2008 Ford Fusion Problems: Airbags (1,349 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2008 Ford Fusion is Airbags (42% of 1,349 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Airbags — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-10-15 1,349 complaints · 6 recalls
What problems show up on the 2008 Ford Fusion?
571 of 1,349 filings named Airbags (42% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Brakes (525 reports).
There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2007 has 1,050 reports on file; this year has 1,349. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Airbags 571 complaints · 42.3% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 52
- Fires 6
- Injuries 27
- Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-10-14 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags (AIR BAGS) | 571 | 42.3% | 12 crashes · 2 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 525 | 38.9% | 26 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 63 | 4.7% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 37 | 2.7% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 23 | 1.7% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 22 | 1.6% | 5 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 20 | 1.5% | 0 crashes · 2 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 7 | 0.5% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) | 7 | 0.5% | 2 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 170 | 12.6% | 6 crashes · 1 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-10-15 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 16V384000 was reported 2,475 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 17V024000 was reported 2,699 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 19V904000 was reported 3,475 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V081000 was reported 4,197 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 21V158000 was reported 4,219 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2008-Q2 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2008-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2009-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2009-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2009-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2010-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2010-Q2 | Owner reports | 4 | |
| 2010-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2010-Q4 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2011-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2011-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2011-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2011-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2012-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2012-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2012-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2012-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2013-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2013-Q2 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2013-Q3 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2013-Q4 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2014-Q1 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2014-Q2 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2014-Q3 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2014-Q4 | Owner reports | 21 | |
| 2015-Q1 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2015-Q2 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2015-Q3 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2015-Q4 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2016-Q1 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2016-Q2 | Owner reports | 23 | |
| 2016-Q3 | Owner reports | 27 | |
| 2016-Q4 | Owner reports | 78 | |
| 2017-Q1 | Owner reports | 96 | |
| 2017-Q2 | Owner reports | 71 | |
| 2017-Q3 | Owner reports | 70 | |
| 2017-Q4 | Owner reports | 210 | |
| 2018-Q1 | Owner reports | 73 | |
| 2018-Q2 | Owner reports | 62 | |
| 2018-Q3 | Owner reports | 54 | |
| 2018-Q4 | Owner reports | 97 | |
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 33 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 14E028000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 16V384000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 17V024000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V904000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V081000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V158000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE08060 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE10019 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA12009 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE16017 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | EA18002 |
Safety Recalls (6)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags and Brakes.
-
Recall campaign 14E028000
Safety recall 14E028000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- The floor mat could shift such that it could interfere with the accelerator pedal, preventing its return to an idle position, which could result in unintended vehicle speeds, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install new replacement mats, free of charge. The recall began in July 2014. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S07. NOTE: Vehicles built after October 31, 2010, while potentially equipped with the same floor mats, are equipped with a Brake Over Accelerator (BOA) feature that prevents simultaneous accelerator and brake application, allowing the vehicle to be safely stopped by pressing firmly and steadily on the brake pedal.
-
Recall campaign 16V384000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle 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. Ford mailed interim letters informing owners that parts are not yet available on July 15, 2016. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.
-
Recall campaign 17V024000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle 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. Interim letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began mailing March 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.
-
Recall campaign 19V904000
Brakes
- Report date
- Component:
- Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
- Consequence:
- If the valves do not properly close, additional brake pedal travel may be required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will flush the brake system with DOT 4 fluid and install a new brake fluid reservoir cap. In addition, the HCU will be tested to detect a possible stuck valve condition, replacing the HCU as necessary. All services will be performed free of charge. The recall began April 1, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S54.
-
Recall campaign 21V081000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 21V158000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- 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.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-10-14
Showing 8 of 1,349 complaints · page 1 of 54
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I have been having issues with my 2008 ford fusion. I did research and found that the is a Ford customer satisfaction program( campaign # 21N11) which also goes along with recall number 19S54 and ford is refusing to fix the issues. Their lots of complaints and somethingd needs to be done ASAP before someone gets hurt cause this has to do with the brakes.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My brake pedal drops to the floor when braking at times. Mechanics say that is my ABS module. I believe this is a very common issue with these vehicles. This has happened to me several times. Only remedy without repair is disengaging the ABS system all together. There has not been a recall on this but there has been a customer satisfaction program associated with the brake system. I tried to have mine fixed and Ford says the program has expired. I feel like braking is the most important thing you need to be on the road. This needs to be a full recall and not a satisfaction program. Thank you
CrashFireInjuryDeath
HAVE TO PRESS DOWN HARD ON BRAKES TO SLOW OR STOP. HAD LANDMARK FORD INSPECT RECALL ISSUE & THEY STATED NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH BRAKES.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
took in for two recalls to Serramonte ford, airbag recall fixed, braking issue not fixed due to as dealer put it, issues with computer system and was not given a timeframe to have it completed, vehicle was returned to me.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Door handle is stuck/broken. Door cannot open from the inside or outside. Passengers are stuck in car.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The vehicle brakes will engage at random intervals without the brake pedal being touched. This happens at all speeds, and even at a stop. Issue still occurs daily, and has been ongoing for 5+ years. Brake master cylinder and aux boost pump have been replaced twice with OEM parts, and three complete brake jobs (pads, calipers and rotors) in the last 5 years. At slower speeds, it manifests as a drag to forward motion. At higher speeds, the drag is more pronounced, and causes the car to decelerate. It has also caused the tires to "hop" during travel, causing loss of vehicle control. Luckily, no accidents so far. I am aware of the recall for the HCU (ABS Module) for this vehicle, but four different Ford dealerships have declined to examine closer, citing recall 19S54 as a "customer experience" issue, not a safety issue. The brake fluid replacement (DOT3 to DOT4) has been done, but dealer declined to examine or replace the HCU, citing "out of warranty".
CrashFireInjuryDeath
This isn't an incident. I just want to report that Ford Motors will not replace the Hydraulic Control unit that is under recall for my 2008 Ford Fusion. They will only replace cars that are 15 or less years old. My car has 117,000 miles on it. Far less than the yearly average of 14,000 miles. If this truly a safety issue, then I feel that my car should be serviced under the recall. I chatted with the Ford Customer service rep and he informed me that it was safe to drive, But he did tell me to take it to a Ford dealer (of course) and that I would be financially responsible for the repair. So I own a vehicle that is under a recall, but since it's 1 year past the 15 year ownership date, Ford will not repair it under the recall. Thus any Ford owner that owns a vehicle that is older than mine is also out of luck Thank you for taking the time to read this and maybe encourage Ford to do the right thing. My car should not be any less safe than a 2010 car
Ford Fusion Complaints and Recalls by Year
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2008 Ford Fusion?
Owners named Airbags most often — 571 of 1,349 reports (42%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2008 Ford Fusion?
NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2008 Ford Fusion?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-10-04
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-10-14. YearTell is not a government agency.