160 of the
2,368 complaints about the 2013 Ford Fusion are about the
electrical system — 7% of everything
reported for this model year.
Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before
55,000 miles.
My 2013 Ford Fusion equipped with the 1.6L EcoBoost engine started blowing thick white smoke (Burning Coolant) while I was driving on the freeway. Engine coolant was leaking and my card died right there, that had blown the head gasket. I received no warning, no message. This was an incredibly dangerous situation because I was on the freeway and was forced to stop immediately. Ford Motor Company has refused to include my vehicle’s VIN in the applicable recall programs despite my vehicle experiencing the same issues described in NHTSA recalls 12V551000 (Ford Campaign 12S41) and 17V209 (Ford Campaign 17S09) The recalls identify issues involving coolant loss, overheating, insufficient warning of coolant loss, potential engine damage, cylinder head damage, and the risk of engine compartment fire. My vehicle exhibited these same symptoms and consequences which can be confirmed by the autobody shop where it was evaluated. The purpose of these recalls was to address a known safety concern involving the 1.6L EcoBoost engine cooling system. Despite this, when I contacted Ford and requested assistance and asked that my VIN be added to the recall population, Ford denied my request and stated that my vehicle was not included. I believe this decision fails to address the fact that my vehicle experienced the same defect and safety risk identified in the recall documents. The safety issue is not limited to the VINs currently listed in the recall population; rather, my vehicle demonstrates the same failure mode that prompted the recalls. My concern is that vehicles equipped with the same engine and experiencing the same defect may continue to pose a safety risk to drivers and passengers. A coolant loss event and overheating condition can result in significant engine damage, sudden loss of vehicle operation, costly repairs, and the potential for an engine compartment fire. respectfully request that this matter be reviewed and that Ford be required to re-evaluate their decision.
NHTSA complaint #11749772 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Miami, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
“Temporary loss service climate system ford fusion 2013” Ac turns on and off windows lock up when ac turns off. everything freezes up! I see online this should be a recall a lot of ford owners having the same problem!
NHTSA complaint #11746938 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Sedalla, MO
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:HORN
See attached document for complaint.
NHTSA complaint #11728778 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Niles, MIFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I own a 2013 Ford Fusion SE with a 1.6L EcoBoost engine. Prior to the incident, the vehicle displayed a “Check Charging System” warning and the engine overheated. After parking the vehicle and shutting it off, a fire started under the hood in the engine compartment. The fire occurred shortly after the overheating warning and while the vehicle was not running. The fire appeared to originate in the engine bay area and caused significant damage. There were no prior accidents or modifications to the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11722738 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Henrico, VA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The power steering module/rack, passenger side air bag Safety is a risk due to steering not working properly/ seat belt constantly locking Yes Yes others inspected Seat belt sensor has been on several months Service steering assist/Lane keep system malfunction service required and steering assist fault - all came on when it got cold and steering won’t work now
NHTSA complaint #11717152 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Paw paw, MI
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Unknown and it's whole electrical system is failing and constantly keeps shutting the car off saying no key detected and strands me more places than I can count it's stalled out in the middle of the road and said no key detected and I had to wait for it to basically let me start the car back up after like being shut off for 20 mins or if I unhooked the battery and hooked it back up then it would start and only go for a day or so and the heat only works if it's raining outside
NHTSA complaint #11698539 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brighton, TN
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1. After vehicle is given gas it won’t crank. 2. Tire sensors won’t turn off. Even with brand new tires and mounts. 3. Random electrical malfunctions. (Flickering dash lights, delayed engine start after turning the key, light bouncing back and forth between gears, etc.)
NHTSA complaint #11682758 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Riverton, UT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The rear view camera of my Ford Fusion has started to sporadically function. It started out with an occasional blank screen showing, followed by a message that the camera is not available and to call the dealer. Over the past month or so (July 2025) it is erroring more than 50% of the time. I am afraid of backing up now as I'm so used to using the camera to properly make sure everything is clear behind me. I have already been in a near-miss situation because the camera was not working, and I didn't see the vehicle that was approaching my car in a blindspot. My vehicle has roughly 190,000 miles and only recently has the camera started giving out. I saw on the news a recall of more than 120,000 Ford vehicles within similar rearview camera failure issues and I wanted to make sure that my situation was also recorded with the NHTSA for my particular Year, Make, and Model. Thank you.
NHTSA complaint #11671819 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Toledo, OH1 injured
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The rear view camera will display a black screen or the image will be reversed causing confusion and dangerous reversal actions. Also the camera will go black in the middle of parking or not display at all. The transmission will slip without warning and the vehicle will have have to be shut down and restarted in order to drive correctly.
NHTSA complaint #11671212 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 174,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 202,000.
NHTSA complaint #11666315 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
San Antonio, TX
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Car will stahl and lock steering wheel when yielding into traffic or driving. The advance trak light along with auto hill assist will pop up on dashboard stating to repair the issue.
