2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid Problems
Compared with other Ford Fusion Hybrid years
Typical for this model
61/100 1.3× a typical year · 50 = typical
- Complaint rate is 1.3× that of a typical Ford Fusion Hybrid year, weighted for crashes, fires, injuries, recalls and mileage, and allowing for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints.
- 26 of its 70 complaints were filed by the end of 2019.
- Most reported problem: Transmission noise, shudder, and failure (11 complaints, median 99,000 mi).
Nearby years with a typical complaint level and no open NHTSA investigation: 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019
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
- 70filed with NHTSA
- Median mileage
- 45,000miles, 39 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
- —no overall rating published
- EPA fuel economy
- 42 mpgcombined, 2.0L 4-cyl · hybrid FWD · 43 city / 41 hwy
Sources: NHTSA records for the 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error
What owners report
Owners of the 2017 Fusion Hybrid most often describe transmission problems — noises, loss of power, and a shifter that will not move out of park — many appearing between roughly 45,000 and 130,000 miles, and several report a replacement transmission failing again. A second cluster concerns steering, where the wheel develops play or becomes hard to turn and stability-control warnings appear, and a third involves battery drain and warning lights tied to electronic modules.
- Steering
Loose steering wheel or hard steering with warnings
- 10 complaints (14%)
- median 90,000 mi at 2.2 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
- filed 2018–2026
Complaints describe excessive play or looseness in the steering wheel, sometimes a fractured or loose wheel hub, and in other cases the wheel becoming very hard to turn while a 'Steering Assist Fault' or 'Service AdvanceTrac' message appears. Dealers tightened bolts inside the steering wheel or diagnosed the steering rack; some owners report the looseness returned. Spread from low mileage up to about 125,000 miles, often noticed during turns at low speed.
What to check: With the car parked, check for up-and-down or rotational play in the steering wheel and ask whether the steering wheel bolt has been inspected or tightened. Watch the dash on startup for steering or AdvanceTrac warnings.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #11768560, filed 2026-10“The steering wheel has been loose for a couple years and seems to be getting worse. There is a lot of play in the steering wheel. I know there have been recalls on other models and it seems like my car is affected as well.”
NHTSA complaint #11520083, filed 2023-05 - Transmission and drivetrain
Transmission noise, shudder, and failure
- 11 complaints (16%)
- median 99,000 mi at 6.5 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
- filed 2021–2024
Complaints describe grinding, scraping, or thumping noises from the transmission area, sometimes accompanied by jerkiness, loss of drive, or a 'Stop Safely Now' message. Several owners say a dealer diagnosed a failed transmission or hybrid drive unit and recommended replacement, and some report the problem returned after a prior replacement. Mostly reported between about 45,000 and 130,000 miles, in mixed driving.
What to check: Ask for transmission and hybrid drive service records, and listen for grinding or rubbing noises during a test drive at low speed and in neutral. A service bulletin covers diagnosis and repair of contamination inside the HF35 transmission, so ask whether it was performed.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“1. Gear shift jammed (from 3 months of owning my car, until now -4 yrs). 2. Stop Safely Now Caution Light on. Vechile stops, then shuts off, can't turn it back on until about 20 minutes, Maybe Transmission? I am highly displeased! The transmission started to kick when this Stop Safely Light appeared. I could have been in a car accident.”
NHTSA complaint #11546979, filed 2023-09“When I turn right my vehicle made this ugly noise kind of like metal grinding and then it started kind of jerking my gear started switching and buying themselves it turned into neutral and then a warning sign came on and said transmission not in part stop vehicle safely now as I kept driving I stopped the vehicle turn it back on road home and kind of let the car just roll home I turned right again and the vehicle did the same thing but it was even worse it was making this ugly noise it started leaking transmission oil my battery ended up …”
NHTSA complaint #11457027, filed 2022-03 - Transmission and drivetrain
Shifter stuck in park / won't select gear
- 8 complaints (11%)
- median 56,944 mi at 4.0 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
- filed 2018–2023
Owners describe the rotary gear shifter failing to move out of park, or the vehicle jumping back to park on its own, often with a shift system or transmission warning. Dealers in the complaints diagnosed a failed gear shifter module or transmission range control module and reprogrammed or replaced parts; some owners say the problem persisted afterward. Reported from about 38,000 to 94,000 miles, usually at startup before driving.
