Ford Fusion: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Ford Fusion: 10 model years scored from 13,609 NHTSA owner complaints and 75 recall campaigns. Worst year 2011, best year 2018.
Ford Fusion: which years to avoid
Across 10 scored model years the Ford Fusion ranges from 47/100 in 2011 to 83/100 in 2018 — a 36-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a Fusion at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Steering (1,426 of them).
Avoid: 2011, 2012, 2016 — scored below 45 on the complaint and recall record.
Safest years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Editor's note
The Fusion's record has two separate problems in it. The 2010–2012 first generation carries complaints about the power steering (an electric-assist failure that was recalled) and the throttle body. The 2013–2020 second generation launched with the same 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine as the Escape and inherited its coolant and overheating problems, along with the 1.5-litre engine that replaced it and transmission complaints across the range. The 2016 model year carries a large share of the steering and transmission-shifter complaints of the facelifted car. The Fusion Hybrid's record is markedly cleaner from 2013 on — see its own page. The Fusion was discontinued in 2020.
Read the guide
Used Ford Fusion (and Fusion Hybrid): the years to avoid and the years to buy — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
How the Fusion changed, run by run
The federal record falls into 2 stretches of years that behave alike. A redesign shows up here as a step in the complaint rate that then holds.
2011–2017
Mean score 56/100, about 147 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Steering more than anything else (4,061 complaints). 37 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
2018–2020
Mean score 83/100, about 46 complaints per year on the road. Owners of these years complain about Engine more than anything else (408 complaints). The record improves by 27 points against the years before it. 6 recall campaign(s) in this run touch fire, crash or stall risk.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2018 (score 83). Worst: 2011 (score 47, AVOID).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 83 | BUY | $4,444 | 178 | 3 |
| 2019 | 82 | BUY | $5,027 | 371 | 3 |
| 2018 | 83 | BUY | $5,196 | 436 | 2 |
| 2017 | 73 | BUY | $6,630 | 1,104 | 4 |
| 2016 | 47 | AVOID | $7,443 | 1,686 | 12 |
| 2015 | 64 | CAUTION | $6,209 | 1,059 | 12 |
| 2014 | 60 | CAUTION | $6,779 | 1,427 | 12 |
| 2013 | 55 | CAUTION | $7,514 | 1,953 | 12 |
| 2012 | 49 | AVOID | $9,144 | 2,612 | 6 |
| 2011 | 47 | AVOID | $9,264 | 2,783 | 9 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the Fusion, through the years →
Fusion sub-models & family
Variants & trims on record
Body, powertrain and trim variants of the Fusion on the federal record. Variants folded into this nameplate are counted in this page's data; the rest have too thin a record for a page of their own yet.
What goes wrong on the Ford Fusion
Across every Fusion model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Steering4,073 complaints across all Fusion years · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement$1,020–$2,500
- Engine2,426 complaints across all Fusion years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train2,020 complaints across all Fusion years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Electrical System1,293 complaints across all Fusion years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other1,047 complaints across all Fusion years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Air Bags766 complaints across all Fusion years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
Which Ford Fusion years should I avoid?
On the NHTSA record the years to avoid are 2011, 2012, 2016 — each scores below 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. The 2011 is the weakest at 47/100, with its complaints concentrated in Steering.
What are the best Ford Fusion years to buy?
2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2018 at 83/100, on 436 complaints and 2 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Ford Fusion problem?
4,073 of the complaints filed against the Fusion across all its model years sit in the Steering group — more than any other component.
Compare with
Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04