Problems · by component
2012 Ford Fusion electrical system problems
177 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Fusion cite electrical system, 7% of all 2,617 complaints for this model year.
Complaints
177
7% of all complaints
Crashes
8
Reported by owners
Fires
4
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
Reported by owners
What owners say about the electrical system
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“While driving my 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid (VIN: [XXX]), the braking system suddenly failed. When applying the brake pedal, there was completely zero brake resistance, and the vehicle failed to engage proper braking power, creating an extremely hazardous driving condition. The vehicle was inspected by a certified Ford dealership (Lithia), which officially documented that the vehicle is "UNSAFE TO DRIVE due to having no brake resistance." The diagnostics confirmed that the ABS Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU), the ABS module, and the Brake Master Cylinder have failed and require total replacement. The dealership also noted that the necessary braking parts are currently completely unavailable (backordered/no parts available). This is the exact same safety defect covered under Ford's previous Safety Recall 19S54 (NHTSA Campaign 19V904) for older Fusion models. However, the recall was never expanded to include the 2012 models, despite them using the same problematic braking infrastructure and experiencing identical catastrophic failures. NHTSA needs to investigate and force Ford to expand the recall to 2011-2012 models before this braking defect causes fatal accidents.”
“I got a 2012 ford fusion se 2.5 4l power steering gone out in it,I put in the vin number to see if mine was recalled it said 0 but my car has the part in the car that made the car recalled ,on the dash its says power steering service its dangerous and I had my child in the car vin number on my car is [XXX] I seen where other 2012 ford fusion se 2.5 4l was recalled for the power steering going out”
“While I was driving my 2012 Ford Fusion on August 3rd the steering cut out. I parked the car and re-started it and it worked again. It went to the shop (Extra Mile Automotive) on XXX where they informed me of the 2015 recall on the steering. Recall number 15S18 and program 15N01 When I spoke with [XXX] Ford in [XXX], they said they replaced the electrical piece of the recall on December 7th 2015, but not the steering shaft. [XXX] (the westlie ford employee) said because the electrical was completed, the recall procedure was marked as completed, even though [XXX] said that this is very much tied to the original recall. I asked him to submit a Special Service Support Center request to get this fixed and he did submit that on XXX. On XXX it was denied. On XXX I also requested to speak to [XXX] supervisor and was connected to [XXX] (id # XXX) who also said there was nothing she could do because this was already "solved" in 2015. This is not a new or unrelated repair request, it is the unresolved second half of a federally mandated safety recall. Ford's own dealership confirmed that my steering gear failure is directly connected to the original defect covered under…”
“The Power Steering Assist Fault notice keeps popping up on the dashboard screen. When this happens, the power steering is inoperable leaving me stranded. I've had my mechanic fix it several times (after the Ford Recall on steering didn't properly repair the issue) costing an insane price. It's very unsafe to be on the road & have the power steering go out. It is unsafe not only for me & my family but also for the vehicles traveling around my vehicle. It causes mental distress & anxiety as I never know when I'm going to be left stranded. This time, I'm stranded at the laundromat, on a Sunday. Not knowing how I'm going to get home or to work tomorrow. My receipts for repairs are at home. Until Ford makes this right, I'll never see the Ford brand as a reliable manufacturer nor will I ever purchase or recommend the Ford brand.”
“I recently started to experience hard steering while in transit the power assist light came on and so does the advanced track warning light. I discovered there was a recall so I took it in to the Ford dealership, which was JC Lewis Ford in Savannah, Georgia, but the technician told me that there were too many miles and after 150,000 miles, the recall was null and void”
“The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the A/C unit failed to operate as needed, causing the cabin of the vehicle to become hot while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the evaporator temperature sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 143,000.”
Showing 6 of 177 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 2, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.