NHTSA has 2,517 owner complaints on file for the 2012 Ford Fusion, received from 2011 to 2026. The most-reported system is steering (1,474 complaints, 59%), followed by air bags (404) and electrical system (164). Owners reported 107 crashes, 9 fires, 64 injuries and 3 deaths. Median mileage at failure: 74,736 miles. Complaints peaked in 2018, with 359 received that year. 5 safety recalls cover this model year; 2 carry a do-not-drive warning.
2,517NHTSA complaints
5safety recalls
107crashes reported
9fires reported
64injuries
3deaths
Quick answers
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Ford Fusion?
Owners report steering problems most often: 1,474 of 2,517 NHTSA complaints (59%), followed by air bags (404) and electrical system (164).
How many recalls does the 2012 Ford Fusion have?
NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls for the 2012 Ford Fusion. The most recent is 21V158000 (air bags, 2021-03-10).
At what mileage do 2012 Ford Fusion problems happen?
The median mileage at failure is 74,736 miles, across 1,739 complaints that reported mileage.
Have owners reported crashes or fires in the 2012 Ford Fusion?
Yes. Owners reported 107 crashes, 9 fires, 64 injuries and 3 deaths in NHTSA complaints.
Problems by system
System
Complaints
Share
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Median miles
Steering
1,474
59%
46
2
13
83,300
Air bags
404
16%
36
0
35
68,000
Electrical system
164
7%
8
4
7
63,400
Power train
158
6%
3
0
0
51,700
Unknown or other
119
5%
6
0
2
70,000
Engine
116
5%
1
3
5
51,700
Service brakes
113
4%
15
0
6
77,500
Structure
99
4%
13
0
8
65,500
Speed control
86
3%
17
0
12
42,220
Electronic stability control
80
3%
7
0
1
89,900
Fuel system
65
3%
3
0
7
51,850
Suspension
36
1%
3
0
0
89,700
Wheels
28
1%
2
0
1
88,000
Latches, locks and linkages
24
1%
0
0
0
54,931
Exterior lighting
21
1%
0
1
0
43,000
Seats
11
<1%
1
0
2
72,000
Tires
11
<1%
1
0
0
18,000
Visibility and wipers
11
<1%
0
0
0
40,000
Seat belts
8
<1%
2
0
5
42,000
Equipment
6
<1%
0
1
0
9,458
Traction control
6
<1%
0
0
0
83,300
Forward collision avoidance
3
<1%
1
0
0
121,258
Lane departure
1
<1%
0
0
0
–
Parking brake
1
<1%
0
0
0
50,000
Tether
1
<1%
0
0
0
–
A complaint can name more than one system, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Defect: 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.
Defect: 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.
Defect: 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…
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.
Defect: 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…
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.
Defect: 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.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while entering the vehicle to start the engine, the power steering became inoperable. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the dealer refused to perform the steering gear recall…
Steering · NHTSA complaint 11771615, received 2026-10-16
Our 2012 Fusion suffered a sudden loss of power steering, was diagnosed with code U3000 at a Ford dealer, and that the dealer confirmed it matches the 15S18 recall symptoms despite being built two months outside the window. Our vehicle was manufactured at the Hermosillo plant in 2012, just two…
Steering · NHTSA complaint 11766725, received 2026-09-24
On [redacted] ,I was driving in my car heading home with my [redacted] son in the backseat when my steering wheel just locked up on me and didn't want to turn and it was just stiff. I turn off my car immediately and waited about ten minutes to turn on. The car started up and the steering wheel…
Air bags · NHTSA complaint 11691106, received 2025-10-02
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 15V34000 (STEERING), 19V001000 (AIR BAGS), and 21V158000 (AIR BAGS); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that parts were…
Air bags · NHTSA complaint 11658940, received 2025-05-05
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…
Electrical system · NHTSA complaint 11762491, received 2026-09-06
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…
Electrical system · NHTSA complaint 11758395, received 2026-08-20
Built from the NHTSA complaints flat file and the NHTSA recalls flat files, data as of 2026-10-22. Complaints are unverified owner reports filed with NHTSA. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular models collect more of them.