NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Ford Fusion. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the rear end of the vehicle unexpectedly locked up. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle became inoperable and was towed to the residence. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V102000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Component/System: Engine — 1.5L EcoBoost short block coolant intrusion leading to catastrophic engine failure. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: Vehicle overheated while in operation, creating risk of engine fire, loss of vehicle control, and stranding of occupant on a public roadway. Ford's own TSB 22-2322 acknowledges this defect creates a fire risk. Confirmed by dealer/shop: YES Inspected by manufacturer/police/insurance: Ford Motor Company was contacted on 17APR26 and opened case number XXX but denied coverage citing vehicle assembly location [XXX] ) despite the defect being present in all 1.5L EcoBoost engines regardless of assembly plant. Warning symptoms: Vehicle exhibited overheating warning prior to failure. Coolant intrusion into cylinder bores is a known documented defect covered under Ford Customer Satisfaction Program XXX and TSB XXX for identical engines in US-assembled vehicles. Mileage at failure: Approximately 65,000 miles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Coolant light and check engine lights kept coming on. The car was diagnosed by the Ford Dealership as Ford TSB 22-2229, which is a design flaw in specific EcoBoost engines, where an "open deck" block causes coolant to leak into cylinders 2 and 3, leading to severe engine failure. To fix this issue, the TSB requires replacing the entire long block assembly with a redesigned version featuring enhanced sealing surfaces. The cost for this new engine was quoted as $8000 to $9000.
Rear Backup Camera keeps malfunctioning. The display screen from camera glitches or goes black and eventually it will state that rear camera is not available.
Engine failure due to coolant intrusion.
2017 ford fusion started to drive rough and minutes later the check engine light illuminated. The car was immediately turned off and taken to a mechanic. The mechanic diagnosed it with coolant intrusion and advised to check for recall. There are no active recalls associated with the VIN. The car needs a new engine at 70,000 miles.
Coolant Intrusion caused my engine to be blown.
Dec 2022 I purchased a 2017 Ford Fusion. In June 2023 the engine needed replaced which was covered under warranty. In March 2026, the flex plate breaks and now needs to be replaced. This is the original part for this car as I confirmed with the dealer that this part isn't required to be replaced when the engine is replaced. So it's not covered under vehicle warranty or the motor repair warranty. However, there is a known issue of these flex plates breaking and there is Customer Satisfaction Program 22N12 for Ford Fusions regarding this known issue that only covers years 2019 & 2020. I want the 2017 year to be added to this as a known issue.
2017 Ford fusion with the 1.5 L eco-boost engine with a coolant intrusion. Coolant links into the cylinders due to a flaw engine block design.
I pulled in and got gas. I put the car in drive but it wouldn't stay in drive, it went back to park. So I had it towed.there were no warning before this happened!no it wasn't inspected. No it has been reproduced. I was stuck in an parking lot. The bushing for the shifter cable was missing. U would have to contact the dealership for the parts.
