Ford Fusion vs Toyota Camry: which is more reliable?
The Toyota Camry is ahead of the Ford Fusion on the federal record, 73/100 against 68/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
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)
Toyota Camry
- 14 model years scored
- 3,930 owner complaints on record
- about 31 complaints per year on the road
- 40 recall campaigns, 22 safety-critical
- best year 2014 (93/100) · worst 2018 (27/100)
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 Camry
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
Toyota Camry
- Power Train — 622 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 609 complaints
- Air Bags — 390 complaints
They do not fail the same way: the Fusion's complaints concentrate in Steering, the Camry's in Power Train. That difference matters more to a buyer than the score gap, because it says which repair bill you are taking on.
Years to avoid on each
Ford Fusion — avoid: 2011, 2012, 2016.
Toyota Camry — avoid: 2018, 2019.
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 Toyota Camry at about $25,800 — the Ford Fusion is roughly $7,400 less, and they return 23.0 against 26.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Ford Fusion or the Toyota Camry more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Toyota Camry scores 73/100 against the Ford Fusion's 68/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry years should I avoid?
Ford Fusion: 2011, 2012, 2016. Toyota Camry: 2018, 2019. 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 Toyota Camry?
The largest complaint group on the Ford Fusion is Steering (4,073 complaints); on the Toyota Camry it is Power Train (622).
Is the Ford Fusion or the Toyota Camry cheaper to own?
A recent used Ford Fusion prices at about $18,400 and a Toyota Camry at about $25,800, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.