2012 Ford Fusion Problems, Recalls & Reliability
3,055 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Ford Fusion, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 48/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Steering leads the reports, typically around 84,540 miles.
Below average
Where 2012 sits among all Fusion years
What owners report
“Unexpectedly lost power steering while driving the car on a city street...noticed when turning the car”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Fusion
“Takata recall. No eta provided for replacement parts as of 08/30/2017. No statement from ford on the safety of the vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Fusion
“Loss of power steering assist. Not all the time door latch will not open from the inside”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Fusion
“My power steering stopped working on my car and advance trac service came on and i already taken it to the dealership and it worked for a day and stopped working again”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Fusion
“Transmission revs high before shifting? It isn't slipping but it isn't driving how it should be.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Fusion
“Vehicle loses power while driving, with no response when accelerator is depressed further. The engine continues to run but no throttle response. No engine warning light came on. No codes stored. Must stop, turn off engine and perform an engine restart to continue driving again.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Fusion
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 2,094 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 74,450 miles. Half of those reports fall between 44,000 and 111,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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,…
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…
Fix: 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…
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,…
Fix: 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…
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…
Fix: 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…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade,…
Led to recall campaign 15V340000.
Technical service bulletins
51 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2012 Ford Fusion. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 Fusion TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2012 Ford Fusion reliable?
The 2012 Ford Fusion drew 3,055 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 48/100, scored against the model's worst year (2010).
What are the most common 2012 Ford Fusion problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Ford Fusion are steering (1,478 complaints), airbags (406), and other (212).
At what mileage do 2012 Ford Fusion problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Ford Fusion problems around 74,450 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 44,000 and 111,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Ford Fusion have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 Ford Fusion. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.