236 of the
1,580 complaints filed about the Ford Fusion Hybrid
are about the airbag system —
15% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2010.
The leather-covered dashboard panel, in the approximately 4-6 inch section between the base of the windshield and the first seam across the dash, has shrunk, rippled, and pulled away from the underlying substrate. This area also houses the driver-assist camera housing and the defrost vent. The vehicle was purchased new and has been Ford-maintained, professionally detailed, and garage-kept throughout ownership; the leather has been regularly cleaned and conditioned as part of routine dealership detailing, ruling out lack of care as a cause. The vehicle's build date is January 2018, which falls within the range covered by Ford Technical Service Bulletin 18-2283 ("Instrument Panel Sagging at the Windshield Glass"), issued for vehicles built between October 13, 2014 and February 2, 2018, describing the instrument panel sagging and separating near the windshield. I am filing this complaint because this appears to be a documented, recurring defect pattern affecting this vehicle's dash generation, rather than isolated cosmetic wear. Ford Customer Relations has twice declined goodwill assistance, citing the vehicle's age (just over 8 years) as the sole basis, without physical inspection or evaluation of the underlying condition. An independent repair estimate to replace the dash panel and remove/reinstall the windshield for access was quoted at approximately $3,100.
NHTSA complaint #11754944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The air bags did not deploy on the front passenger side after a two car accident. There was an injury to the passenger of the car. Vehicle was inspected by police and there were no warning signs
NHTSA complaint #11744654 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bags warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that it would take three days to receive the diagnostic results. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.
NHTSA complaint #11645981 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving on a slushy road and it was snowing. I received a warning that the pre-collision assist was unavailable. Another light also lit up saying there was no traction. The car veered toward the concrete barrier next to me and I couldn't turn the wheel. The brakes also did not work. I slammed into the concrete barrier at about 55 mph and began spinning back across the interstate and stopped next to a guardrail. When I hit the concrete barrier, my seatbelt didn't catch and my whole body slid forward into the steering wheel, dashboard, and windshield. My face hit the windshield. The airbags never inflated.
NHTSA complaint #11642377 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated while making a left turn, the steering wheel made a complete 360-degree turn; however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. Additionally, the horn and the buttons on the steering wheel became inoperable. The contact pushed up on the steering wheel, applying a lot of pressure, to steer the vehicle while turning. Additionally, when the vehicle was started, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact believed that the failures were associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V167000 (Steering). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,600.
NHTSA complaint #11611533 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Airbags failed to deploy at 30-40 mph head on collision. Vehicle had an airbag light come up, was inspected by Ford and the RCM module was replaced as directed by manual. Airbags were also inspected at the time. Lights were cleared after the replacement. Was the car not reading the speed at the time of the accident? My wife and 2 toddlers were in the vehicle at the time of the accident. I have a wrist injury and whiplash. Injuries could have been worse if it was a vehicle of twice the size or a semi.
NHTSA complaint #11580473 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Car has intermittent electrical issue that causes ECUs to reboot often times disabling safety systems such as ABS, Airbags, Collision Avoidance, Adaptive Cruise Control, power steering and power brakes. Ford dealer believes that it's a short in a wiring harness. They claim this issue has been seen in several vehicles like mine. Ford was able to reproduce the problem and recommends replacement of a wiring harness ($4k). To date, I have not had an accident, but do not feel safe driving the vehicle if the airbags and other safety systems become inoperable. Yes, all of the dashboard lights come on when this issue occurs - technician states that the whole computer system gets taken down. That's very uncomfortable when you are traveling at highway speed and no longer have safety system. Steering and braking do get impacted but are not inoperable. I can provide videos of the dashboard when these events occur.
NHTSA complaint #11574928 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owned a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, she was rear-ended by another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The contact was later treated for various bruising in an area hospital, as well as receiving a CT scan and an x-ray of her left ankle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic; instead, it was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 90,000.
