Open safety recalls, the components owners report failing most often, crash-test results and running costs for the 2012 Ford Fusion, assembled from NHTSA and EPA records.
Everything on this page applies to the model as a whole. Run its VIN to decode that exact car, its engine, trim, assembly plant and factory equipment, alongside these records.
Open a VIN recordRecalls and complaints are filed against a specific model year, so figures differ from one year to the next even within a single generation. See every Ford Fusion year.
No EPA fuel-economy match for this model. Naming may differ, or it predates EPA records.
NHTSA has issued a do-not-drive warning covering 2 recalls on this make, model and year. Repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Recalls are issued per model. Confirm whether this specific car has already been repaired using its VIN, free, at any franchised dealer or on nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA lists 6 recalls for this make, model and year. Recalls apply to the model, so some may already be fixed on this specific car. A dealer can confirm from the VIN.
Issue: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands or "Zone A." Additionally, Ford is recalling certain 2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles and 2011-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B." Ford is also recalling certain 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2010-2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, and 2010-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C." These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The recall began February 13, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall 19S01.
Campaign 19V001000
Issue: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain 2009 Ford Ranger, Edge, Fusion and Mustang, Lincoln MKX, MKZ and Zephyr and Mercury Milan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Ford is recalling certain 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ, 2005-2008 Ford Mustang and 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began mailing March 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.
Issue: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.
Risk: If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18.
Campaign 15V340000
Issue: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S12.
Campaign 21V158000
Issue: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain air bag inflator and/or module replacement service parts that may have been used as part of a collision repair. The parts include certain driver-side air bag inflators and/or modules, designed to fit 2005-2014 Ford Mustang and Mustang GT500. It also includes certain passenger-side air bag inflators and/or modules designed to fit 2005-2014 Ford Mustang, 2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion, 2010-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2011 Ford Ranger, and 2007-2010 Lincoln MKX vehicles. Please see Ford's recall report for the specific part numbers. These parts may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Ford will notify dealers that purchased the affected parts, and dealers will provide replacement parts to purchasers, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.
Campaign 21E013000
Issue: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as a replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.
Campaign 21V081000
Campaign 17V024000

NHTSA frontal crash test
5 open NHTSA investigations into this model. Investigations come before recalls, so these are potential defects not yet covered by one.
Rated configuration: 2012 Ford Fusion 4 DR AWD
The parts named most often across 2,614 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this make, model and year.
22 crashes · 2 fires · 10 injured · 1 death
22 crashes · 21 injured
2 crashes
4 crashes · 2 injured
10 crashes · 4 injured
1 injured
1 crash
2 crashes
Complaints are self-reported and skew toward problems people find alarming, so read this as where to look rather than as a defect rate.
3 complaint-reported fatalities on this model.
While driving my 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid (VIN: [XXX]), the braking system suddenly failed. When applying the brake pedal, there was completely zero brake resistance, and the vehicle failed to engage proper braking power, creating an extremely hazardous driving condition. The vehicle was inspected by a certified Ford dealership (Lithia), which officially documented that the vehicle is "UNSAFE TO DRIVE due to having no brake resistance." The diagnostics confirmed that the ABS Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU), the ABS module, and the Brake Master Cylinder have failed and require total replacement. The dealership also noted that the necessary braking parts are currently completely unavailable (backordered/no parts available). This is the exact same safety defect covered under Ford's previous Safety Recall 19S54 (NHTSA Campaign 19V904) for older Fusion models. However, the recall was never expanded to include the 2012 models, despite them using the same problematic braking infrastructure and experiencing identical catastrophic failures. NHTSA needs to investigate and force Ford to expand the recall to 2011-2012 models before this braking defect causes fatal accidents. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I got a 2012 ford fusion se 2.5 4l power steering gone out in it,I put in the vin number to see if mine was recalled it said 0 but my car has the part in the car that made the car recalled ,on the dash its says power steering service its dangerous and I had my child in the car vin number on my car is [XXX] I seen where other 2012 ford fusion se 2.5 4l was recalled for the power steering going out INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While I was driving my 2012 Ford Fusion on August 3rd the steering cut out. I parked the car and re-started it and it worked again. It went to the shop (Extra Mile Automotive) on XXX where they informed me of the 2015 recall on the steering. Recall number 15S18 and program 15N01 When I spoke with [XXX] Ford in [XXX], they said they replaced the electrical piece of the recall on December 7th 2015, but not the steering shaft. [XXX] (the westlie ford employee) said because the electrical was completed, the