2012 Ford Fusion Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
80/100
#3 most-complained of 11 Fusion years
The 2012 Ford Fusion ranks 3rd worst out of 11 model years, with a Complaint Index of 80 and 2,516 complaints, mostly tied to steering (59% of complaints). It carries 5 recalls, including 2 do-not-drive airbag recalls, earning it an 'Avoid' verdict relative to other Fusion years.
- Complaints
- 2,516
- Recalls
- 5
- incl. Do Not Drive
- Crashes / fires
- 107 / 9
- Injuries / deaths
- 64 / 3
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 23.5
- 21 city / 28 hwy
Top 2012 Ford Fusion problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Steering1,473 (59%)
- Airbags404 (16%)
- Brakes198 (8%)
- Electrical System181 (7%)
- Engine181 (7%)
- Transmission & Powertrain158 (6%)
- Structure & Body127 (5%)
- Other126 (5%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires72 (3%)
- Fuel System65 (3%)
What owners report
- Power steering suddenly cuts out during turns or lane changes, sometimes causing loss of control or a crash.
- Airbags fail to deploy in low-speed collisions, including intersection crashes and impacts with trees.
- Vehicle reportedly accelerates or moves unexpectedly at low speeds without driver input, leading to crashes.
- Air conditioning vents stop blowing air, later traced to burned motor and wiring.
- Side curtain airbag brackets and sensors reportedly fail to trigger deployment despite side-impact damage.
2012 Ford Fusion recalls
5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 21V158000Mar 10, 2021Airbags2,602,668 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
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.
- NHTSA 21V081000Feb 16, 2021Airbags1,067 vehicles
Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module
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.
- NHTSA 19V001000Jan 7, 2019Airbags782,384 vehiclesDo Not Drive
Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module
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.
2012 Ford Fusion fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 21 MPG
- Highway
- 28 MPG
- Combined
- 23.5 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,750
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2012 compared with other Fusion years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2012 Ford Fusion reliable?
- Compared to other Fusion model years, the 2012 ranks 3rd worst out of 11, with a Complaint Index of 80 and 2,516 NHTSA complaints, so it carries an 'Avoid' verdict relative to other years.
- What is the main problem with the 2012 Ford Fusion?
- Steering is the top problem area, accounting for 59% of complaints (1,473 complaints), with a median failure mileage of 83,242 miles and 46 associated crashes.
- Does the 2012 Ford Fusion have a recall?
- Yes, NHTSA lists 5 recalls for the 2012 Fusion, including 2 do-not-drive recalls covering airbag inflator and module defects, plus a steering control module recall.
- How does the 2012 Fusion compare to the 2010 and 2011 models?
- The 2010 Fusion has a Complaint Index of 100 with 5,120 complaints and 11 recalls, and the 2011 has an index of 90 with 2,786 complaints and 7 recalls, both also rated 'Avoid,' while the 2012 sits slightly better at an index of 80.
- Which Fusion years are rated better than 2012?
- Years like 2018, 2019, and 2020 are rated 'Best,' with Complaint Indexes of 20, 10, and 0 respectively and far fewer complaints and recalls than the 2012 model.