2017 Ford Fusion Problems: Engine (1,197 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2017 Ford Fusion is Engine (36% of 1,197 owner reports). There are 4 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-10-15 1,197 complaints · 4 recalls

What problems show up on the 2017 Ford Fusion?

436 of 1,197 filings named Engine (36% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Transmission / driveline (291 reports).

There are 4 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Transmission / driveline, Steering, and Brakes. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2016 has 1,714 reports on file; this year has 1,197. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2017 Ford Fusion

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 4 campaigns on file below.
  2. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  3. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  4. Brakes. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Engine. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Engine 436 complaints · 36.4% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 45
  • Fires 10
  • Injuries 38
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2016 →
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.

Which systems owners named Engine (ENGINE) appears in 436 of 1,197 owner complaints (36.4%) in this vehicle snapshot. Engine (ENGINE): 436 complaints, 36.4% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 5 fire reports 436 · 36.4% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 291 complaints, 24.3% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 3 crash reports 1 fire reports 291 · 24.3% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 84 complaints, 7.0% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 10 crash reports 1 fire reports 84 · 7.0% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 79 complaints, 6.6% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 2 crash reports 2 fire reports 79 · 6.6% Steering (STEERING): 60 complaints, 5.0% of reports Steering (STEERING) 3 crash reports 60 · 5.0% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 27 complaints, 2.3% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 9 crash reports 27 · 2.3% Wheels (WHEELS): 24 complaints, 2.0% of reports Wheels (WHEELS) 1 crash reports 24 · 2.0% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 19 complaints, 1.6% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 19 · 1.6% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 14 complaints, 1.2% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 2 crash reports 14 · 1.2% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 207 complaints, 17.3% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 15 crash reports 1 fire reports 207 · 17.3% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“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)
Engine (ENGINE) 436 36.4% 0 crashes · 5 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 291 24.3% 3 crashes · 1 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 84 7.0% 10 crashes · 1 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 79 6.6% 2 crashes · 2 fires
Steering (STEERING) 60 5.0% 3 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 27 2.3% 9 crashes · 0 fires
Wheels (WHEELS) 24 2.0% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 19 1.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 14 1.2% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 207 17.3% 15 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.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2016; the first recall shown was reported in Dec 2016. 2016-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2017-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2017-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2017-Q3: 13 owner reports 13 2017-Q4: 20 owner reports 20 2018-Q1: 14 owner reports 14 2018-Q2: 19 owner reports 19 2018-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2018-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2019-Q1: 15 owner reports 15 2019-Q2: 18 owner reports 18 2019-Q3: 27 owner reports 27 2019-Q4: 16 owner reports 16 2020-Q1: 19 owner reports 19 2020-Q2: 25 owner reports 25 2020-Q3: 35 owner reports 35 2020-Q4: 16 owner reports 16 2021-Q1: 25 owner reports 25 2021-Q2: 21 owner reports 21 2021-Q3: 15 owner reports 15 2021-Q4: 11 owner reports 11 2022-Q1: 23 owner reports 23 2022-Q2: 28 owner reports 28 2022-Q3: 37 owner reports 37 2022-Q4: 37 owner reports 37 2023-Q1: 36 owner reports 36 2023-Q2: 77 owner reports 77 2023-Q3: 72 owner reports 72 2023-Q4: 53 owner reports 53 2024-Q1: 43 owner reports 43 2024-Q2: 61 owner reports 61 2024-Q3: 95 owner reports 95 2024-Q4: 54 owner reports 54 2025-Q1: 45 owner reports 45 2025-Q2: 49 owner reports 49 2025-Q3: 44 owner reports 44 2025-Q4: 23 owner reports 23 2026-Q1: 18 owner reports 18 2026-Q2: 21 owner reports 21 2026-Q3: 22 owner reports 22 2026-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 Owner reports Jul 2016 Oct 2026 Recall campaign 16V874000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V874000 Recall campaign 17V427000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V427000 Recall campaign 18V167000 ◆ Recall campaign 18V167000 Recall campaign 23V162000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V162000 Investigation RQ22004 ● Investigation RQ22004 Investigation RQ22004 ● Investigation RQ22004 Investigation DP22005 ● Investigation DP22005 Investigation DP22005 ● Investigation DP22005
  • Campaign 16V874000 was reported 117 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 17V427000 was reported 300 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 18V167000 was reported 399 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 23V162000 was reported 2,349 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2016-Q3 Owner reports 2
2016-Q4 Owner reports 3
2017-Q1 Owner reports 12
2017-Q2 Owner reports 10
2017-Q3 Owner reports 13
2017-Q4 Owner reports 20
2018-Q1 Owner reports 14
2018-Q2 Owner reports 19
2018-Q3 Owner reports 10
2018-Q4 Owner reports 11
2019-Q1 Owner reports 15
2019-Q2 Owner reports 18
2019-Q3 Owner reports 27
2019-Q4 Owner reports 16
2020-Q1 Owner reports 19
2020-Q2 Owner reports 25
2020-Q3 Owner reports 35
2020-Q4 Owner reports 16
2021-Q1 Owner reports 25
2021-Q2 Owner reports 21
2021-Q3 Owner reports 15
2021-Q4 Owner reports 11
2022-Q1 Owner reports 23
2022-Q2 Owner reports 28
2022-Q3 Owner reports 37
2022-Q4 Owner reports 37
2023-Q1 Owner reports 36
2023-Q2 Owner reports 77
2023-Q3 Owner reports 72
2023-Q4 Owner reports 53
2024-Q1 Owner reports 43
2024-Q2 Owner reports 61
2024-Q3 Owner reports 95
2024-Q4 Owner reports 54
2025-Q1 Owner reports 45
2025-Q2 Owner reports 49
2025-Q3 Owner reports 44
2025-Q4 Owner reports 23
2026-Q1 Owner reports 18
2026-Q2 Owner reports 21
2026-Q3 Owner reports 22
2026-Q4 Owner reports 2
Recall campaign 1 16V874000
Recall campaign 1 17V427000
Recall campaign 1 18V167000
Recall campaign 1 23V162000
Defect investigation 1 RQ22004
Defect investigation 1 RQ22004
Defect investigation 1 DP22005
Defect investigation 1 DP22005
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-10-15 Open source record

Safety Recalls (4)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Transmission / driveline, Steering, and Brakes.