NHTSA complaint #11543940 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On or about January 2023, I noticed the airbag light come on my vehicle's dashboard. I didn't notice anything else that may have suggested what was wrong or what caused the light to come on. On February 6, 2023, I took the car to a Ford dealership to be inspected (the car had less than 60,000 miles and was about 6 years old at the time). After an inspection, I was told that the "Restraint Control Module" (RCM) had failed and that the part I needed was on national backorder. I asked the sales person if this meant that my airbags wouldn't deploy in an accident. His answer was unclear, and he said that "the airbags would at least not deploy unintentionally". On May 6, 2023, I was involved in an accident and the airbags did NOT deploy. I am unsure if there was enough force during the accident that would have caused the airbags to deploy, or whether they should have deployed but did not due to the bad RCM component. Today, May 17, 2023, my car is currently being repaired at an auto body shop. I called Ford's customer service because I am concerned about driving with potentially non-working airbags. I was told that the part I need (HS7Z14B321H) is still on national backorder and may take at least two more months to be back in stock. Ford recommended filing a report with NHTSA. I feel that the car is not safe to drive and I am concerned for the safety of myself and passengers. Please let me know if you have any additional questions or recommend any solutions to resolve this situation. Thank you for your time.
NHTSA complaint #11522539 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact's daughter owned a 2019 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while her daughter was idled in traffic, another vehicle rear-ended the vehicle that was behind the daughter's vehicle, causing the vehicle from behind to rear-end the daughter's vehicle. It was a seven-vehicle collision. All of the passenger's side front air bags deployed upon impact where the contact's son was seated. The driver's side front knee and steering wheel air bags deployed upon impact, except for the side curtain and seat air bags. The contact's daughter and son were transported by ambulance to the hospital for injuries sustained. The contact's daughter suffered a fractured back, whiplash, and burns on the left side of her neck and right arm. The contact's son suffered a concussion. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard where it was deemed totaled by the insurance company, then towed to the daughter's residence. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.
NHTSA complaint #11483556 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact checked her VIN online and discovered that her vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11465881 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact received a notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The dealer had been notified about the issue; however, the contact was informed that the part was not yet available. The manufacturer had been notified of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11443040 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V158000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact had not contacted the dealer. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
NHTSA complaint #11424058 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I WAS IN AN INTERSECTION CAR ACCIDENT WHERE I WAS HIT AT 75 MPH ON THE LEFT DRIVERS SIDE, WHEN MY STEERING WHEEL AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY BUT EVERY SINGLE AIR BAG ON THE LEFT SIDE OF MY VEHICLE DEPLOYED.
NHTSA complaint #11405272 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND GOT INTO A CAR ACCIDENT, I WAS GOING 60MPH AND WAS ONLY ABLE TO SLOW DOWN TO 40MPH. MY AIRBAGS DIDN'T EVEN GO OFF WITH SUCH A BIG IMPACT AND REAR ENDING SOMEONE, AND MY SEATBELT DIDN'T LOCK UNTIL AFTER I FLEW FORWARD HITTING THE STEERING WHEEL.
NHTSA complaint #11364462 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I WAS IN A CAR ACCIDENT THAT ULTIMATELY TOTALED THE CAR. THE AIRBAG UNDER THE DRIVER SIDE DASH CAME OUT BUT THE AIRBAG IN THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT COME OUT NOR DID THE SEATBELT LOCK. MY HEAD AND FACE HIT THE WINDSHIELD LEAVING ME WITH INJURIES TO MY FACE AND NOSE AND I HAD INJURIES ON THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE OF MY BODY. I WAS GOING 45 MPH AND FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL. I VEERED OFF INTO A DITCH AND HIT THE OTHER SIDE OF IT. *TR*DT
NHTSA complaint #11331076 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I GOT INTO AN ACCIDENT ON THE HIGHWAY, DEAR RAN IN FRONT OF ME, HIT DEER CAR LOST CONTROL AND WENT INTO A DITCH, HITTING A TREE. MY AIR BAG DIDN'T DEPLOY AND MY SEATBELT DIDN'T LOCK UP. AFTER I GOT AN ALERT ON MY PHONE SAYING IT WAS FAULTY. SUFFERING WITH NECK AND BACK INJURIES.*DT*JB
NHTSA complaint #11326238 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
MY AIRBAG IN MY STEERING WHEEL IS POPPED UP AND THE SYNC SYSTEM FOR MY RADIO KEEPS DISCONNECTING AND JUST WILL NOT CONNECT AT ALL. DID A FACTORY RESET WITCH SOLVED THE PROBLEM FOR ONLY A COUPLE DAYS AND WENT BACK TO NOT WORKING AGAIN
NHTSA complaint #11319300 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
AIRBAG LIGHT COMES ON AFTER YOU START THE CAR BUT THERE IS NO ISSUE. RECALL WAS FIXED RECENTLY AS WELL BUT APPARENTLY THE SENOR IS NOT COVERED IN THE RECALL.
NHTSA complaint #11319149 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.