Problems · NHTSA complaints

2010 Ford Fusion problems

Owners filed 5,129 complaints about the 2010 Ford Fusion with NHTSA between Apr 2009 and Sep 2026. The most-cited component is steering (1,661).

Complaints
5,129
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
122
Reported by owners
Fires
9
Reported by owners
Injuries
74
People reported injured
Deaths
1
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Steering1,661
  2. Power train894
  3. Vehicle speed control793
  4. Engine700
  5. Air bags591
  6. Fuel/propulsion system484
  7. Service brakes437
  8. Electrical system324
  9. Fuel system, gasoline221
  10. Electronic stability control (esc)144
  11. Wheels143
  12. Service brakes, hydraulic101
  13. Engine and engine cooling93
  14. Structure87

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

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 11, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20099
2010111
2011138
2012301
20131,169
2014351
2015340
2016344
2017468
2018591
2019396
2020284
2021181
2022162
2023131
202485
202545
202623

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Steering

1,661 reports32 crashes1 fire
“We have had multiple issues with the ABS and HCU since we bought this car used a couple years ago. We've replaced the ABS Module and HCU and had Ford reprogram it and are still having issues. The brakes go out fully and I went through a red light. The ABS and Traction control and check brake system lights come on. We've spent a couple thousand dollars trying to fix this issue. The brakes have gone out before this incident as well around 95k miles and intermittently since. If needed, contact for invoices.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 19, 2026Steering, Service brakesODI 11765517

Power train

894 reports8 crashes1 fire1 related recall
“Unintended acceleration event. Entered vehicle, put my foot on the brake, cranked it, held in that position while seatbelting. Engine had a VERY loud revving sound. Within seconds vehicle moving backwards on its own. Foot still on the brake, had not touched gas pedal, had not touched gear shifter, and was still sitting straight forward with my foot on the brake and confirmed gear shifter in park. The car quickly accelerated backwards faster and brake pedal had no effect on stopping or slowing vehicle. Went approx. 30’ across parking lot and only stopped because we hit truck parked behind us. Quickly turned off engine and removed keys. Shifter still shows Park. Careful driver. No history of accidents. I found there were several thousand reported events of unintended acceleration (Ford vehicles 2002 to 2010). Ford tried to explain many as driver error or floor mat touching the gas pedal. My mat was clipped down, as designed, with no all-weather mat on top of them, and my foot did not leave the brake pedal. AI says revving as described is "classic behavior of failing Electronic Throttle Body on 2010 Fords", "Surging without touching the pedal and known defect are…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 21, 2025Power train, Electrical system, Service brakesCrash reportedODI 11700846

Vehicle speed control

793 reports21 crashes1 fire
“Electronic Throttle Body Car lost power on busy, construction road Manufacturer issued secret warranty to owners and did not send out notice Multiple certified mechanics have inspected the vehicle Check engine, ABS, service advance trac, and power train lights were on and i am uncertain when they first came on”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 19, 2024Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11620773

Engine

700 reports6 crashes1 fire
“The throttle body failed. It is not available for inspection because it was replaced. While driving on a high-speed road, the engine felt like it shuddered, and the car lost engine power and would no longer accelerate. At the same time, the light shaped like a wrench came on. Our safety was therefore put at risk because we could now barely accelerate, and could easily have been rear-ended. The problem was confirmed and repaired by an independent service center. After doing the repair, the service center informed us that there was a Ford Customer Satisfaction Service Bulletin (13NO3) for this problem. We called Ford about this bulletin and were told that the Bulletin was limited to ten years or 150,000 miles, whichever came first. Even though our car is over ten years old, it only has 87,000 miles on it.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 1, 2024Unknown or other, Engine, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11623069

Air bags

591 reports27 crashes1 fire7 related recalls
“my car was rear ended in an accident somebody ran into the back of my car while i was stopped/parked at a stop light.. the impact was so hard that i crashed into another vehicle that was in front of me. I was wearing a seatbelt at the time but somehow still hit my head on the steering wheel and suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury because the seatbelt didn’t secure me and the airbags didn’t deploy.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 14, 2026Air bags, Seat beltsCrash reportedODI 11737811

Fuel/propulsion system

484 reports7 crashes1 fire
“Car was checked for recall 15S34 and incorrectly determined to not have a problem. This recall deals with the gas tank cracking open. This car will pool gas on the ground under the car. Ford says since this was previously looked at, even if the determination was false, they will not take any action or help with it. Please assist - this is a known problem and should be repaired under the recall.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 24, 2025Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11668817
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 11, 2026

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