The bushing on transmission cable to transmission is missing. We cause shift lever not to work, not being able to put transmission in gear or out of gear. Same problem as earlier ford fusions with automatic transmissions
Rear camera all of a sudden stops working and says "rear camera not available", creating unsafe conditions when backing up. Common issue on Ford Fusions, for which there's a recall recently announced for the 2016 model year but not for 2017, even though same signs and symptoms and vehicle otherwise. Could you please investigate.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously taken to a local dealer, and the transmission was replaced; however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking abnormally while the accelerator pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer provided the contact with a rental vehicle. The vehicle was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinders #2 and #4, DTC: P0316; and associated the failure with Customer Satisfaction Program: 19B37. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact associated the failure with TSB 22-2322; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,322.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while her granddaughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel detached and was left hanging. The driver moved over to the side of the highway. The contact stated that the steering wheel was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V167000 (STEERING); however, the failure occurred. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer but was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
There is open recall for 2017 ford fusion coolant leak that may lead to vehicle fire i have the same issue with my 2017 ford fusion but my vin is not flagged now I’m scared to drive the vehicle
Car warning states “steering assist fault service required” total loss of power steering in the vehicle after sat parked for a week, vehicle started without issue, no warning codes can be found with OBDII scanner
In our 2017 Ford Fusion, the back up camera sometimes says "unavailable at this time" (or something close to that) when put in reverse. It is available for inspection upon request. Safety is put at risk for multiple parties - the driver/owner, individual(s)/property behind the vehicle, insurance companies, and potentially others as the total view between mirrors and the backup camera is compromised. The vehicle has not been taken to a dealership as it is out of warranty. I see where Ford has a recall on some of these, so I checked both NHTSA and Ford websites, and it says this vehicle is ineligible for repair. However, we are experiencing this problem from time to time, most recently 2 days ago when our [XXX] old was driving it. He called to let us know what the camera was doing. I believe having a safety device glitching is unnacceptable, and I would like to see Ford resolve this issue for not just my car but all of them having a KNOWN issue! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Ford Fusion 1.5L Ecoboost engines are known to have a fault short block that causes coolant intrusion. This defect does not trigger a check engine light, so there is no way for a driver to identify the problem until it's too late. Ford issued a Technical Safety Bulletin informing mechanics of this issue but customers were not given an option to repair it. A Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) was initiated to replace some VIN models short blocks, but not all. Other Ford 1.5L Ecoboost engines are having this issue and were not properly informed or given the option to repair through the CSP and are driving cars that can have total engine failure without proper notification. I have taken my Ford Fusion in for all the safety recalls and was never informed of this issue. I was not part of the CSP that aimed to repair the defect because my VIN did not qualify. However, my Ford Fusion 2017 1.5L Ecoboost engine has this same defect and it wasn't caught until damage had been done to the engine and a costly repair was initiated. No check engine light or warning came from Ford to inform me of this issue. I fortunately started hearing noises and went to check it out before taking a long trip in the snow--which could have had disastrous safety consequences if engine failure occurred. I am not the only one with a ford 1.5L Ecoboost engine that has had this issue. Many people have either not been included in the CSP program or were unable to repair in their narrow CSP plan window. Ford is waiting for enough complaints to identify if the issue is more widespread, despite knowing that it is a design flaw. This should be a total safety recall as their is no way for consumers to take proactive action against this defect without extensive knowledge of the issues with these engines, which Ford is not communicating to its customers.
Engine failed. Lost all compression. Evidently this is a known problem with this engine where the head, head gasket and block fail between cylinders.
Vehicle display more often than not shows "Rear view camera not available" or a distorted image when reversing.
Vehicle is experiencing coolant intrusion from a crack in the engine block 3rd cylinder which is a known issue by Ford for my particular vehicle year (2017). Ford has issued a TSB/Recall for model years 2017-2019, I believe this issue should qualify for manufacturer recall as this is known issue.
Vehicles Engine has been affected due to a know manufacturing flaw with design that caused coolant to leak into the cylinder walls of the engine block causing a rough idle, white smoke out of the exhaust and cylinder 2 misfire.
Technical Safety Bulletin 19-2346; coolant infiltrating cylinder #2. Quoted $8350 for long block repair.
Wrench light came on my car while driving 30mph, then the engine light. Had it diagnosed & I am told my car that went to the shop with code p0741 needs a NEW transmission!! 54, 618 miles only. Fix is $6800.00. I was told not to drive the car as it could seize up.
I was experiencing engine vibration while driving and lack of power when I pressed gas pedal. I took it to an independent garage first, and then to the dealer. Both told me there was coolant and water in the cylinders, and the dealer told me I needed a total engine replacement consisting of the long block and the head gasket. And it was going to cost me $14,000. my car only has 44,000 miles on it and Ford told me there was nothing they could do about it even though it was a known issue dating back several years.
