Excessive blue smoke from tailpipe, car overheats on road, fails emission tests. Local repair shop diagnosed as bad head gasket due to improper engine block engineering design, known problem Ford 2017 1.5 Ecoboost Engine, per mechanic.
2017 Ford Fusion
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2017 Ford Fusion do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 1,109.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Fusion years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
607 reports with mileage · 502 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 394 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Power Train. Review the 310 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 134 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine complaints
394 reportsI am unable to change gears on my vehicle because the bushing on the shifter cable has degraded and no longer holds the shifter cable in place. This has caused me to be stuck blocking traffic in busy shopping centers. I have to make sure to apply my parking break because I never know if my car really is in park. I have had the f…
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I am unable to change gears on my vehicle because the bushing on the shifter cable has degraded and no longer holds the shifter cable in place. This has caused me to be stuck blocking traffic in busy shopping centers. I have to make sure to apply my parking break because I never know if my car really is in park. I have had the full shifter cable replaced 3 times and I have replaced the bushing 2 times all I'm a 16 month period.
2017 Ford Fusion (87,000 miles): Check engine light was illuminated. Visited independent garage next day. approx $700 repairs did not fix the issue. Light came on a second time the following week. Took back to independent garage and was told it was a historical alert and not an active alert. Alert cleared. several days later t…
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2017 Ford Fusion (87,000 miles): Check engine light was illuminated. Visited independent garage next day. approx $700 repairs did not fix the issue. Light came on a second time the following week. Took back to independent garage and was told it was a historical alert and not an active alert. Alert cleared. several days later the light came on again. Called to make dealer appointment. While waiting for the appointment, the overheating warning message came on. Stopped at the dealer who topped off coolant. 3 days later with almost no driving in between, dealer diagnosed Coolant Leak, misfire cylinder #2 - similar to information available online - coolant almost empty. All vehicle maintenance and 4 previous recalls properly maintained for vehicle. No known recall notice related to the Ford Fusion Coolant Leak known issues. Cost of repair quoted at $9,000 to replace engine. car not drivable and will take a month to repair. vehicle not repaired yet. I don't understand why my vehicle wasn't recalled if it's a known issue for this model.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission experienced rough shifting from first to second gear. Additionally, the engine was misfiring. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the tr…
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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission experienced rough shifting from first to second gear. Additionally, the engine was misfiring. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to two other independent mechanics, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced as well as the engine due to coolant intrusion into the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,790.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was overheated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant leak and engine failure. The contact …
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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the temperature gauge indicated that the vehicle was overheated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with coolant leak and engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
My car has been diagnosed with the known engine coolant leak issue with the 2.0L engines in the 2013-2018 Ford Fusions. It just now today, 8/1/2024, threw up a check engine light and I went to an ASE certified technician and they diagnosed it to be the same problem Ford has covered in their own technical service bulletins.
Coolant intrusion into cylinder causing spark plug corrosion and warping of head. Confirmed by dealer that this is a known common issue with the engine and requires the engine to be replaced. Only warning sign on my car was an occasional misfiring that I brought the car in for within a week of noticing. Told that there was a rec…
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Coolant intrusion into cylinder causing spark plug corrosion and warping of head. Confirmed by dealer that this is a known common issue with the engine and requires the engine to be replaced. Only warning sign on my car was an occasional misfiring that I brought the car in for within a week of noticing. Told that there was a recall on the model but not my specific car and it has expired so nothing can be done.
Engine cylinder cracked, coolant intrusion into cylinder. Engine had to be replaced. Vehicle only had 54,776 miles.
My engine started to act up so I took it to the dealership. I was told that there was coolant intrusion in the cylinder head due to manufacturer known defect and that my vehicle was unsafe to drive and that the recall for this issue was expired. I was told my vehicle was unsafe to drive as it could hydrolock and cause an acciden…
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My engine started to act up so I took it to the dealership. I was told that there was coolant intrusion in the cylinder head due to manufacturer known defect and that my vehicle was unsafe to drive and that the recall for this issue was expired. I was told my vehicle was unsafe to drive as it could hydrolock and cause an accident. This is a frightening issue that should not have a time limit given the fact that it can cause the engine to suddenly lock up which could cause a serious even fatal accident. This issue was confirmed by the dealer technician. There were no warning lamps untill the failure.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated on several occasions when the vehicle was started, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the f…
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The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated on several occasions when the vehicle was started, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 55,730.
