YearToAvoid

2013 Ford Fusion Structure & Body Problems

NHTSA lists 264 Structure & Body complaints for the 2013 Ford Fusion, 15% of all complaints for the year, with a median failure mileage of 60,000. This year has more Structure & Body complaints than any other Fusion model year, and four related recalls cover door latches and seatback issues.

Structure & Body complaints
264
15% of 1,791
Crashes reported
6
Fires reported
8
Injuries reported
14
Median mileage
60,000 mi
Related recalls
4

Typical body and structure symptoms owners report

  • Owners report door latches failing to hold the door closed, sometimes causing the door to open while driving.
  • Several owners describe engine compartment fires starting after a smoking or burning smell, in some cases while driving at highway speed.
  • Some complaints describe fire starting after the vehicle displayed a check charging system warning or an overheating condition.
  • Owners report shifter cable bushing failure causing incorrect gear selection, in one case letting the car roll away unattended.
  • A few owners report the seat back or seat structure being involved in the recalled repair area.

When 2013 Ford Fusion body and structure complaints were filed

First complaint Jan 14, 2013, latest Mar 7, 2026.

2013 Ford Fusion structure & body complaints: complaints filed per quarter232013 Q12014 Q42016 Q22017 Q42019 Q22020 Q42022 Q42024 Q4
264 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2013 Q1 to 2026 Q1; peak 2016 Q3 (23).

Structure & Body recalls for the 2013 Ford Fusion

  1. NHTSA 20V331000Jun 8, 2020Structure & Body2,147,323 vehicles

    Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

    Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.

  2. NHTSA 17V210000Mar 27, 2017Structure & Body191,432 vehicles

    Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Fiesta, 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

    Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace all four door latches, free of charge. The recall began May 1, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S16.

  3. NHTSA 15V246000Apr 24, 2015Structure & Body456,440 vehicles

    Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified the agency on April 23, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured July 1, 2012, to May 31, 2013, and 2012-2014 Fiesta vehicles manufactured February 1, 2012, to May 31, 2013. On April 30, 2015, Ford expanded the recall to cover an additional 119,567 vehicles, including certain model year 2011 Ford Fiestas manufactured from November 11, 2009, to May 31, 2013 and certain model year 2013 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured from February 1, 2012, to June 30, 2012. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

    Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace all four door latches with an improved part, free of charge. Interim notifications were mailed to owners on June 5, 2015. The recall began on December 18, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S16.

  4. NHTSA 14V164000Apr 2, 2014Structure & Body43,135 vehicles

    Seats:front assembly:recliner

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured August 15, 2012, through September 10, 2013, 2013-2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured June 5, 2012, through August 12, 2013, and 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured from July 23, 2012, through May 28, 2013. The driver and passenger seatback assemblies may have been produced with sub-standard weld joints used to attach the seat back recliner mechanism to the seat frame. The affected seat backs may have insufficient strength to meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."

    Risk: The back of the subject seats may become loose or lean while driving and potentially increase the risk of injury in certain crashes.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seatback, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14C03.

Structure & Body complaints by Fusion model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 2010128 (3%)
  2. 201188 (3%)
  3. 2012127 (5%)
  4. 2013264 (15%)
  5. 2014123 (9%)
  6. 201545 (5%)
  7. 201692 (6%)
  8. 201712 (1%)
  9. 20184 (1%)
  10. 20193 (1%)
  11. 20206 (3%)

Frequently asked questions

How many Structure & Body complaints does the 2013 Ford Fusion have?
NHTSA lists 264 Structure & Body complaints for the 2013 Ford Fusion, which is 15% of the 1,791 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall related to Structure & Body issues on the 2013 Ford Fusion?
Yes. NHTSA lists four Structure & Body recalls tied to the 2013 Fusion, covering door latches (campaigns 15V246000 and 17V210000), a seatback issue (14V164000), and a latch inspection recall (20V331000).
At what mileage do Structure & Body problems typically show up on the 2013 Fusion?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this problem area is 60,000 miles.
Were there any fires or crashes linked to these complaints?
NHTSA's data for this problem area on the 2013 Fusion includes 8 fires, 6 crashes, and 14 injuries.
Does the 2013 Fusion have more Structure & Body complaints than other model years?
Yes. Among Fusion model years listed, 2013 has the highest count at 264 complaints and the highest share at 15%, compared to lower counts in surrounding years like 123 in 2014 and 92 in 2016.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.