAP
Safety recalls
6campaigns
Latest Mar 2021
Owner complaints
1,353
Top: air bags
Fuel cost / yr
$2,800est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

6 NHTSA campaigns · applies to some vehicles, check your VIN

Air bags: inflator module

Park It: do not driveRemedy pending

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain 2009 Ford Ranger, Edge, Fusion and Mustang, Lincoln MKX, MKZ and Zephyr and Mercury Milan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Ford is recalling certain 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ, 2005-2008 Ford Mustang and 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Air bagsReported Jan 10, 2017NHTSA 17V024000

Air bags: inflator module

Park It: do not driveRemedy pending

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Ford Ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles, and 2005-2011 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles and 2005-2008 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Any vehicle not included in "Zone A", or "Zone B" is not included in the safety recall. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, and used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the front air bags, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

Air bagsReported May 31, 2016NHTSA 16V384000

Air bags: inflator module

Free remedy

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

Air bagsReported Mar 10, 2021NHTSA 21V158000
See all 6 recalls with remedies
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 4, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

1,353 complaints filed with NHTSA · Jan 2008 – Jul 2026
  1. Air bags638
  2. Service brakes479
  3. Structure82
  4. Service brakes, hydraulic74
  5. Power train47
  6. Engine39
  7. Electrical system28
  8. Vehicle speed control24
  9. Latches/locks/linkages14

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

By model year

Complaints for each Fusion model year we’ve synced.

View as table
Model yearNHTSA complaints
2006730
20071,064
20081,353
20091,023
20105,129
20112,795
20122,617
20131,957
20141,433
20151,066
20161,737
20171,114
2018444
2019378
2020185
Crashes reported
53
Fires reported
6
Injuries reported
29
Deaths reported
0
Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 4, 2026 · Full problem breakdownNHTSA vehicle page
03 —Common problems

What owners report most

Verbatim excerpts from NHTSA complaints, by component

Air bags

638 reports18 crashes2 fires
“Takata recall. The contact owns a 2008 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The dealer had been contacted but had not returned the phone calls. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. The consumer stated there is another recall mentioned but not listed.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 15, 2022Air bagsODI 11493688

Service brakes

479 reports27 crashes
“I had the Ford brake recall work completed in 2023, but the same brake issue has returned. This appears to be the same HCU problem covered by the recall, and Ford is now refusing to repair it. I am concerned because this is a serious safety issue, and the recall repair did not permanently correct the problem.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 21, 2026Service brakesODI 11751872

Structure

82 reports3 crashes
“I want to file a safety complaint against Ford car company for their vehicle in which I purchased which is a 2008 Ford Fusion SEL for excessive and dangerous rot and rust problem on the frame and suspension and under component which can lead to accidents if one of these components fall apart . I purchased a 2008 Ford fusion SEL in Connecticut which used to be a Massachusetts state government vehicle before I've obtained it. It was well maintenance and had no flood damage. But just like a wide range of cars from Ford especially this model that I've purchased has a serious problem with excessive rust which make the car very dangerous to drive. Mind's speaking I've had to have framework done to my vehicle and change multiple suspension parts because of all the rust my transmission pan literally fell apart and all the oil came because it was so rusted. My stabilizer links and control arms have fell apart in which obstructs the steering which also caused a safety hazard for me and other people on the road. Ford has a duty to design their cars with a certain level of weather resistance. After doing research I found that there is a wide range of customers who's having…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 16, 2024Steering, Suspension, StructureODI 11577817
All 2008 Fusion problemsSend a problem to a mechanic on findmechanic.ai
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 4, 2026
04 —Key specs

Engines, transmissions & drive

4 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Midsize Cars
Engines
2.3L 4-cyl · 3.0L 6-cyl
Transmissions
Automatic 5-spd · Manual 5-spd · Automatic 6-spd
Drive
Front-Wheel Drive · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
Fuel
Regular Gasoline

Towing, payload and dimensions aren’t in the EPA or NHTSA data, so we don’t list them.

Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 4, 2026EPA listing
05 —Fuel economy

EPA fuel economy by version

City / highway / combined, annual fuel cost and CO₂
EPA
VersionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yrCO₂ g/mi
Fusion
Auto 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.3 L · Front-Wheel Drive
202823$2,800386
Fusion
Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.3 L · Front-Wheel Drive
202923$2,800386
Fusion
Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.0 L · Front-Wheel Drive
182621$3,050423
Fusion AWD
Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.0 L · 4-Wheel or All-Wheel Drive
172520$3,200444
  • Fusion
    Auto 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.3 L
    20 city · 28 hwy · $2,800/yr
    23
    mpg comb.
  • Fusion
    Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 2.3 L
    20 city · 29 hwy · $2,800/yr
    23
    mpg comb.
  • Fusion
    Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.0 L
    18 city · 26 hwy · $3,050/yr
    21
    mpg comb.
  • Fusion AWD
    Auto 6-spd, 6 cyl, 3.0 L
    17 city · 25 hwy · $3,200/yr
    20
    mpg comb.
Estimate your fuel costCost of ownership
Data from EPA fueleconomy.gov · synced Nov 4, 2026 · Fuel cost is EPA’s annual estimate (15,000 mi, 55% city)
06 —Safety

NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings

2 tested variants
NHTSA has not published 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2008 Ford Fusion as of Nov 4, 2026.
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Nov 4, 2026Vehicle 2808Vehicle 2522
07 —Maintenance

Maintenance basics

General guidance, not the OEM schedule. Check your owner’s manual.
General guidance
ItemMilesTimeNote
Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi6–12 monthsFollow the oil-life monitor if fitted
Tire rotation5,000–7,500 miEvery oil changeCheck pressure monthly
Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi1–2 yearsSooner in dusty areas
Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi1–2 years
Brake fluid—2–3 yearsAbsorbs moisture over time
Coolant60,000–100,000 mi5–10 yearsLong-life coolants last longer
Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi—Iridium/platinum plugs at the long end
12V battery—3–5 yearsHeat shortens battery life
  • Engine oil & filter5,000–10,000 mi
    6–12 months
  • Tire rotation5,000–7,500 mi
    Every oil change
  • Engine air filter15,000–30,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Cabin air filter15,000–25,000 mi
    1–2 years
  • Brake fluid—
    2–3 years
  • Coolant60,000–100,000 mi
    5–10 years
  • Spark plugs60,000–100,000 mi
    —
  • 12V battery—
    3–5 years
Typical intervals for modern cars. Severe service (towing, short trips, extreme heat or cold) shortens them.
09 —FAQ

2008 Fusion questions

How many recalls does the 2008 Ford Fusion have?

6 safety recalls as of Nov 4, 2026, according to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check your VIN to see whether your car is included and whether the repair was done.

What are the most common 2008 Ford Fusion problems?

Owners filed 1,353 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are air bags (638), service brakes (479), structure (82). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2008 Ford Fusion get?

The EPA rates the 2008 Ford Fusion at 20–23 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (4 versions rated).

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Nov 4, 2026