FORD FUSION · model year

2017 FORD FUSION

1335 NHTSA complaints, 55 crash reports, and 4 active recalls for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

5 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2017FORDFUSION carries 1335 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 55 crashes, 10 fires, 40 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 5/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2017 FUSION is engine with 371 filings, followed by power train (284) and engine and engine cooling (130). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 4 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 3 investigation files overlapping the 2017 FUSION. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

1335
Complaints
55
Crashes
10
Fires
40
Injuries
0
Deaths
2017 FORD FUSION — NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2017 FORD FUSION. Overall composite: 5.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 5.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 5.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

1335 filings

Crashes Reported

55 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

NHTSA NCAP overall: 5/5 — Top NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE371
POWER TRAIN284
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING130
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM115
UNKNOWN OR OTHER97
STEERING48
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC48
SERVICE BRAKES47
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM34
AIR BAGS26
WHEELS15
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL15
VISIBILITY/WIPER12
WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS10
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)9

Recalls (4)

18V16700012/03/2018

STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR

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.

23V16200010/03/2023

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.

17V42700006/07/2017

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER

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.

16V87400005/12/2016

SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY

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.

Recent Complaints

20260218STEERING

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.

Mileage: 90,000

20260213ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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.

20260213UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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.

20260130ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My backup camera on my 2017 ford fusion failed causing a blue screen on my infotainment screen camera is faulty and is a common issue among other vin numbers using the same part

20260130ENGINE

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

20260126ENGINE

Engine failed. Lost all compression. Evidently this is a known problem with this engine where the head, head gasket and block fail between cylinders.

20260123UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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

20260122ENGINE

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.

20260115ENGINE

My Ford Fusion has the 1.5L ecoboost engine. This engine has engineering issues that are known to Ford. My vehicle started producing white smoke from the exhaust and sluggish performance. At approximately 105,000 miles my vehicle went into limp mode due to a cracked head gasket. This was due to coolant intruding into the cylinders. Ford did a short block engine replacement and reprogrammed the PCM to try to fix the issue. At approximately 220,000 miles the vehicle started producing the same symptoms described earlier and the vehicle now requires a complete engine replacement. Ford refuses to fix this for me, even though it is well documented that this engine has engineering issues. These engines should last longer than 105,000 miles.

20260112FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Coolant leaking into cylinder, causing sudden rough driving, engine overheating warnings that don’t match temperature readings and distract driving.

20260112ENGINE

Coolant leaking into cylinder, causing sudden rough driving, engine overheating warnings that don’t match temperature readings and distract driving.

20251229ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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

20251229STEERING

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

20251226ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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 T

20251225ENGINE

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.

20251223ENGINE

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 engin

20251219ENGINE

This Fusion has the same coolant leak as described in Customer Satisfaction Program 21N12.

20251218POWER TRAIN

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.

20251216POWER TRAIN

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.

Mileage: 160,000

20251216SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

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.

Mileage: 160,000

Compare 2017FORDFUSION to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2017 FORD FUSION have?
The 2017 FORD FUSION has 1335 NHTSA complaints, 55 crashes, 10 fires, 40 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2017 FORD FUSION?
The 2017 FORD FUSION received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 5/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
Are there any recalls for the 2017 FORD FUSION?
Yes, the 2017 FORD FUSION has 4 recall(s). The most common affected component is STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2017 FORD FUSION?
The most-complained component for the 2017 FORD FUSION is ENGINE with 371 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.
Is the 2017 FORD FUSION safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2017 FORD FUSION has an NHTSA safety rating of 5/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.