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Research · Midsize Cars

2011 Ford FusionRecalls, problems, MPG & safety

NHTSA lists 9 safety recalls and 2,795 owner complaints for the 2011 Ford Fusion. Most complaints involve steering (1,436) and air bags (330). The EPA rates it 19–26 mpg combined, and NHTSA gives it 4 stars overall.

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Combined MPG
19–26mpg
EPA · 8 versions
NHTSA overall
4of 5 stars
NCAP crash tests
Safety recalls
9campaigns
Latest Mar 2021
Owner complaints
2,795
Top: steering
Fuel cost / yr
$2,450est.
EPA estimate, best version
01 —Recalls

Safety recalls

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

Air bags: inflator module

Park It: do not driveFree remedy

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of 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, Ford is recalling certain 2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles and 2011-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of 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." Ford is also recalling certain 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2010-2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, and 2010-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

Air bagsReported Jan 7, 2019NHTSA 19V001000

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 9 recalls with remedies
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 4, 2026 · All recall detailsNHTSA vehicle page
02 —Complaints

Owner complaints by component

2,795 complaints filed with NHTSA · Dec 2010 – Oct 2026
  1. Steering1,436
  2. Air bags330
  3. Engine276
  4. Power train268
  5. Vehicle speed control256
  6. Electrical system203
  7. Fuel/propulsion system176
  8. Service brakes169
  9. Electronic stability control (esc)93

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
80
Fires reported
11
Injuries reported
46
Deaths reported
1
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

Steering

1,436 reports42 crashes
“My mom’s 2011 Ford Fusion SEL experienced a loss of electric power steering assistance. I cannot determine the exact moment the failure occurred. When I started the vehicle and attempted to drive away, I noticed that the steering wheel was extremely stiff. The dashboard displayed a “Power Steering Assist Fault” warning. The steering assistance has not returned, including after replacing the vehicle’s battery. I diagnosed the vehicle using FORScan, which identified the following diagnostic trouble codes in the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM): U3000:96-C8 — Control Module, Component Internal Failure. C200C:2F-48 — Steering Shaft Torque Sensor 2, Signal Erratic. Both codes were recorded as previously set and not present at the time of the diagnostic request. However, the power steering warning remains displayed and the steering wheel remains extremely difficult to turn with the engine running. This vehicle was previously included in Ford Safety Recall 15S18 / NHTSA Recall 15V340, addressing loss of electric power steering assistance. Ford confirmed that the recall was completed in 2015 through reprogramming the Power Steering Control Module only rather than…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 13, 2026SteeringODI 11770975

Air bags

330 reports19 crashes
“ihave?opntitle.2011fordfusionseflexfuel1OFTHEEXPENSIVEMACHANICALREPLACE ,TOREPAIR/ELECTRONICASSISTSHUTOFFTOMANUALSTEER:FORDWILLREPLACEAIRBAGREPAIR:DRIVEABLE'RUNS:ELECTRONICPOWERSTERINGASSISTANCESHUTOFF':DRIVABLE;REPAIRPALSAYONWED'.STEERINGASSIST/#VIN.TOO15YEARS,FORDDEALER,SERVICETELLSMEMILAGEW/YEARSOLDNOAPPLYbut$.288.00.DIAGNOSIS{FORDPROCONTACTCENTEROFEXCELLENCE./DIAGNOSIS288.00-300.00/SERVICEMAN/SUBMITTAPPROVAL.PHONECONVERSATION/LOCALFORDCARDIAGNOSIS.;PAYFORSTEERINGUPTOAFFORDINGCOMPUTER.DIAGNOSTICSHOWSCODES;HEINHUMOURNOCHARGEDUETOCODEFAULTS/{REPLACE{fordrecalls;UNSAFETYDRIVINGCARISSUES.,PARKD.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 8, 2025Steering, Air bags, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 11653532

Engine

276 reports2 crashes1 fire
“My 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid is dangerous to me and others on the road. When I drove my car, was coming to a stopping point and it didn't want to stop. It does it off and on. I took it to the dealership and was told I needed a abs module. They didn't have any because they was on back order. This was during the pandemic and as of 2026 they are still on back order. I also purchased two abs modules used for my vehicle and took it to the dealership to be programmed and was told it wouldn't program. Please I'm needing assistance with this situation”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 22, 2026Service brakes, EngineODI 11712793
All 2011 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

8 versions rated by the EPA
EPA class
Midsize Cars
Engines
2.5L 4-cyl · 3.0L 6-cyl · 3.5L 6-cyl
Transmissions
Automatic 6-spd · Manual 6-spd · Automatic (S6)
Drive
Front-Wheel Drive · 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 FWD
Auto 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.5 L · Front-Wheel Drive
233226$2,450342
Fusion S FWD
Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.5 L · Front-Wheel Drive
223125$2,550355
Fusion FWD
Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.5 L · Front-Wheel Drive
222924$2,700370
Fusion FWD
Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.5 L · Front-Wheel Drive
222824$2,700370
Fusion FWD FFV
Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.0 L · Front-Wheel Drive
202823$2,800386
Fusion FWD
Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L · Front-Wheel Drive
182621$3,050423
Fusion AWD FFV
Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.0 L · All-Wheel Drive
182520$3,200444
Fusion AWD
Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L · All-Wheel Drive
172419$3,400468
  • Fusion FWD
    Auto 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.5 L
    23 city · 32 hwy · $2,450/yr
    26
    mpg comb.
  • Fusion S FWD
    Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.5 L
    22 city · 31 hwy · $2,550/yr
    25
    mpg comb.
  • Fusion FWD
    Auto (S6), 4 cyl, 2.5 L
    22 city · 29 hwy · $2,700/yr
    24
    mpg comb.
  • Fusion FWD
    Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 2.5 L
    22 city · 28 hwy · $2,700/yr
    24
    mpg comb.
  • Fusion FWD FFV
    Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.0 L
    20 city · 28 hwy · $2,800/yr
    23
    mpg comb.
  • Fusion FWD
    Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L
    18 city · 26 hwy · $3,050/yr
    21
    mpg comb.
  • Fusion AWD FFV
    Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.0 L
    18 city · 25 hwy · $3,200/yr
    20
    mpg comb.
  • Fusion AWD
    Auto (S6), 6 cyl, 3.5 L
    17 city · 24 hwy · $3,400/yr
    19
    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
Overall rating
4/ 5
4 of 5
Ford Fusion 4 DR AWD
Frontal crash
3 of 5
Side crash
4 of 5
Side pole
4 of 5
Rollover
5 of 5
Rollover risk
9.2%
Overall
4 / 5
Ford Fusion 4 DR FWD
Frontal crash
3 of 5
Side crash
4 of 5
Side pole
4 of 5
Rollover
4 of 5
Rollover risk
10.5%
Data from NHTSA NCAP Safety Ratings API · synced Nov 4, 2026Vehicle 592Vehicle 165
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

2011 Fusion questions

How many recalls does the 2011 Ford Fusion have?

9 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 2011 Ford Fusion problems?

Owners filed 2,795 complaints with NHTSA. The most-cited components are steering (1,436), air bags (330), engine (276). Complaints are unverified owner reports and aren't adjusted for how many cars were sold.

What MPG does the 2011 Ford Fusion get?

The EPA rates the 2011 Ford Fusion at 19–26 mpg combined, depending on engine and drivetrain (8 versions rated).

How safe is the 2011 Ford Fusion?

NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gives the 2011 Ford Fusion 4 out of 5 stars overall.

Data from NHTSA & EPA · synced Nov 4, 2026