2012 Ford Fusion problems & reliability
2,510 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Ford Fusion, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
44 complaints report injuries (64 injured, 3 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2012 Ford Fusion vehicles were involved in 175 fatal crashes with 107 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 1,469 | 59% |
| Air Bags | 404 | 16% |
| Electrical System | 162 | 6% |
| Power Train | 158 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 119 | 5% |
| Engine | 111 | 4% |
| Service Brakes | 104 | 4% |
| Structure | 99 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 86 | 3% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 80 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 75,000 miles (middle 50% between 45,000 and 113,000 miles), based on 1,702 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Steering · filed Aug 5, 2026
“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…”
Tires · filed Jul 30, 2026
“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…”
Steering · filed Jul 27, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
- Power Steering Failure
Engineering Analysis EA17004 · opened Nov 20, 2017 · closed Feb 9, 2024
- Electric power steering failure
Preliminary Evaluation PE14030 · opened Oct 2, 2014 · closed Sep 10, 2015 · led to recall 15V340000
- Electronic Throttle Body Malfunction
Preliminary Evaluation PE13003 · opened Feb 21, 2013 · closed Feb 28, 2014
Technical service bulletins
51 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2012 Ford Fusion. The 10 most recent:
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated…
SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024…
SSM 53040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 10, 2024
All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the…
SSM 52476 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2024
When performing any transmission fluid change or topoff involving Motorcraft® Premium ATF, MERCON® V has replaced all versions of Motorcraft® Premium ATF and can be used going forward. Mixing Motorcraft® Premium ATF…
SSM 52243 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 8, 2024
Certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2005-2006 GT, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion and MKZ/Zephyr, 2006-2011 Milan, and 2007-2010 Edge & MKX Vehicles Driver & Passenger Airbag Module Quality Control Inspection REASON FOR THIS…
22B05 S1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 27, 2023
Some 2010-2012 Fusion/Milan and 2011-2012 MKZ vehicles equipped with a 2.5L or 3.0L engine and electronic power assist steering (EPAS), a remanufactured replacement steering gear (MU2Z-3V504-ARM) is available which is…
SSM 51666 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 26, 2023
Some 2010-2012 Fusion hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), 2010-2011 Milan HEV and 2011-2012 MKZ HEV vehicles may experience reduced electric vehicle operation and increased gasoline engine operation around 10 years of…
TSB 23-2098 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 7, 2023
Certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2005-2006 GT, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion & MKZ/Zephyr, 2006-2011 Milan, and 2007-2010 Edge & MKX Vehicles Driver & Passenger Airbag Module Quality Control Inspection: Ford Motor…
22B05 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 28, 2022
Various 2012-2015 vehicles equipped with a 3G modem may experience a lack of 3G modem performance. This may be due to the 3G cellular service functionality being decommissioned starting August 2021 and through March…
SSM 50258 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 4, 2021
Some 2010-2020 vehicles may exhibit distorted glass with a subtle orange peel pattern or streaking etched into the surface. This is caused by hydrofluoric acid which is used in some car wash solutions as a cleaning…
SSM 48130 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 9, 2019
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2012 Ford Fusion has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2012 Ford Fusion?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 75,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.