Ford Fusion vs Ford Fusion Hybrid: which is more reliable?
The Ford Fusion Hybrid is clearly ahead of the Ford Fusion on the federal record: 88/100 against 68/100 across every model year we score.
The record, side by side
Ford Fusion
- 10 model years scored
- 13,609 owner complaints on record
- about 99 complaints per year on the road
- 75 recall campaigns, 43 safety-critical
- best year 2020 (83/100) · worst 2016 (47/100)
Ford Fusion Hybrid
- 5 model years scored
- 7,287 owner complaints on record
- about 48 complaints per year on the road
- 4 recall campaigns, 3 safety-critical
- best year 2014 (90/100) · worst 2011 (80/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: Fusion against Fusion Hybrid
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Ford Fusion
- Steering — 4,073 complaints
- Engine — 2,426 complaints
- Power Train — 2,020 complaints
Ford Fusion Hybrid
- Steering — 3,298 complaints
- Air Bags — 798 complaints
- Power Train — 743 complaints
Both nameplates have Steering as their largest complaint group, so the choice between them is about how often, not about what.
Years to avoid on each
Ford Fusion — avoid: 2011, 2012, 2016.
Ford Fusion Hybrid: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Ford Fusion prices at about $18,400 and a Ford Fusion Hybrid at about $11,700 — the Ford Fusion Hybrid is roughly $6,700 less, and they return 23.0 against 41.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Ford Fusion or the Ford Fusion Hybrid more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Ford Fusion Hybrid scores 88/100 against the Ford Fusion's 68/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The Ford Fusion Hybrid carries about 48 complaints per year on the road against 99 for the Ford Fusion.
Which Ford Fusion and Ford Fusion Hybrid years should I avoid?
Ford Fusion: 2011, 2012, 2016. Ford Fusion Hybrid: no year scores below 45. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Ford Fusion and the Ford Fusion Hybrid?
The largest complaint group on the Ford Fusion is Steering (4,073 complaints); on the Ford Fusion Hybrid it is Steering (3,298).
Is the Ford Fusion or the Ford Fusion Hybrid cheaper to own?
A recent used Ford Fusion prices at about $18,400 and a Ford Fusion Hybrid at about $11,700, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.