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Ford Fusion HybridModel year report

2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid Problems

Compared with other Ford Fusion Hybrid years

Typical for this model

55/100 1.1× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2010, 2011

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
96filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
62,000miles, 71 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
4 / 5stars overall
EPA fuel economy
38 mpgcombined, 2.5L 4-cyl · hybrid FWD · 41 city / 35 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2012 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 write about losing power steering while driving — the wheel goes suddenly heavy, often with 'service power steering' and AdvanceTrac warnings, and several complainants had the steering gear replaced. A second large group describes brake pedal or brake-system warnings (ABS, AdvanceTrac, 'check brake system') with a pedal that needs extra force, plus many complaints about getting a replacement driver airbag for the Takata recall. Complaints arrive across a wide mileage spread, from under 20,000 miles to well past 150,000.

  1. Steering

    Power steering assist cuts out while driving

    • 32 complaints (33%)
    • median 66,622 mi at 5.2 yrs old (32 state mileage)
    • owner-quoted repair $1,800 (median of 5 quotes)
    • filed 2013–2025

    Owners describe the wheel suddenly becoming very hard to turn, usually with a 'service power steering' or 'power steering assist fault' message, often together with a 'service AdvanceTrac' warning. Many say the condition clears after switching the ignition off and restarting, and returns later. Some complaints say a dealer replaced the steering gear or rack, and others say diagnosis pointed to the steering sensor system or wiring; a number of owners report the repair was not covered as a recall on their vehicle. Reported from under 20,000 miles up to about 200,000 miles, often at low speed while turning or pulling out of a driveway or parking lot.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask whether the steering gear or power steering control has ever been replaced and whether any related customer-satisfaction program was applied to this vehicle. On a test drive, watch for steering warning messages when turning at low speed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Several times when I have been driving or just starting to drive my power steering has gone out. I then have to turn the motor off and restart the engine and then it will be alright. Twice I had pulled out of my garage and started forward it went out and another time I had stopped at a stop light and started to go and it went out again. I was on a city street at the time.”

    NHTSA complaint #11143455, filed 2018-10, 30,000 miles

    “I was driving at medium speed on a suburban street and an alert popped up on the dash: power steering assist fault. Power steering then shut off. Fortunately, the street was straight and I was able to decelerate and wrestle the car into a parking lot. If this had happened while I was turning, or when I was on the highway (and would need to navigate several lanes to stop) I would also likely have crashed. Car is 24 months old with just over 40,000 miles. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10543236, filed 2013-09, 40,380 miles
  2. Brakes

    Brake system warnings and a pedal that needs extra force

    • 16 complaints (17%)
    • median 28,270 mi at 3.4 yrs old (15 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2013–2026

    Complaints describe brake, ABS and AdvanceTrac warning lights coming on together, sometimes with a pedal that feels soft or goes near the floor and requires heavy pressure to stop. Several owners say the condition appeared on a cold start shortly after pulling away, and some say it cleared after the car was restarted. Dealers reportedly diagnosed the ABS control module or the hydraulic control unit, with repair estimates of several thousand dollars in some cases. Reported from roughly 10,000 to 140,000 miles, with several accounts tied to cold starts in winter temperatures.

    What to check: Have a shop pull stored ABS and brake-module codes, and test the pedal feel on a cold start before driving away. Ask whether the ABS module or hydraulic unit has been replaced.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “When leaving my driveway the brakes failed to function properly and I almost rolled into a car on the street. I came to understand that the power assist failed. But the experience was that they didn't work until the brake pedal was nearly to the floor, and very soft. I drove slowly forward and they continued to not work. I turned off the car and had it towed to a dealer for service. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10679667, filed 2015-01, 20,000 miles

    “According to Ford car needs hcu unit and ecu. Just had the car fully serviced and new brakes all around. Tires are new as well. Ford wants $3000 to replace the hcu and ecu and drain the brake fluid. I think I'm gonna have to scrap the car.”

    NHTSA complaint #11162791, filed 2018-12, 100,000 miles
  3. Electrical system

    Engine shutoff and hybrid 'stop safely' warnings

    • 34 complaints (35%)
    • median 66,622 mi at 4.4 yrs old (32 state mileage)
    • filed 2013–2026

    Owners describe warning chimes followed by a 'stop safely now' message, the engine shutting off and the accelerator and brakes going dead, after which the car restarts after a wait or several attempts. Some say dealers found wiring or relay faults and repaired wiring, and others had the car towed with no diagnostic codes stored. A related group of complaints mentions the hybrid battery providing less electric operation as the car ages. Reported mostly under 25,000 miles for the sudden shutoffs, with some accounts in the 60,000-85,000 mile range for repeat no-start or warning-light episodes.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether any wiring, relay or hybrid-control repairs have been done, and confirm the high-voltage battery has been checked. Note that a service bulletin describes a software-related update for reduced electric operation on older vehicles.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Without any issues in the 6 months I've owned the car, the engine shut down. The battery appeared full. Gas tank is full. After only driving for 1/4 mile, the stop safely now warning light came on and car shut down. Luckily we were right next to a convenience store and were able to get away from traffic. If we were on a 2 lane road, we would of been stuck in the middle of traffic. We were able to restart and move 10 ft at a time. Still waiting for diagnosis.”

    NHTSA complaint #10644182, filed 2014-10, 63,000 miles

    “Picked up the car from the dealership on monday (9/25/12) after they found something wrong and was driving on state route 228 at 55 mile per hour. Warning chime sounded, pull over safely warning came on, engine shut off, brakes and accelerator disengaged, and all dashboard lights illuminated. Put hazards on for cars behind me and pulled over quickly avoiding a sign on the right side of the road. After 10-15 mins, I was able to restart the car by letting it reset. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10509973, filed 2013-04, 9,900 miles
  4. Air bags

    Takata airbag recall parts not available

    Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

    Many complaints are about the driver-side airbag recall rather than a new failure: owners say they were notified but dealers told them replacement parts were unavailable and to keep calling or wait for a letter. One owner also reported that the passenger airbag indicator light would not illuminate and the dealer could not duplicate it. Several describe restrictions on carrying passengers while waiting for the repair. Reports cluster at various mileages from about 24,000 to 120,000 miles, filed mainly between 2017 and 2019.

    1 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask for proof that any open airbag recall on this specific vehicle has been completed, and confirm the airbag warning light behaves normally on startup.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Takata recall: Ford cannot tell me when a replacement airbag is available. Were notified january 2017 and have called multiple times to inquire about repairs. The answer is always they don't know when parts will be available and that I should keep calling back. This car is unsaleable without the repair!”

    NHTSA complaint #11046079, filed 2017-11, 24,000 miles

    “Takata recall: upon making a specific in-person inquiry regarding remedy for this safety recall, my dealer specifically advised me that they were unable to replace my airbag and that I should instead wait to be advised via postal mail that a replacement airbag was now available.”

    NHTSA complaint #11060993, filed 2018-01, 45,000 miles

Buying note. Check the service history for power steering gear or control work and for any completed airbag recall, and test the brakes and steering carefully on a cold start. Since the car is now well past a decade old, a pre-purchase inspection that reads stored codes for steering, ABS and hybrid systems is worth the cost.

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 96 consumer complaints for the 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid. 71 of the complaints include a mileage, and 45% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 62,000 miles. Of all complaints, 4 involved a crash, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 10 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 55 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (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: Seats (1), Suspension (1), Tires (1), Vehicle speed control (1), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).

Example complaints

Steering: “I was driving and my steering wheel became very stiff. About 30 minutes later there was a red alert on the dash stating service power steering. Then about five minutes later another alert came on and it was yellow that said service advancetrac. After that happened I drove home and the next morning when I got in my vehicle to leave the steering wheel was completely locked. Even though it is 2019 I understand the car has years on it but after only having it for three months from the dealership I am extremely upset.”

NHTSA complaint #11221877, filed 2019-06, 94,000 miles

Air bags: “Received safety warnings from Ford for two years can not drive my grandchildren in my car dmv ca notified me the replacement should be free. Now I am getting class action notices. I just want safe air bags. What do I have to do? Serramonte Ford, colma ignored any requests.”

NHTSA complaint #11149753, filed 2018-11, 120,000 miles

Brakes: “While driving away from my curbside parking spot to go to work, the dashboard lights started flashing and said something along the lines of break system failure or check break systems , and I was unable to brake at all. I managed to change course and pull over and let the car stop on its own. Once stopped, I turned the car off and then back on again. I tried to slowly move and then brake, at which time the brakes were successful and stopped the car. I drove the short distance back to my house and took an alternate vehicle. …”

NHTSA complaint #11180597, filed 2019-02, 137,490 miles

Electrical system: “The check engine light had illuminated. Called the dealership and scheduled an appointment to bring it in that day. Driving at 45 miles an hour, again, warning chime sounded, pull over safely warning came on, engine shut off, brakes and accelerator disengaged, and all dashboard lights illuminated. Pulled to the side of the road and shut car off. I was too far from dealership to have it towed and was working (I travel for my job). Called dealership, they said to bring it in. Able to restart it after 2-3 attempts. Brought it to the dealership. …”

NHTSA complaint #10509977, filed 2013-04, 17,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

45% of the 71 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 28,268 and 82,605 miles.

7%0–1015%10–2523%25–5023%50–7513%75–10015%100–1504%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (71 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 62,000 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.

’13’15’1730’19’22’24’26
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 2012 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★★★★☆3 / 4444 · 10.5% risk

Neighbouring years: 2011: same overall rating; 2013: 5 stars overall. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

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

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2012 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 · hybridCVT413538$1,750

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 2012 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. 10 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

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 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid?

Owners of this model year most often write about losing power steering while driving — the wheel goes suddenly heavy, often with 'service power steering' and AdvanceTrac warnings, and several complainants had the steering gear replaced. The issues reported most often: Power steering assist cuts out while driving; Brake system warnings and a pedal that needs extra force; Engine shutoff and hybrid 'stop safely' warnings.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid have?

NHTSA recorded 96 consumer complaints for the 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid is reported most often?

Steering is named most often, in 36 complaints (38% of the total), followed by air bags with 32.

Has the 2012 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.

How did the 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid 4 out of 5 stars overall. Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid get?

The EPA rates the 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid (Fusion Hybrid FWD, 2.5L 4-cyl · hybrid) at 38 mpg combined, 41 city and 35 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $1,750 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid reported?

Among the 71 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 62,000 miles and the middle half falls between 28,268 and 82,605 miles; 45% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 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.