Problems · NHTSA complaints

2017 Ford Fusion problems

Owners filed 1,114 complaints about the 2017 Ford Fusion with NHTSA between Sep 2016 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is engine (396).

Complaints
1,114
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
37
Reported by owners
Fires
8
Reported by owners
Injuries
30
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine396
  2. Power train314
  3. Engine and engine cooling133
  4. Electrical system125
  5. Steering52
  6. Service brakes51
  7. Service brakes, hydraulic49
  8. Fuel/propulsion system35
  9. Air bags28
  10. Wheels24
  11. Vehicle speed control16
  12. Visibility/wiper12
  13. Exterior lighting9
  14. Electronic stability control (esc)9

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 3, 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
20164
201745
201839
201964
202090
202168
2022119
2023221
2024245
2025157
202662

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

Engine

396 reports4 fires
“While driving, the vehicle suddenly lost engine power (it shut off) and displayed "auto start stop shift to P, then restart engine". The vehicle has never done this before, and thank goodness my wife did not have the kids in the car at the time. She was able to pull over safely only because she was on a small road with light traffic, and not at highway speed. Clearly, this put not only our vehicle at risk, but others as the brakes and steering became very hard to use when the engine just shut off out of nowhere. Since it happened today, I have not taken it in to be inspected as of yet. Upon my wife getting the car restarted she came the few miles straight home, where I did test the battery and it read good at 12.57 volts with the engine and accessories off. So the Motorcraft battery is good and as such should not be a cause in this case. To say the least, we have now lost confidence in this vehicle as being a safe mode of transportation.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 20, 2026EngineODI 11772488

Power train

314 reports5 crashes1 fire1 related recall
“The shift cable bushing on my 2017 Ford Fusion SE (VIN: [XXX]) failed and disintegrated, causing the shift selector to bind and disconnect from the transmission linkage. The gear selector shows Park while the transmission remains engaged in gear, creating a severe rollaway hazard. This matches the exact failure mechanism of NHTSA Recall Campaign 22S43 / 21V-376, but Ford claims this specific VIN was excluded from the recall scope”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 16, 2026Power trainODI 11771717

Engine and engine cooling

133 reports2 fires
“The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating, prompting the contact to discontinue driving the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined there was coolant intrusion into several cylinders, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 85,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 12, 2025Engine and engine coolingODI 11698967

Electrical system

125 reports2 crashes
“2017 Ford Fusion. Transmission replaced February 2026 at 98,175 miles by independent repair facility. Check engine light illuminated immediately following replacement and has remained on continuously since. Autozone scan showed emissions-related code only. On August 28, 2026 at approximately 120,064 miles, orange wrench light and "See Manual" message appeared moments after hot restart. Acceleration became heavy and hesitant. Drove approximately 70 miles home via I-15; heavy traffic required engine shutdown at multiple stops. Following morning, wrench light was no longer illuminated but hesitation persisted. Using manual paddle shift to select 5th gear improved drivability. Replacement transmission accumulated approximately 22,000 miles over 6 months. Ford Motor Company has issued multiple recalls for 2013-2016 model year Fusions involving identical transmission, shifter cable bushing, and torque converter defects, but 2017 model year vehicles with identical 6F35 transmissions and failure symptoms have been excluded from all campaigns. No crash, fire, or injury occurred.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 30, 2026Power train, Electrical system, EngineODI 11760693

Steering

52 reports6 crashes1 related recall
“The automatic transmission failed at approximately 59,000 miles. The vehicle was delivered to an authorized Ford dealership on 09/04/2025 for warranty repair. The transmission was replaced. The vehicle remained at that dealership approximately eight months and was returned to me on or about 05/01/2026. After return, a grinding and clunking noise was present when accelerating, turning, braking and going over bumps. A power steering line failed within days of return and emitted smoke from the front of the vehicle while driving. A "Shift System Fault" message began appearing when shifting into reverse and continues to appear intermittently. The same dealership performed three further repair visits. Their repair orders document multiple loose bolts holding the transmission mount to the transmission, an improperly installed exhaust, and a loose right hand CV shaft nut. On 08/14/2026 I took the vehicle to a second, unaffiliated authorized Ford dealership for an independent inspection. On a lift they found all four subframe bolts loose, the right front subframe bolt not fully seated and cross threaded so that it could not be tightened further, and the four smaller…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 6, 2026Steering, Suspension, Power trainODI 11769399

Service brakes

51 reports7 crashes1 fire
“The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the brake pedal to stop, the brake pedal extended to the floorboard, and the braking distance was extended. During the failure, the brake warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the rear hydraulic brake hoses had failed and needed to be replaced. The rear hydraulic brake hoses were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 144,955.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 16, 2026Service brakesODI 11771611
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026

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