2017 fusion 1.5 ecoboost.(purchased at 128k) 148k miles- 1 time white smoke at start up no check engine light. All of a sudden while driving started to drive rough. Towed too mechanic, determined cylinder #2 has coolant intrusion. Conducted the TSB. For this defect. All symptoms confirmed for the coolant intrusion. Got Quoted $10k for engine replacement. Vehicle has been parked in driveway since 10/24/25 too expensive too repair for a defective problem from ford.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after shifting to drive(D), the vehicle erroneously rolled backwards up a slight incline. The failure had occurred on several occasions. Additionally, while driving down a hill and depressing the brake pedal, the brakes malfunctioned, the vehicle failed to stop, and drove through a 4-Way intersection and drove approximately a half mile before stopping. During the failure, the message "Transmission not in Park" was displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 160,000.
Coolant leaking into cylinder, causing sudden rough driving, engine overheating warnings that don’t match temperature readings and distract driving.
The Transmission in the Ford Fusion 1.5 L engine just stop working. The car will go and then the transmission would just stop working. The you could turn the car off and it would drive again and stop working again. It took me turning the car off about 12 times to get it home. This was just a test drive after my daughter had it towed home after being stranded. This is a safety issue for not only young girls being stranded, but everybody being stranded without any warning! Ford knows there is an issue, hopefully the Ford Executives are warning their love ones not to buy a Ford Fusion Model that has this issue.
Misfire in Cylinder 2 caused by Coolant Leak into the Bore.
Coolant intrusion into the engine causing my car to missfire going down the road. Car is sitting in my yard unfit to be driven. Dealership claims it had previously been remedied. The car has only been inspected by my mechanic. No prior warnings before the misfire occurred
BUSHING FOR SHIFTER BUSTED, PERVIOUS RECALLS ON 2013-2016 MODELS, NUMEROUS REPORTS KNOWN FOR THIS HAPPENING ON 2017-2019 MODELS AS WELL. CURRENTLY HAVING VEHICLE BUSHING REPAIR AFTER CAR BEING IN THE SHOP FOR OVER A WEEK AFTER HAVING FRONT LINE BRAKE HOSES REPLACED AS WELL.
Horn, randomly sounds off
Vehicle purchased used at Simmons & Rockwell on [XXX] Mileage 16,323. Mileage 38,559 First Engine Failure & replaced "NEW" July 2019, *** indications & doc of 2nd engine failure about 70k mileage) Mileage 121,163 Second Engine Failure & replaced "NEW" August 2022 and finally Mileage 189,323 with Third Engine Failure Sept 2025 This vehicle had regularly interval oil changes. ALWAYS Serviced & maintenaced regularly INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Coolant intrusion and requires short block replacement
Have had to replace the same 2 coil pacs in last three months. Car will not accelerate properly will not shift into gears properly took to have information test done keeps coming back fouled 2 & 4 coils
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the steering wheel was loose. The contact was able to rock the steering wheel approximately 3/8 of an inch in either direction. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V167000 (Steering). The contact called a local dealer and was advised that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
While changing my car from park to drive my vehicle got Stuck in reverse and wouldn’t come out even after turning car off which usually force vehicle to go into park. This was most likely due to the shifting cable bushing no longer being there and possibly disintegrating. Due to left over residue in the general area. I saw this was a recall for fords from I believe 2013/2014 up 2016 for the same issue. I go online and their are a couple of pages claiming this has happened to them as week or to check it to make sure it’s still on.
This Fusion has the same coolant leak as described in Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12.
Shift cable came off the transmission shifter bushing.
Leaking fluids
Coolant leak into the cylinders. Replaced the first engine for the same issue, this is the second engine.