recall procedure was marked as completed, even though [XXX] said that this is very much tied to the original recall. I asked him to submit a Special Service Support Center request to get this fixed and he did submit that on XXX. On XXX it was denied. On XXX I also requested to speak to [XXX] supervisor and was connected to [XXX] (id # XXX) who also said there was nothing she could do because this was already "solved" in 2015. This is not a new or unrelated repair request, it is the unresolved second half of a federally mandated safety recall. Ford's own dealership confirmed that my steering gear failure is directly connected to the original defect covered under Recall 15S18, and Ford's own extended coverage program, 15N01, exists specifically to remedy this exact scenario. Despite this documented connection, Ford has now denied a remedy twice, once through the dealer's SSSC request, and once directly through Ford Customer Service, without providing any technical explanation for why a known, recall-covered defect is being treated as ineligible for repair. My vehicle experienced a complete loss of steering assist while in motion. This is an active, unresolved safety hazard on a vehicle currently in use on public roads, and I am filing this formal complaint because Ford has failed to meet its obligation under federal law to remedy a safety defect without charge to the owner. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Vehicle experienced loss of power steering so it was hard to steer.When I called a ford dealership I was told my vehicle didn’t qualify for any power steering recalls so I would have to pay full price which is unaffordable
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was soft and spongy. The brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard before the vehicle stopped. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the failure was not duplicated. The contact was informed that an inspection was completed, and the brake pads and rotors were in good working order. The contact stated that the failure had occurred two months after the brake pads and rotors were replaced by an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.
I am submitting this formal complaint against Ford Motor Company and its authorized dealership network for falsely reporting a safety recall repair as "resolved" while applying an unauthorized, temporary workaround that left the primary safety defect active. In 2023, I brought my vehicle to an authorized Ford dealership to perform mandatory safety recall service regarding the Electric Power Assist Steering (EPAS) failure. The dealership subsequently updated Ford’s central database (OASIS) to show that the safety recall was fully resolved and completed for my VIN. However, the official Repair Order / Invoice provided to me by the technician explicitly documents that a permanent remedy was not performed due to a lack of replacement parts. The technician’s exact written notes state: "Customer states power steering is not working. Tech and advised verified concern finding that the ground wire pin on the high current wiring harness to PSCM had backed out of the connector. Reconnected pin and cleared codes finding issue resolved. Issue will continue to happen until the harness is replaced. Harness is unavailable at this time. Glued pin into connectors."Because the dealership glued the loose pin rather than replacing the backordered wiring harness, the temporary repair failed shortly thereafter, resulting in a total loss of power steering assist. For the past three years (approximately 47,698 miles driven), I have been forced to operate this vehicle without functional power steering. Every attempt to have Ford or its franchised dealerships address this safety hazard has been denied because Ford’s internal system incorrectly lists the recall as "The Harness Powers the Recalled Module: The "high current wiring harness to PSCM" is the primary electrical supply to the exact module being recalled. Reprogramming software on a module while leaving a damaged, glued power connector defeats the entire purpose of restoring power steering safety.see photoes of invoice below
I had purchased these tires P225/50R17 for my son‘s car in 2022. They have an 85,000 mile tread life warranty in April of this year. He had a blowout on the left rear tire where the tread separated from the tire and in late July this year is preparing for a 3500 mile trip as I was inspecting his car before his trip. I noticed the tire on the right rear looked to be defective. It looks like the tread where it meet the sidewall is separating from the tire on the inside with a tear about 8” long where the metal is showing. Two tires out of 4 losing their tread is disturbing and a concerning safety issue with these tires, see the Photos I have supplied.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed. The failure was a recurring failure. The first failure was serviced by the dealer under NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, a year later, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the rack and pinion was replaced but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
No check engine, light or anything lost my electronic steering capabilities I’m going down the road
The power steering system, failure. completely without warning I see recalls on this model. But do not see it on the website. Nor will ford repair it
My car does not always respond when the brakes are tapped. They are soft/squishy at times and I have to push the pedal all the way to the floor for the car to stop. This issue has been occuring off & on for approximately 3 years though it's been more frequent since June of 2026. I have never seen any warning or failure light/notification any of the times this has happened. The issue was determined to be a faulty master cylinder by the service department at Colley Ford in Glendora, CA.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality and almost caused a crash. The message "Service Power Steering Now" was displayed. The contact was able to drive to the destination. The contact stated that the vehicle had become undrivable due to the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (STEERING); however, the VIN was not included. The dealer and the manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Showing 12 of 2,614 complaints.