Official recalls
423V162000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
Mar 10, 2023
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A brake fluid leak will increase brake pedal travel and extend the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S12.
18V167000 · Steering: Steering Wheel/handle Bar
Mar 12, 2018
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Fusion vehicles. The steering wheel retaining bolt may loosen allowing the steering wheel to detach while driving.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A steering wheel detachment can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel bolt with a longer bolt, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S08.
17V427000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:torque Converter
Jul 6, 2017
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Edge and Fusion vehicles. On vehicles with 2.0L gas engines and six-speed automatic transmissions, the torque converter weld studs may have been inadequately welded.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: If the torque converter weld studs fail, the torque converter will not be connected to the engine flexplate and the vehicle will lose the ability to move, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford or Lincoln will notify owners, and dealers will replace the torque converters, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S16.
16V874000 · Seats:mid/rear Assembly
Dec 5, 2016
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured September 27, 2016, to September 28, 2016. The left rear seat backs pivot pins may have been improperly welded.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: During a crash, the improper welds may fail, allowing any stowed luggage to move into the passenger compartment, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left hand, second row seat back frame, free of charge. The recall began January 10, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S43.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1RQ22004 · Front Brake Jounce Hose Failures
Opened Aug 8, 2022 · Closed Mar 24, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings
On August 8, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 50 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging front brake jounce hose ruptures on model year (MY) 2013-2018 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. A ruptured front brake hose results in a brake fluid leak. As a result, the driver may experience an increase in pedal travel and a reduction in the rate of deceleration, increasing the risk of a crash. It should be noted that the subject vehicles identified fell outside the scope of NHTSA Safety Recall 20V-469, which addressed front brake hoses rupturing on certain MY 2015-2018 Ford Edge and 2016-2018 Lincoln MKX vehicles. The result causes a brake fluid leak, lengthening the distance needing to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.On March 10, 2023, Ford Motor Company (Ford) submitted to NHTSA Safety Recall 23V-162 (Ford Recall 23S12) to address front brake jounce hoses that may rupture. Ford found the rupture occurs from a localized failure of the internal reinforcement braid due to cyclic fatigue through tensile/bending and torsional inputs during suspension and steering articulations. The supplier for the front brake jounce hoses is Hitachi. This recall affects the subject vehicles equipped with non-hybrid engines and the suspect front brake jounce hoses (a total of 1,280,726 vehicles). The recall covers subject vehicles built from February 3, 2012 to July 19, 2017 when the suspect hoses were used in vehicle production. The remedy is for dealerships to replace both front brake jounce hoses with new hoses that have a revised braid material at no cost. The vehicles equipped with hybrid engines are excluded from the recall because the internal hose pressure is much lower due to the regenerative braking provided by the hybrid brake system. No failures of brake hoses on hybrid vehicles have been reported to ODI or Ford.Ford's actions address ODIs concerns at this time. Hybrid vehicles will be monitored for related failures. The agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by new circumstances.The 103 ODI numbers cited above can be viewed at NHTSA.gov under the following ID numbers:11511014, 11510867, 11510318, 11509030, 11505993, 11504989, 11504400, 11502147, 11502082, 11501820, 11501283, 11498439, 11498296, 11496842, 11496335, 11494931, 11494851, 11494252, 11493001, 11492084, 11492070, 11491444, 11491274, 11488858, 11488027, 11487627, 11487416, 11487233, 11486150, 11484924, 11484526, 11484080, 11483948, 11483926, 11483739, 11483723, 11482773, 11482690, 11481077, 11480788, 11480294, 11480052, 11479338, 11479334, 11479252, 11479247, 11479187, 11479094, 11479048, 11478985, 11478953, 11478729, 11478216, 11476892, 11476282, 11470558, 11468994, 11467109, 11466294, 11462746, 11461217, 11456065, 11455367, 11444848, 11436419, 11436376, 11430685, 11428329, 11425083, 11421026, 11420738, 11420735, 11420298, 11418197, 11403926, 11397549, 11366991, 11366757, 11361016, 11359968, 11354569, 11352165, 11350344, 11348799, 11343929, 11343205, 11331947, 11329020, 11319596, 11310529, 11292271, 11288455, 11254787, 11253479, 11253244, 11234622, 11230669, 11230050, 11228240, 11221111, 11143630, 11129392 and 11120228.
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