I recently bought a gear shift bushing cap for the cable since the cable is loose. I bought the part at Tasca Ford in Cranston, RI. The part was hard to find. It’s the same issue as the recall for the same car b ur years prior. Cap disintegrated since its plastic and next to the engine. The most recent part I bought that was used as genuine replacement has also disintegrated. I can see the pieces of it corroded. I need to buy another one but it’s going to happen again since it’s a faulty design. The first time it happened months ago caused my car to go into park. I couldn’t move it out of the way in the street. It would let me put it in neutral. The second time it happened today the car got stuck in neutral and it took many tries to get it into park. Everything is in tact except the plastic bushing cap and part that clips the cable to the vehicle is corroded. Simple fix but unsafe and happens randomly.
The engine has suffered a complete failure due to a known defect in the 1.5L EcoBoost. This issue was already repaired once under Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 19B37/21N12 (engine short block replacement) on 10/12/2020 at Stilwell Ford, before I owned the vehicle. Less than 5 years later, the exact same defect has occurred again. Details of Failure: •Vehicle began running rough with loss of power and abnormal engine noise. •A compression test performed by my repair shop shows: Cylinder 4 = 0 psi compression, with cylinder wall scoring and oil intrusion. •Shop diagnosis: engine requires complete replacement (~$7,000 repair). •Symptoms are identical to the coolant intrusion / cylinder failure defect covered by Ford’s prior CSP. •This is the second time this defect has occurred on the same vehicle. Safety Risk: •Vehicle misfires and shakes violently, making it unsafe to drive. •Sudden loss of power and potential stalling in traffic pose a serious risk of crash. •Drivers are given no warning before engine failure occurs. Manufacturer Response: •Ford acknowledges this defect under CSP 19B37/21N12 but refuses further coverage since it was “already repaired” once. •As a second owner, I never received notice of the defect. •The fact that the failure recurred shows Ford’s repair program did not fully resolve the defect. Request: I am reporting this as a repeat safety defect. The failure has occurred again after Ford’s supposed remedy. NHTSA should investigate whether Ford’s CSP repairs adequately resolve the defect, and whether additional recalls or coverage extensions are warranted.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle unintendedly decelerated and hesitated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and three independent mechanics, and was diagnosed with torque converter failure. The contact was informed that the torque converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V390000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 145,000.
Torque converter is gradually failing. Started at 50,000 miles. No warning lamps, messages.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon reversing out of the driveway and attempting to shift to drive(D), the message "System Fault - Consult Manual" was displayed. The contact was not able to shift to drive(D). The contact looked underneath the vehicle and noticed that the shifter cable was loosened. The contact was able to insert a screwdriver into the end of the cable, and the contact was able to shift to drive(D). The contact drove to the residence. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the shifter cable bushing had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an undisclosed recall however, the model year was not included. The dealer confirmed that the vehicle was not covered. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, there was an abnormal slushing sound coming from the engine compartment. Additionally, the vehicle shuddered violently, the engine overheated, and the vehicle stalled. The check engine and powertrain warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 136,000.
Vehicle is experiencing coolant intrusion from a crack in the engine block which is a known issue by Ford for my particular vehicle year (2017). Ford has issued a TSB/Recall for model years 2017-2019, but when I contacted Ford, I was told my car is not eligible/included in the recall because of the plant that the vehicle was manufactured at. I believe this issue should qualify for manufacturer recall as this is known issue.
My engine experienced coolant intrusion into cylinder #2, which caused misfiring and engine failure. This has been a known issue with this year model, but since I am just outside of the warranty mileage (69K) and my VIN doesn't have any recalls, I have been advised to purchase a replacement engine. I simply cannot afford to replace an engine in a car I am still paying a loan for. For this to be a known issue and not be recalled is a serious safety concern and has caused me to lose confidence in the manufacturer. I am currently trying to see what a shop near me would charge to replace it but I am not sure that I can afford the repair costs. I shouldn't be expected to need to replace an engine when the year model has known issues and I have taken care of any and all maintenance on the car to keep it running well. I expected to have this car for many more years, especially with the low mileage and how well I've cared for it.