Car Issues Tracker
Vehicle complaints, recalls & safety data — sourced from NHTSA

2012 Ford Fusion: Complaints, Recalls, and Known Problems

Owners have filed 2,604 safety complaints about the 2012 Ford Fusion with U.S. regulators. Here's what the federal data shows, system by system.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · Retrieved July 14, 2026 · Counts change as new reports are filed

2,604
Complaints
6
Recalls
5
Investigations
4★
Overall crash rating

Complaints for this vehicle report 111 crashes, 9 fires, 66 injuries, 3 deaths.

Key findings
  1. Steering issues dominate. They appear in 58% of the 2,604 complaints on file — an unusually concentrated failure pattern.
  2. Complaints peaked 6 years after the model year (390 filed in 2018) — a pattern consistent with wear-out failures rather than assembly defects.
  3. 5 NHTSA defect investigations are associated with this vehicle.

What owners report

Complaints filed with NHTSA name the vehicle system involved. For the 2012 Ford Fusion, steering issues stand far above everything else.

Complaints by vehicle system
System mentions in 2,604 complaints · a complaint can cite more than one system
Steering
1,503
Airbags & restraints
440
Brakes & stability
212
Electrical
174
Power train / transmission
162
Other / unspecified
140
Body & structure
130
Engine & cooling
124

"Se traba y se pone duro el "gobierno" junto con la cremallera electroasistida el volante no gira ni con el carro prendido, no eh echo uso de la campaña 15S18, nunca ah Sido asistido por el fabricante Ford, ni mucho menos lo eh metido a un taller de servicio independiente ni con aseguradoras y no me marco algún sensor del tablero antes de que me sucediera este problema con la "dirección asistida averiada""

Owner complaint filed May 2026 · Steering,Lane Departure · NHTSA ODI 11739739

"The steering locked up and was completely unable to turn the wheel. This resulted in an accident that sent the car into a ditch. The safety recall for the steering was fixed and it failed again, in which it cost me 1700 to replace the same part again. It has AGAIN failed!!! This is extremely unsafe and should not fail on multiple occasions. This problem needs to be resolved!!!!"

Owner complaint filed March 2026 · Steering · NHTSA ODI 11725444

When complaints were filed

For most vehicles, complaint volume spikes early and tapers off. The 2012 Ford Fusion peaked later than usual, in 2018.

Complaints filed per year — 2012 Ford Fusion
Year the complaint was filed, not the incident year
5
39
128
249
223
177
292
390
289
159
134
162
143
108
84
22
11121314151617181920212223242526
2026 is a partial year (through July 14, 2026). A late peak is the signature of wear-out failures: parts that don't fail until the vehicle has years and miles on it.

How the 2012 compares with other model years

Across the Ford Fusion model years we track, the 2010 has the most complaints on file (5,124); the 2012 ranks 3 of 8.

Total complaints by model year — Ford Fusion
All complaints on file per model year, as of July 14, 2026
5,124
2,780
2012
2,604
1,948
1,416
1,049
1,652
1,094
Older model years have had more time on the road to accumulate complaints — compare adjacent years, not endpoints.

Recall history: 6 recalls

6 recalls apply to some or all 2012 Ford Fusion vehicles. Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit.

Jun 201515V-340
Steering:Electric Power Assist System

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford…

Jan 201717V-024
Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Marian…

Jan 201919V-001
Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Vi…

Feb 202121E-013
Air Bags:Frontal:Passenger Side:Inflator Module

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain air bag inflator and/or module replacement service parts that may have been used as part of a collision repair. The parts include certain driver-side air bag inflators and/or modules, designed to fit 2005-2014 Ford Mustang and Mustang GT500. It also inc…

Feb 202121V-081
Air Bags:Frontal

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as …

Mar 202121V-158
Air Bags:Frontal:Driver Side:Inflator Module

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to h…

Does your car have an open recall?

Recall repairs are free at any dealer, with no time limit. Look up your 17-character VIN on the official NHTSA site to see open recalls for your specific vehicle. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov →

Crash-test ratings

NHTSA crash ratings measure how the car protects occupants in a crash — a separate question from the reliability complaints above. A vehicle can be both crashworthy and trouble-prone.

★★★★☆
Overall
★★★☆☆
Frontal crash
★★★★☆
Side crash
★★★★★
Rollover

Frequently asked questions

How many complaints does the 2012 Ford Fusion have?

As of July 14, 2026, owners have filed 2,604 complaints about the 2012 Ford Fusion with NHTSA. The most-reported system is steering.

How many recalls does the 2012 Ford Fusion have?

The 2012 Ford Fusion has 6 NHTSA recalls on file. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.

Is the 2012 Ford Fusion safe in a crash?

NHTSA gives the 2012 Ford Fusion an overall crash rating of 4 out of 5 stars. Crash ratings measure occupant protection in a collision; they do not measure reliability, which is what the complaint data above reflects.

Methodology & source

All figures come from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) public APIs: the Office of Defects Investigation complaint database, the recalls database, and NCAP safety ratings, retrieved July 14, 2026.

Complaints are self-reported by consumers and are not verified by NHTSA or by this site. A single complaint may cite multiple vehicle systems, so system mentions can sum to more than the complaint total. Complaint volume is influenced by fleet size, media attention, and recall notices, and is not by itself a measure of defect rates.

This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer. Nothing here is repair, purchase, or legal advice. For your specific vehicle, use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and consult a qualified technician.