2,724 of the
28,788 complaints filed about the Ford Fusion
are about the braking system —
100% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2008.
Year/Make/Model: 2015 Ford Fusion Engine Type: 1.5L EcoBoost 4-Cylinder Description of Safety Flaw and Incident: My vehicle is experiencing severe overheating and internal engine fluid loss due to the widely documented Ford EcoBoost coolant intrusion defect. The vehicle routinely runs hot, losing coolant rapidly with no external signs of a visible hose or radiator leak as well as failure of the brake lighting stop bumper and purge valve connecting to the gasline after fueling. This issue causes the vehicle to rapidly overheat while in motion, forcing sudden loss of engine power (limp mode) during highway driving. Car not properly cranking after fueling and brake light continuously being on even when brakes not being pressed. This unexpected drop in speed creates an immediate crash hazard for myself and surrounding traffic. Coolant entering the combustion chamber also fouls the spark plugs, causing severe engine stalling, rough idling, and misfires. I've spent several dollars fixing these malfunctions that have continuously persist. Ford Motor Company has historically been aware of this structural defect involving coolant leaking across the cylinder bore walls, yet failed to issue a comprehensive safety recall for 2015 models. I am filing this complaint to urge the NHTSA to open a formal defect investigation and mandate a safety recall, as this component failure leaves drivers stranded in hazardous traffic situations.
NHTSA complaint #11762932 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Dear NHTSA, The braking system failed which was covered by Ford Safety Recall 19S54 with NHTSA campaign #19V904000 at 37,750 miles. After research and finding the label of the ABS Hydraulic Control Unit still on the vehicle, being manufactured 07/12/2008, picture attached, it turned out to be the original HCU, whose failures were the reason for the Safety Recall. A Ford dealer had performed software evaluation of the ABS HCU and determined replacement of unit not necessary. This was done on 4/14/2021 at 17,606 miles along with break fluid change to DOT4 and reservoir cap change. Unfortunately my wife just went through a four-way stop intersection when the break pedal went to the end of its movement without being able to stop. No injuries or crashes involved. According to all sources read, this was caused by the ABS HCU valve being stuck open after attempting to brake on the slippery road during rain. The car is no longer safe to drive and sitting in front of our home. Asked Ford Motor Co to take care of this incomplete repair by the Ford dealer and replace the HCU but they say it’s no longer their responsibility. My understanding is that with a safety recall, they are to fix the issue as long as the vehicle is still around. They don’t agree. Can you help with this situation? Thank you! Note: I tried to upload pictures of ABS HCU and VIN labels on vehicle but failed after a number of retry attempts. If you need them I can try another way. Let me know.
NHTSA complaint #11762013 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while stopped in a drive-thru, there was an abnormal hissing sound coming from the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard, and excessive force was needed to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that after restarting the vehicle, the "Check Engine" warning light was illuminated and the "Brake Level Low" message was displayed. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); but was unable to secure an appointment with two local dealers for a timely repair. The contact requested authorization to have the vehicle repaired by an independent mechanic with reimbursement, but the manufacturer declined the request. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer denied a request for a loaner vehicle. The contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 172,318.
NHTSA complaint #11761586 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the brakes became inoperable. The brake pedal was depressed all the way to the floorboard for the vehicle to stop. There was no warning lights illuminated. The contact's husband became aware that brake fluid was leaking from the vehicle after the contact and her son returned to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle had been recently serviced on June 8, 2026, and there was no mention of an issue with the braking system. The dealer was contacted and stated that the brake pads were extremely worn, and the brake lines needed to be replaced along with the brake master cylinder. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,385.
NHTSA complaint #11759164 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while her son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the brakes became inoperable. The brake pedal was depressed all the way to the floorboard for the vehicle to stop. There was no warning lights illuminated. The contact's husband became aware that brake fluid was leaking from the vehicle after the contact and her son returned to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle had been recently serviced on June 8, 2026, and there was no mention of an issue with the braking system. The dealer was contacted and stated that the brake pads were extremely worn, and the brake lines needed to be replaced along with the brake master cylinder. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,385.
NHTSA complaint #11759164 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The brake pedal switch pad was recalled and failed after being fixed and tripped the whole ABS system which caused the whole transmission to not shift and I didn’t have traction. My taillights stayed on 24/7 and I had to disconnect my battery. Ford did nothing
NHTSA complaint #11759207 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The brake pedal switch pad was recalled and failed after being fixed and tripped the whole ABS system which caused the whole transmission to not shift and I didn’t have traction. My taillights stayed on 24/7 and I had to disconnect my battery. Ford did nothing
NHTSA complaint #11759208 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the brake pedal was not sending the correct signal to the ABS. The "Hill Assist" option was not operational while driving on a slope and the brake lights remained illuminated, even when the brake pedal was not depressed. An independent mechanic was contacted and associated the failure with the brake pedal failure. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V011000 (Services Brakes, Hydraulic). The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
NHTSA complaint #11759223 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I would like to make a complaint for malpractice during a recall repair. I was notified on aug 4, 2026 that after the dealership did the recall 23S12 brake hose that during the test drive that my master seal and brake booster started to leak and needs to be replaced. They asked me if i have had any brake problems and we have not. They wanted to charge me over $1000. I declined because i had no issues prior to my vehicle going to them. They then stated they would complete the job for a little over $600. i declined. They said they reached out to Ford to see if they could cover the master seal and brake booster but they said FORD declined. However, they never asked ford. I have the OASIAS report verifying that information. They did not inform me that this is a saftey issue, they never said do not drive the vehicle, the documentation they gave me does not warn this is a issue. However, on the way home I realized I had no brakes. I assumed my vehicle would be in the same shape as i had it taken in and I would have brakes. I do not. I brought my vehicle to my home called the dealership who basically said unless i want to pay for the job in full i am on my own. I need help. I have the information on July 30 when they did the original inspection and they did a brake inpection and there is no mention of any brake issues. However, after the recall the inspection was done, they took a camera went into the brake booster and master seal. All of this was done with out informing us until it came time to pay.