  1. Recall campaign 16V874000

    Safety recall 16V874000

    Report date
    Component:
    Unclassified NHTSA leftover
    Consequence:
    During a crash, the improper welds may fail, allowing any stowed luggage to move into the passenger compartment, increasing the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the left hand, second row seat back frame, free of charge. The recall began January 10, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S43.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 17V427000

    Transmission / driveline

    Report date
    Component:
    Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
    Consequence:
    If the torque converter weld studs fail, the torque converter will not be connected to the engine flexplate and the vehicle will lose the ability to move, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Ford or Lincoln will notify owners, and dealers will replace the torque converters, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S16.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 18V167000

    Steering

    Report date
    Component:
    Steering (STEERING)
    Consequence:
    A steering wheel detachment can cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering wheel bolt with a longer bolt, free of charge. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S08.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 23V162000

    Brakes

    Report date
    Component:
    Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
    Consequence:
    A brake fluid leak will increase brake pedal travel and extend the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S12.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-10-14 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.

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
Safety incident filters
Showing 3 of 1,197 complaints · page 1 of 48
2026-10-06Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 11769399
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The automatic transmission failed at approximately 59,000 miles. The vehicle was delivered to an authorized Ford dealership on 09/04/2025 for warranty repair. The transmission was replaced. The vehicle remained at that dealership approximately eight months and was returned to me on or about 05/01/2026. After return, a grinding and clunking noise was present when accelerating, turning, braking and going over bumps. A power steering line failed within days of return and emitted smoke from the front of the vehicle while driving. A "Shift System Fault" message began appearing when shifting into reverse and continues to appear intermittently. The same dealership performed three further repair visits. Their repair orders document multiple loose bolts holding the transmission mount to the transmission, an improperly installed exhaust, and a loose right hand CV shaft nut. On 08/14/2026 I took the vehicle to a second, unaffiliated authorized Ford dealership for an independent inspection. On a lift they found all four subframe bolts loose, the right front subframe bolt not fully seated and cross threaded so that it could not be tightened further, and the four smaller rear subframe bolts missing entirely. They also documented that no one-time-use fasteners had been billed on the original transmission repair. They tightened the loose bolts, replaced the cross threaded bolt, installed the four missing bolts, and confirmed by road test that the noise was eliminated. The subframe carries the engine, transmission and front suspension. The vehicle was driven approximately 1,700 miles over roughly three months, including highway driving, in this condition before the loose and missing fasteners were found. Repair orders from both dealerships are available for inspection.
2026-10-02Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 11768560
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Component: Power Steering Module Rack and Pinion assembly The wheel locked up as described below in the middle of me taking a left turn, with the errors popping up as described. The problem has been diagnosed by the local Ford dealership. Three warning lamps that are intermittently on when I start the vehicle, though are not always there: Steering Assist Fault Service Required Service AdvanceTrac Hill Start Assist Not Available. While these are up, the steering wheel will not turn without incredible effort, requiring a massive amount of force to turn the steering wheel, which results in very little change in the direction the car is moving.
2026-09-28Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
NHTSA ODI 11767414
CrashFireInjuryDeath
We purchased this 2017 Ford Fusion 1.5L EcoBoost in August 2022 at 48,968 miles. At 55,940 miles, the vehicle developed a documented coolant leak requiring water-pump replacement. At approximately 75,520 miles, the coolant level was again documented as requiring attention. At approximately 84,189 miles, the vehicle experienced low coolant, low oil, white/gray smoke and rough running. Manteca Ford identified Ford TSB 22-2322 and ultimately performed a major short-block replacement. Despite this major engine repair, mechanical and drivability problems continued. At approximately 101,375 miles, we returned the vehicle to Manteca Ford specifically for loss of power and hesitation. The Ford technician verified a “noticeable loss of power” and lack of full boost. Manteca Ford diagnosed and replaced the turbocharger. The problem was not resolved. Only approximately 205 miles later, at 101,580 miles, the vehicle returned to Manteca Ford because it was still hesitating during acceleration. Manteca Ford then identified DTCs P0729, P07AA, P2703 and P2704 and documented “TRANSMISSION INTERNAL MECHANICAL FAULTS,” including an incorrect sixth-gear ratio and friction-element faults. The dealer recommended replacement or teardown of the transmission. We are extremely concerned about the safety implications of this history. Loss of power and hesitation during acceleration can create a serious hazard when merging onto a highway, entering or crossing traffic, or attempting to accelerate to avoid a collision. This vehicle has experienced repeated engine/powertrain problems despite major repairs, and we are concerned the transmission condition may have been developing during the earlier loss-of-power/hesitation complaints. We request that NHTSA evaluate this history for a potential safety-related defect or broader pattern.

Ford Fusion Complaints and Recalls by Year

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2017 Ford Fusion?

Owners named Engine most often — 436 of 1,197 reports (36%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2017 Ford Fusion?

NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Transmission / driveline, Steering, 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 2017 Ford Fusion?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. 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.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-10-04 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-10-04
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-10-14 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.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-10-14. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources