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Ford Fusion HybridModel year report

2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid Problems

Compared with other Ford Fusion Hybrid years

Fewer complaints than typical for this model

11/100 0.4× a typical year · 50 = typical

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
510filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
85,100miles, 374 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
RisingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
39 mpgcombined, 2.5L 4-cyl · hybrid FWD · 41 city / 36 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe sudden loss of power assist steering and brakes, usually with warning lights or messages appearing first. Complaints are spread across a wide mileage range, from under 50,000 miles to well past 200,000, and several owners connect their experience to recall or inspection campaigns that did not cover their vehicle. A smaller but recurring theme is a sudden loss of power or failure to accelerate, sometimes traced to the throttle body.

  1. Brakes

    Brake pedal goes to the floor / ABS faults

    • 90 complaints (18%)
    • median 106,000 mi at 8.8 yrs old (80 state mileage)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,675 (median of 12 quotes)
    • filed 2013–2026

    Owners describe the brake pedal sinking to the floorboard, with ABS, traction control and brake warning lights or 'Check Brake System' messages coming on, and stopping distance lengthening. Several say they used the parking brake to stop. Dealers and mechanics most often diagnosed the ABS hydraulic control unit or ABS module, sometimes a caliper leak; some vehicles were not repaired and several owners note their VIN was not included in a related campaign. Reported from about 100,000 to over 200,000 miles, at low to moderate speeds and often without warning.

    What to check: Check the brake pedal for firmness with the engine running and look for ABS or brake system warnings on start-up. Ask whether the ABS hydraulic unit has been replaced and whether any brake system software updates were applied.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Power braking function failed as I pulled from curb and started driving down my residential street. Instrument panel brake warning lights on came on and very heavy pressure on brake pedal required to stop car as I approached a stop sign. Ford service shop diagnosed problem to be a failed ABS module. The car has only 110705 miles on it. The repair cost $765.09 for part plus $471.83 for labor and fees. This component failure could have been extremely dangerous as highway speed.”

    NHTSA complaint #11010949, filed 2017-07, 110,705 miles

    “Left house one morning ABS light came on and little to no brakes. Came back slowly to the house. Waited five minutes tried again. Again brake pedal went to the floor. Waited 2 hours and drove to my mechanic 2 miles away using back roads. Mechanic who is right on a highway went to take it for a drive. No brakes. After checking codes it was determined that it needed nee ABS module and brake booster. My understanding is this has become a very serious problem that should be recalled. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11096634, filed 2018-05, 115,000 miles
  2. Steering

    Power steering assist fails (hard to steer)

    • 136 complaints (27%)
    • median 96,697 mi at 7.5 yrs old (130 state mileage)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,900 (median of 22 quotes)
    • filed 2014–2026

    Owners describe a 'Service Power Steering' or power steering assist warning, after which the steering wheel becomes very hard to turn or feels locked. Some report it happening at speed or while turning, others find it after starting the car. Dealers variously diagnosed a failed electric power steering motor or rack, a fuse that had lost contact, or reset the system without a clear cause; several owners say they were told their vehicle was not covered by a campaign. Many are reported between roughly 50,000 and 140,000 miles, some under 50,000, and often at start-up or at low speed.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask whether the electric power steering unit has been replaced or serviced, and test steering at low speed and while parked with the engine running. A service bulletin notes a remanufactured steering gear is available for this symptom.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “When I started the engine I got a power steering assist fault warning on my dash and had no power steering. Had it towed to my mechanic, he told wiring had been chewed by a rodent. He repaired the wiring but it still wouldn't work. Had it towed to dealer and steering unit was replaced about $2000. Three weeks later same warning when I went to start it. Towed to dealer again, told faulty part, would be replaced under warranty, no charge. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11031605, filed 2017-10, 81,000 miles

    “I parked my car on the driveway yesterday and when I went out to use it today I can not turn the steering wheel. Dash shows power steering assist fault . After investigation on the internet, I see numerous complains and lawsuits regarding this exact issue. Thank god I was not driving the vehicle when the steering assembly failed. I understand Ford has voluntarily recalled model years 2011 through 2013 to repair this issue, however my 2010 VIN was not included. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11093556, filed 2018-05, 61,603 miles
  3. Engine

    Sudden loss of power or no acceleration

    • 175 complaints (34%)
    • median 78,096 mi at 6.6 yrs old (164 state mileage)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $725 (median of 32 quotes)
    • filed 2013–2026

    Owners describe the vehicle slowing sharply or refusing to go above a low speed, often with a wrench or check engine light and a message to pull over safely. Restarting sometimes restores normal operation, and some had it recur. Dealers diagnosed the throttle body and in some cases a purge valve; one owner was told the car should be brought in before the engine could stop. Mostly reported between about 58,000 and 140,000 miles, often while accelerating or on an incline.

    What to check: Ask whether the throttle body has been replaced and whether any driveability campaigns were applied. During a test drive, note any hesitation, warning lights, or reluctance to accelerate.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “My car lost power while traversing a busy intersection and I had to pull over. Could restart, but then it happened again. Towed to dealers, $500 to replace throttle body and purge valve. Drove 1 day and similar events occurred. Dealer unable to get help from Ford company. Very dangerous to have a car just quit while driving. On a highway this could have been catastrophic. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11123044, filed 2018-08, 137,000 miles

    “The wrench light came on and after taking it in to the dealer I was advised that it was the throttle body and motor assembly. The dealer advised that if I didn't replace the part the engine could stop at some unknown time in the future. He also advised that Ford had a lot of problems with this part and that a recall had been done for this part for other Ford vehicles but not yet for the Ford fusion. He advised to keep the bill just in case there was a future recall. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10651951, filed 2014-11, 62,850 miles
  4. Transmission and drivetrain

    Reduced electric drive as car ages

    • 16 complaints (3%)
    • median 62,850 mi at 6.0 yrs old (15 state mileage)
    • filed 2013–2026

    Some owners describe the car running on the gasoline engine more of the time than before, with less electric-only operation. Ford service guidance points to software and notes that engineering was investigating at the time; owners do not describe a single clear repair. Associated with vehicles around ten years old and older rather than a specific mileage.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the hybrid control software update described in the service bulletins has been applied, and compare electric-only operation on a short drive.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The contact owns a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. While driving 20 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle failed to drive over 25 MPH. The vehicle lost power and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 59,000. The VIN was not available.”

    NHTSA complaint #10761271, filed 2015-09, 59,000 miles

    “The contact owns a 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated that while in traffic on an incline, the hybrid battery was running however, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The message to “pull over safely, check charging system” was displayed. The vehicle was pulled off the road. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the wiring harness needed to be replaced because there was no power going to the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11438517, filed 2021-10, 111,000 miles
  5. Air bags

    Airbag warning light and recall wait

    Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners report the airbag warning light staying on with no diagnosis yet, or waiting on an airbag recall remedy and avoiding carrying a passenger in the meantime. Some complaints are about the length of the wait rather than a new symptom. Reported across a wide mileage range, from roughly 70,000 to over 130,000 miles.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask whether any outstanding airbag recall work has been completed and confirm the airbag light goes out after start-up.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Takata recall. I received the recall notice in july 2016 and I am still waiting on the replacement part. I have not been able to drive my vehicle safely with a passenger since.”

    NHTSA complaint #11039334, filed 2017-10, 75,000 miles

    “The power steering has gone out twice. The most recent time is around 8/1/14 at 69000 mi. The dealer is able to correct the problem, but can't explain the cause or remedy adequately. They've pointed to possible tire pressure issues, but the tire pressure have been close to if not at the recommended level and we get the impression that the problem fixes itself during servicing. This car has had a multitude of little problems - e.g. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10641616, filed 2014-10, 49,000 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection focus on the electric power steering and ABS/brake system, since those are the most frequent complaints, and ask for records of any steering or brake repairs. Also ask whether the throttle body and hybrid software updates have been done, and check that no recall work is still outstanding.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 510 consumer complaints for the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. 374 of the complaints include a mileage, and 12% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 85,100 miles. Of all complaints, 9 involved a crash, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 13 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 9 Ford Fusion Hybrid model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 11 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (fewer complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Body and structure (11), Suspension (8), Wheels (6), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (3), Seats (2), Engine cooling (1), Hybrid propulsion system (1), Latches, locks and linkages (1), Tires (1).

Example complaints

Steering: “As I was driving to the store the power steering service light came on and the service advance trac and it become hard to steer.. So now its parked because dealership said it would cost $1500 to fix which I don't have .. After research most models just 2011 and up have this recall. I think 2010 should also be a recall their are several complaints about it”

NHTSA complaint #11003274, filed 2017-07, 142,300 miles

Air bags: “I received a recall notice from Ford in february 2018. The Ford dealership in lumberton, nj has never received the parts to fix the defect in the passenger airbag. Is there any Ford dealership that has received the parts? My wife could be in danger when she rides with me.”

NHTSA complaint #11098391, filed 2018-05, 85,000 miles

Brakes: “I had a complete brake failure on 12/18/2018 while driving down a city street and the pedal went completely to the floor, I pumped frantically with little or no resistance I took the car out of drive and applied the emergency brake after reviewing I found Ford knew of this problem TSB-09-22-11 I asked Ford for help as this is a $2300 ABS module fix and they stick their heads in the sand .”

NHTSA complaint #11192918, filed 2019-04, 112,580 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “The warning light came on for the throttle control/powertrain malfunction. The vehicle jerks forward as soon as I take my foot off the brake. If I put it in reverse, the vehicle jerks backward without me hitting the gas. The vehicle was just turning into a parking garage when this occurred.”

NHTSA complaint #11119859, filed 2018-08, 70,810 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

12% of the 374 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 62,000 and 120,000 miles.

1%0–101%10–2510%25–5024%50–7523%75–10029%100–15011%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (374 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 85,100 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: rising. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% higher than in the 3 years before.

’14’16’18115’20’22’24’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Fusion Hybrid · sedan FWD/AWDnot rated5 / 5——5 · 9.2% risk

Ratings before the 2011 model year come from an older, less demanding test and are not comparable with ratings for 2011 and later.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Fusion Hybrid FWD2.5L 4-cyl · hybridCVT413639$1,700

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 13 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 13 bulletins →

Other model years of the Ford Fusion Hybrid

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2020851,0000—42—Not enough data
20193554,6460—4236 · TypicalRising
20185967,0000—4252 · TypicalRising
20177045,0000—4261 · TypicalRising
20165533,4750—4137 · TypicalFalling
20154658,5002—4148 · TypicalStable
20146550,0001—4161 · TypicalStable
201312654,981154182 · MoreFalling
20129662,000043855 · TypicalRising
201113273,22004380 · FewerStable
201051085,1000—3911 · FewerRising

All Ford Fusion Hybrid model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid?

Owners of this model year most often describe sudden loss of power assist steering and brakes, usually with warning lights or messages appearing first. The issues reported most often: Brake pedal goes to the floor / ABS faults; Power steering assist fails (hard to steer); Sudden loss of power or no acceleration.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid have?

NHTSA recorded 510 consumer complaints for the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid is reported most often?

Steering is named most often, in 138 complaints (27% of the total), followed by air bags with 135.

Has the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid get?

The EPA rates the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid (Fusion Hybrid FWD, 2.5L 4-cyl · hybrid) at 39 mpg combined, 41 city and 36 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $1,700 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid reported?

Among the 374 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 85,100 miles and the middle half falls between 62,000 and 120,000 miles; 12% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.