NHTSA complaint #11642796 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Morganton, NC
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Low coolant light keeps coming on. Overheat light then comes on causing car to go into limp mode and causing me to almost get hit. I have had this happen almost ten times now and all Ford can tell me is my warranty ran out and it will cost more than car is worth, which is true. Ford knew the problem with these cars and they can't help us now. I don't know what to do, everyone with a Ford eco is having same problems,we need help!
NHTSA complaint #11625766 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Morganton, NC
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Been getting a low coolant warning, coolant is not low ,is actually over limit. Car then says overheating service now,goes into limp mode. Engine light comes on. I cannot drive car until it shuts off, sit awhile and then go. Engine light on get a p1299 reading,have had that reading for years,they replaced motor while under warranty ,now four years later the exact same thing is happening and I have no warranty,I cannot pay for this . This is an Ecoboost 1.6 motor and needs recalling,I read where thousands of people are having the exact same problems,this is not new...Please help us people trying to help ourselves with the exact problems over and over again. The 2013 Ecoboost 1.6 has given me problems for years and it just now started again big time on Aug 12 2024.
NHTSA complaint #11611137 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Fort Collins, CO
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The backup camera fails to show an image from behind the car over 75% of the time. The display in the car is black upon putting the car in reverse, within about 2 seconds a message displays “rear view camera is unavailable. Please contact your dealership.” The collision sensors (rear cross traffic) also does not work when the camera is not working. Looking at multiple online sites, as well as a friend who has a similar model Fusion as I do, there are many many reports of this issue . My car is low mileage (63,141). Ford also has multiple recalls for this issue on other models and years, this car should be included in the recalls.
NHTSA complaint #11597740 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Westland, MI
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My car has been flashing a “Power Steering Assist Fault” message since I bought it. Lately, it’s been flashing the warning more frequently. I purchased the vehicle new
NHTSA complaint #11590362 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wichita, KS
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Complete computer system is not working, won’t show me how many miles i have, won’t blow out any air. My windows won’t roll down. This happens at least 10 times a year. I put it in drive and it went BACKWARDS as i pressed on the gas pedal and the brake locked up. So i turned it on and off and SAME thing happened.
NHTSA complaint #11588612 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lodi, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I bought my car in 2020 and immediately when I got home my car had died and I had to have it towed back to the dealership. Since then I have had 2 new batteries, 1 new lithium battery, and a new transmission. Issues with my vehicle include but are not limited to: 1. sporadically when I am driving all my dash lights come on and my power steering goes out and my car becomes difficult to steer safely. 2. my car has rolled back twice while I am in park. 3. Passenger airbag randomly will fault when I am driving. 4. My e-brake will randomly fault while I am driving. All of these issues happen very often and are happening more and more often. I have brought my car in a few times but I am told it needs to replicate the issues in order to be diagnosed but these issues happen sporadically and I cannot demonstrate them at will.
NHTSA complaint #11583526 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Branford, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I bought from a dealer in live oak and told there was no recalls I only had car 2 months and the car transmission is acting crazy it smells like burnt oil or brake fluid leaking the radio has a major electrical problem it turns off and resets if I use the Bluetooth to talk through radio. This car all in all has been nothing but huge problems and here I am paying a car note on a car that's barely drivable.
NHTSA complaint #11554473 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Oshkosh, WIFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
As I was going down the highway my car started smoking dramatically. There were no warning lights so I assumed it might be a belt. I pulled to the side of the road and opened the hood to find flames coming from the backside of the engine. I have had it in the shop now for the last two months and the initial thought was that the water pump could have caused the issue. However, after that set of repairs it was burning oil. Further investigation has shown that the head is cracked.
NHTSA complaint #11545435 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Hinckley, OH
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Although this vehicle is 10 years old it has only logged less than 17k miles (near new condition). A few months back it was noted that the backlighting on the console, steering wheel, interior door panels and overhead console were inoperative under non-daylight conditions. At night, it's driving blind from an instrumentation perspective. Controls cannot be located as they cannot be seen. This backlighting has a mind of its own. Upon entering the vehicle all the lighting in question lights up and then times out (?) Activating outside lighting (headlights) when you expect and need the backlighting, it just isn't there. Disconnecting the battery for 12 hours (reboot) did nothing to solve the problem. Personally, I believe the slap-happy lighting engineers went way overboard with warning and flashing lights on this vehicle. The lighting in question is there, not just when needed. Due to this over-engineering I refuse to pay shop labor prices to troubleshoot or replace parts on a premium vehicle. As this car has become the "Recall Queen" I feel it was placed on the market well before its time and as a consumer I'm now the guinea pig in the field. Never another Ford. NOTE: Uploaded file shows console section and backlighting is ON. Ignition is off and if car is started the backlighting eventually turns off. Activating the headlights the console and all other backlighting remains dead.
