2012 Ford FUSION - Ratings, Complaints and Recalls

The 2012 Ford Fusion has an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5, which indicates it is above average in terms of safety. This car comes equipped with electronic stability control, a feature that helps drivers maintain control in slippery conditions. Unfortunately, it does not have forward collision warning or lane departure warning systems, which could have added an extra layer of safety. In terms of complaints and recalls, there have been 2394 complaints and 6 recalls reported for this model. It is important for owners to address these recalls promptly to ensure the safety of the vehicle.

auto generated summary, may be inaccurate.

Top stats at a glance

Complaint Count

2,394

Recall Count

6

Investigation Count

4

Safety Rating

4/5

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Safety Features

2012 Ford Fusion 4 DR FWD Safety Features

Here are the safety features that come as standard on the 2012 Ford Fusion 4 DR FWD

Electronic Stability Control (ESC)

ESC is an advanced safety feature in vehicles designed to help drivers maintain control during challenging driving conditions. By continuously monitoring various factors such as steering angle, vehicle speed, and individual wheel speeds, ESC can detect and reduce the risk of skidding or loss of control. It achieves this by automatically applying brakes to specific wheels to stabilize the vehicle.

Standard
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)

Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is a safety feature in vehicles that helps prevent frontal collisions by alerting the driver of an imminent collision with a vehicle or obstacle ahead. Using sensors such as radar or cameras, FCW monitors the distance and speed of vehicles in front, and if it detects a potential collision, it provides visual and/or auditory warnings to prompt the driver to take evasive action.

No
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)

Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is a safety feature in vehicles that alerts drivers when their vehicle unintentionally drifts out of its lane without signaling. Utilizing cameras or sensors to monitor lane markings on the road, LDW detects when the vehicle crosses these lines and triggers visual, auditory, or haptic alerts to notify the driver of potential lane departure.

No

2012 Ford Fusion 4 DR FWD Safety Ratings

Here we have the crash and rollover ratings for the 2012 Ford Fusion 4 DR FWD Where possible we've included the ratings for the oldest and latest models of this car so you can compare how the safety ratings have changed over time.

Frontal Crash Ratings

Combines Driver and Passenger star ratings into a single frontal rating. The frontal barrier test simulates a head-on collision between two similar vehicles, each moving at 35 mph.

Test 2006 Score 2012 Score 2020 Score
Overall Front Crash Rating Not Rated 3 4
Front Crash Driver Side Rating 4 4 5
Front Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 3 3

Side Crash Ratings

Combines Side Barrier and Side Pole Star Ratings into a single side rating.

Test 2006 Score 2012 Score 2020 Score
Overall Side Crash Rating Not Rated 4 5
Side Crash Drivers Side Rating 4 5 5
Side Crash Passenger Side Rating 4 3 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Front Not Rated 5 5
Combined Side Barrier Pole Rating - Rear Not Rated 3 5
Overall Side Barrier Rating Not Rated 4 5

Rollover Ratings

The Rollover Resistance test measures the risk of rollover in a single-vehicle, loss-of-control scenario.

Test 2006 Score 2012 Score 2020 Score
Rollover Rating 5 4 4
Rollover Possibility % 0% 0% 0%
Dynamic Tip Result No Tip No Tip No Tip
Side Pole Crash Rating Not Rated 4 5

Complaints for the 2012 Ford FUSION

This chart show the number of complaints for each car component. A Higher number of complaints could indicate that this car might have a common fault. Something to look out for when purchasing one.

Component Complaints

Choose a component to see what complaints people have made about them.

Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 ford fusion. the contact stated while driving approximately 40 mph, the message "service electronic power steering" displayed, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. the vehicle was driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering gear had failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not yet repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. the contact stated that the vehicle was previously serviced under the nhtsa campaign number: 15v340000 (steering) in 2019. the contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. the failure mileage was 111,000."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2026-05-01
Complaint:
"i was driving, the power steering failed and caused me to start to lose control of my vehicle while turning on the freeway, which caused me to slightly crash into the side wall and almost go over the highway into the water. i also hit my head on the driver side window and felt very dizzy for a while afterwards. because i was so in shock and scared, i wasn’t able to drive the car home for hours, so i pulled onto the side of the road and called my family to let them know what happened. when i purchased the vehicle i wasn’t informed of any issues with the model. both this model and several others were included as part of a recall, and the car was taken into the shop and “repaired” by past owners, yet the power steering failed again. there is no active unrepaired recall because the car was brought in before and worked on by ford mechanics who then cleared the recall after fixing the car because they deemed the issue to be addressed. however, the issue is still ongoing. it is not fixed at all. i purchased this car last year, and if i would’ve known this would happen or that the car had so many issues i never would’ve bought it. i’ve taken the car to several dealerships that have said the problem is a complete failure of the steering gear, yet when i take it in to ford dealerships they state that the “extended warranty is expired” and that they can’t do anything about the vehicle needing a recall. i almost lost my life, i have a car that i cannot drive and have not been able to drive ever since the incident occurred. why am i being punished because my car has been refused to be repaired, and because ford has refused to provide me any reimbursement for the problem? to whoever reads this, thank you so much for taking the time to read and help me with this problem, as my vehicle is how i’m able to ensure survival and i’ve been struggling to survive without any type of vehicle."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2023-03-12
Complaint:
"power steering"
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2025-01-01
Complaint:
"on 1/6/2024 my car steering went. there was a recall on certain cars that the 2012 ford fusion has a recall for this but the dealer is saying there is not for my car. this seems to be an extensive problem with his car and a expensive repair. electric steering rack failed"
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2024-06-01
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 ford fusion. the contact stated while driving 40 mph, the vehicle became extremely difficult to steer the vehicle. the power steering assist light was illuminated. the contact stated that the steering assist failure started 4 years prior to the failure and as per the dealer, the vehicle was not under recall. the contact stated that the failure persisted. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer yet. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 130,000."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2024-06-01
Complaint:
"at about 98500 miles, power steering stopped working. 2 alternating dash warning lights kept flashing; service advance trac, power steering assist fault. this sounded like it related to a known recall for electronic steering problem for my year and model but, ford said my vin was not included. i brought it to the dealer, with white knuckles, as it was very hard to turn the wheel and if i had to make a quick steering move to avoid an accident, i don't think i would've been able to. the dealer (balise ford, hyannis ma) performed an expensive repair as follows: they said steering angle sensor signal invalid and pscm internal failure. they replaced steering rack, tie rods and jam nuts. they performed pmi and configured pcsm. aligned vehicle. i still think my service should have been performed with compensation from ford but, they did not."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2023-12-12
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 ford fusion. the contact stated that while pulling out of a parking lot and attempting to merge into traffic, the steering wheel became extremely difficult to steer the vehicle. the contact attempted to reset the power steering however, the functionality failed to return. the contact continued to drive without power steering assist. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the power steering module had failed and needed to be replaced. the mechanic informed the contact that the failure was related to nhtsa campaign number: 15v340000 (steering) and referred the contact to the dealer for the repair. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and it was confirmed that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v340000 (steering). the failure mileage was 162,067."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2024-03-12
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 ford fusion. the contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the power steering assist fault message was intermittently displayed, causing the steering wheel to become firm. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who retrieved dtc code: u3000-49 and determined that the power steering control module needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the contact related the failure to nhtsa campaign number: 15v250000 (steering) however, the vin was not included in the recall. the failure mileage was approximately 55,000."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2024-08-11
Complaint:
"power steering assist stopped working, it is available for inspection upon request. risk of injury or death from potential crash. as driving lost power steering on highway as following a left curve at 58 mph, heard beeping and light came on that power steering assist fault came on, then i was shot across the highway into oncoming traffic lane and left tires hit the gravel and dirt, i was able to correct the vehicle but still no power steering working. no confirmation from dealer or service center yet. no inspections yet. first appeared on 12/09/23, power assist fault warning came on, shut car off let sit 5 min, then worked fine until 12/11/23 where incident above happened. has not worked since then."
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2023-11-12
Complaint:
"the contact owns a 2012 ford fusion. the contact stated that while the husband was driving approximately 40 mph the electric power steering suddenly malfunctioned and the steering wheel became difficult to turn in either direction. the vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed that the steering gear needed to be replaced and the steering control module needed to be reprogrammed. the vehicle was not yet repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. the failure mileage was 103,103"
Components Involved: STEERING
Date of incident: 2023-11-12

Recalls for the 2012 Ford FUSION

Component Recalls

Choose a component to see what recalls people have made about them.

Recall:
"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,..."
Consequence:
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 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.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2019-01-07
Recall:
"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..."
Consequence:
An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy:

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.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2017-01-10
Recall:
"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."
Consequence:
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.

Component(s) Involved: AIR BAGS > FRONTAL > PASSENGER SIDE > INFLATOR MODULE
Date of incident: 2021-02-16

FORD Overall Complaint Ranking

This table shows the ranking of car manufacturers when it comes to most complaints and recalls. The manufacturer with the most complaints is at the top. However this doesn't necassarily mean they should be avoided. Some manufacturers might just have more popular or affordable cars which a lot of people have bought. Which means there's more scope for a complaint to be made. Use the ranking table below as a part your wider research into buying a car.

FORD ranks 1 out of 44 in the complaints ranking table.

Manufacturer Complaint Count Recall Count Ranking
FORD 208,358 3,259 1
CHEVROLET 111,306 2,082 2
TOYOTA 81,019 1,852 3
HONDA 61,937 1,268 4
NISSAN 56,226 930 5
DODGE 45,756 827 6
HYUNDAI 44,150 649 7
GMC 34,441 1,410 8
KIA 29,832 501 9
CHRYSLER 27,698 254 10
TESLA 26,230 730 11
BMW 24,890 1,877 12
VOLKSWAGEN 23,125 829 13
MERCEDES-BENZ 19,066 2,925 14
SUBARU 18,513 703 15
MAZDA 10,599 364 16
PONTIAC 10,430 138 17
CADILLAC 9,434 444 18
AUDI 7,865 1,093 19
BUICK 7,851 279 20
SATURN 7,672 84 21
MERCURY 7,374 135 22
LEXUS 6,373 408 23
LINCOLN 5,897 423 24
ACURA 5,722 382 25
MINI 5,585 366 26
INFINITI 4,000 187 27
MITSUBISHI 3,912 397 28
VOLVO 3,875 727 29
PORSCHE 2,646 1,231 30
SUZUKI 2,272 123 31
FIAT 2,205 80 32
SAAB 1,536 76 33
JAGUAR 1,195 198 34
SMART 528 17 35
GENESIS 436 42 36
ISUZU 249 37 37
ALFA ROMEO 161 37 38
MASERATI 76 46 39
BENTLEY 46 159 40
POLESTAR 42 2 41
LUCID 14 6 42
CODA 4 2 43
MAYBACH 0 0 44

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