NHTSA complaint #11756989 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal was soft and spongy. The brake pedal was depressed to the floorboard before the vehicle stopped. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the failure was not duplicated. The contact was informed that an inspection was completed, and the brake pads and rotors were in good working order. The contact stated that the failure had occurred two months after the brake pads and rotors were replaced by an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 149,000.
NHTSA complaint #11755210 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The brake booster vacuum pump coupler broke off of the vacuum pump and a piece of the coupler was left stuck in the camshaft. This caused the brakes to become very stiff and hard to push down to stop the vehicle. It wasn't inspected by anyone. No warning messages or icons appeared on the dash. Car had to be towed.
NHTSA complaint #11753536 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The engine experienced a sudden failure that caused the vehicle to become completely inoperable. Prior to the failure, the vehicle exhibited intermittent hesitation, rough idling, and loss of power during acceleration. These symptoms began several weeks before the complete failure. No warning lamps were illuminated at first, but shortly before the breakdown, the vehicle displayed a check engine light and a “Service Engine Soon” message. While driving, the vehicle abruptly lost power and became unsafe to operate. I was forced to pull over immediately, which created a safety risk to myself and other drivers due to the sudden deceleration and inability to maintain speed in traffic. The vehicle would not restart afterward. A repair facility has confirmed that the engine has suffered a major internal failure and requires replacement. The estimated cost of repair starts upwards of $5,000. The vehicle is currently non‑drivable and remains available for inspection. The issue has been reproduced and confirmed by an independent service center. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. However, I have found multiple similar complaints from other owners reporting the same type of powertrain failure, suggesting a potential pattern or defect affecting safety.
NHTSA complaint #11752956 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I had the Ford brake recall work completed in 2023, but the same brake issue has returned. This appears to be the same HCU problem covered by the recall, and Ford is now refusing to repair it. I am concerned because this is a serious safety issue, and the recall repair did not permanently correct the problem.
NHTSA complaint #11751872 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving home from work. I heard a pop and seen smoke coming from my tire. I pulled over and seen fire behind the wheel. After looking it over the emergency parking brake motor that attaches to the brake caliper was blown apart. The pistons in the caliper pushed so hard against the brake pad that it was bent to a 90 degree angle. Had to replace pads, rotors, and calipers in both sides.
NHTSA complaint #11748680 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
My car does not always respond when the brakes are tapped. They are soft/squishy at times and I have to push the pedal all the way to the floor for the car to stop. This issue has been occuring off & on for approximately 3 years though it's been more frequent since June of 2026. I have never seen any warning or failure light/notification any of the times this has happened. The issue was determined to be a faulty master cylinder by the service department at Colley Ford in Glendora, CA.
NHTSA complaint #11747816 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The ABS Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU) failed internally due to a stuck valve. The component remains on the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request. While braking normally on a public road, the vehicle hit a minor road bump, causing the ABS to momentarily engage. Immediately following the bump, the brake pedal lost all hydraulic resistance and dropped severely to the floorboard. The vehicle experienced an immediate, drastic reduction in stopping power and an extended braking distance, nearly causing a collision. This sudden loss of braking capability puts the driver, passengers, and other motorists at immediate risk of a severe accident. There were absolutely no warning lamps, error messages, or symptoms prior to hitting the road bump. The braking system functioned completely normally until the exact moment the ABS was triggered by the uneven road surface. The vehicle and its components have not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. This identical safety-compromising failure mode (loss of pedal pressure immediately following ABS activation on a bump) is a thoroughly documented defect covered by Ford under Safety Recall 19S54 and Customer Satisfaction Program 21N11. However, because this specific vehicle has a production date falling just outside of Ford's arbitrary manufacturing window (which cut off on July 15, 2009), the vehicle is barred from receiving the safety remedy. This vehicle uses the exact same layout and suffers from the exact same dangerous safety defect. The NHTSA needs to investigate and force an expansion of the vehicle build dates for this recall before this known defect causes a fatal crash.
NHTSA complaint #11746335 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brake system. Pedal is soft and braking force to stop is reduced. Yes, at first they thought it was the brake booster, and know thinking it is the master cylinder, now they aren't even sure what it might be. Ford dealership techs. No, pedal was "squishy" when braking
NHTSA complaint #11746316 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.