NHTSA complaint #11526372 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 144,206 milesAsbury Park, NJ
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle inadvertently accelerated. The contact veered into a parking lot where the contact pumped the brake pedal until the vehicle stopped. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact observed a moist patch underneath the front of the vehicle after moving the vehicle. The contact also stated that the windows failed to operate after the power window button was depressed. Additionally, the A/C unit was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to a dealer several times to be diagnosed; however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The system was reset. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11518604 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Coolidge, AZCrash
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While driving my vehicle into the garage, I placed the car into the P(park) gear and the car continued to roll. I had to hit the emergency break to stop the vehicle. The fuel line keeps cracking although it has been replaced multiple times causing gas to be leaking from the vehicle even after filling the car up.
NHTSA complaint #11505722 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lansing, MI
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
2013 Ford Fusion with 99,799 miles on it; went out to go start it after work one day, unable to get into car or start car as battery was completely drained. Did not leave lights on etc. Had someone jump car; on way to repair shop, car shut down and would not restart; thankfully I was NOT on a highway. Since that time, it has had 2 new batteries placed in it, will run for about 5 minutes then shut off and you cannot restart it again; it has also been to 2 repair shops and is presently at the Ford dealership as my shop was not able to determine what was wrong. Cooling fan also noted to be running after car died yet still not able to restart. Read on Ford forums that this has happened to other Fusion owners of the same year.Up to this point, intermittently the battery saver message would come across the dash however I had that looked at and was cleared out. With the car just shutting down without any warning on a busy street in the city, this could have ended a lot worse: I could have been hit or even killed. No warning lights appeared on dash aside from powertrain light after it was jumped but after that, there was nothing. Car was essentially dead and I could not get it to restart. When it was running I could not get the car to go over 10mph in a 35mph zone
NHTSA complaint #11500779 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Stockton, CAFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE CARS DASHBOARD LIGHTS KEPT LIGHTING UP AND NOT LONG AFTER I WAS ON THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR CAUGHT ONFIRE UNDER THE HOOD AND BURNT DOWN COMPLETE LOSS
NHTSA complaint #11488892 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Waterbury, CT
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
-Electronic parking brake system (Brakes, Electrical) -If the Parking brake fails due to electrical component failure/premature degradation as well as the transmission bushing recall simultaneously, the vehicle could move on it's own while unattended causing accident/harm. -The vehicle is now in a dealer shop, work status has not been updated. -Inspection in progress by manufacturer dealership -Audible alarm with warning message "Electronic brake malfunction, Service now"
NHTSA complaint #11488783 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 120,000 milesPhiladelphia, PA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after shifting to the drive(D), the transmission experienced hard shifting. Also, while shifting to the park(P) the transmission would remain in drive(D) even though the gear selector indicated that the transmission was in park(P). During the failure, the vehicle would erroneously drive forward. The contact was able to manually shift the transmission to the park(P) from under the hood while a second person depressed the brake pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission shift cable bushing was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired on 3 separate occasions for the failure but each time the failure reoccurred. Additionally, all audible safety features such as the horn, alarms, and seatbelt alarms were inoperable. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 120,000.
NHTSA complaint #11486064 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Inglewood, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Was sold the car with no inspection and was pushed to get this 2013 Ford Fusion. Lights inside car flickers on and off rather car is on or off; caused to get new battery.
NHTSA complaint #11477533 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cleveland, GA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Windows will roll down unexpectedly without any warning. This has happened multiple times. I have not had inspected by dealer, however when I take the vehicle in for the two other recalls I will report them issue to the dealer.
NHTSA complaint #11474276 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Scottsburg, IN
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I was traveling with my family and a light came on the dash. I pulled over to check my manual and it said it was a power steering fault. Once I started my car again the power steering was completely gone and I had to drive 10 hours back home with no power steering which was extremely hard for someone who has never driven a vehicle like that. I seen online there was a recall for 23 ford fusions but of course mine isn’t on the list. I found 177 complaints on this and I don’t understand why this is not a recall. If this had happened while driving I could have been seriously injured or killed or harmed another life. Please take that into consideration!
NHTSA complaint #11453059 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wausau, WI, WIFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My 2013 Ford Fusion SE had the high pressure fuel pump start leaking and dripped fuel on the exhaust and started the car on fire while driving down the road. This caused about $7,000.00 in damage but could have easily gotten out of control and caused injury or death to occupant(s). I reached out to Ford Motor Company and did a chat log asking for assistance and to make them aware. Ford Motor Company Case number CAS-34734107-H6J0Z5. What is dangerous about this design is that Ford chose to design and install a secondary high pressure fuel pump directly above the exhaust manifold and the engineers surely would have known the durability and longevity along with possible outcomes due to normal use over time. For the same reason you are not to refuel a hot engine, a fuel pump should not be placed directly over the exhaust manifold. I believe Ford Motor Company should be held accountable for their finished product liability. This is dangerous enough that they should remove these vehicles from service until a safe solution is available and deployed in my opinion.
NHTSA complaint #11445359 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.