What to check: Start the car cold and cycle the shifter through every position several times; ask the seller whether the shifter or transmission control module has ever been replaced or reprogrammed.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“My car will not shift into different gears it was parked at my job I go to start it , it cuts on and has all the power it just will not go into drive or neutral I tried resetting it but all the lights just come on will not move”
NHTSA complaint #11307863, filed 2020-02, 61,888 miles“On the dash board the tool light ranch come on , that’s when my car switch is stuck in park and won’t go into gear. It’s been happening for a while I took it to ford… NOTHING. October 28 is when the situation first started and was stuck in park for hours.”
NHTSA complaint #11471005, filed 2022-06 - Brakes
Brake pedal goes soft or to the floor
- 7 complaints (10%)
- median 42,000 mi at 2.2 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
- 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
- filed 2018–2023
Complaints describe the brake pedal traveling to the floor or the car not stopping as expected, sometimes with an ABS warning, and in some cases a brake or vacuum pump component was diagnosed. Other owners mention a brake warning light returning after pad replacement. Reported from about 17,000 to 60,000 miles, in ordinary surface-street driving.
What to check: Test the pedal feel at a stop with the engine running and ask for brake fluid and hose service history; a service bulletin addresses brake noise rather than pedal feel, so ask specifically about the brake booster and vacuum pump.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“Takata recall this car does not have reliable breaks I was in an accident on 12/26/18. I applied the brakes and nothing happened. Now I'm left with being responsible for this . And the steering wheel airbag blew smoke in my face and this car has two open recalls and it's a rental through hertz”
NHTSA complaint #11162346, filed 2018-12, 42,000 miles“When I had to brake, the car did not respond to the brake even though I had pressed hard on the brake. The result was that I hit a car in front of me. Since it was not high speed traffic, my injury was trauma to my foot. The concern was that there was plenty of time to stop, not an 'emergency' stop. I was on a surface street where speed was 35-40 miles per hour. All air bags were deployed. The car was towed and declared a total loss by my insurance company. As a result, unable to do any other investigation. I do not have”
NHTSA complaint #11076148, filed 2018-03, 17,000 miles - Electrical system
12-volt battery drain and dead battery
- 5 complaints (7%)
- median 11,768 mi at 1.5 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
- 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
- filed 2018–2025
Owners report the car failing to start with a completely dead battery, sometimes repeatedly despite multiple dealer visits. Complaints also mention modules that keep drawing power, and dealers reportedly checked or reprogrammed body and door modules in some cases. Reported from very low mileage up to about 112,000 miles, often after the car sits unused.
What to check: Ask how often the car is driven and whether the battery has been replaced recently; a service bulletin describes a door module reprogramming for battery drain on some 2017 models, so ask whether it was applied.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“I purchased a used car from a dealership in Orlando, FL, on May 5th this year. The vehicle has been experiencing a recurring issue of a battery drain, and despite multiple visits to authorized Ford service centers and leaving the car with the dealership for repairs, the problem persists. My ability as a customer to work and move around has been severely affected. The dealership claims no liability, but evidence suggests they were aware of the issue before selling the car. …”
NHTSA complaint #11556260, filed 2023-11, 111,760 miles“On or about January 2023, I noticed the airbag light come on my vehicle's dashboard. I didn't notice anything else that may have suggested what was wrong or what caused the light to come on. On February 6, 2023, I took the car to a Ford dealership to be inspected (the car had less than 60,000 miles and was about 6 years old at the time). After an inspection, I was told that the Restraint Control Module (RCM) had failed and that the part I needed was on national backorder. …”
NHTSA complaint #11522539, filed 2023-05
Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection focus on the transmission and steering, since those are the two areas owners describe most, and ask for service records showing any module reprogramming. A long test drive that includes cold starts, low-speed turns, and repeated shifter use will surface most of what owners report.
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 70 consumer complaints for the 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid. 39 of the complaints include a mileage, and 54% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 45,000 miles. Of all complaints, 7 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 8 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 60 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 61 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.
- Electrical system13 19%
- Other or unknown13 19%
- Steering13 19%
- Brakes8 11%
- Air bags7 10%
- Engine7 10%
- Fuel system4 5.7%
- Suspension3 4.3%
Also reported: Wheels (3), Equipment (1), Forward collision avoidance (1), Lane departure (1), Seat belts (1), Body and structure (1), Tires (1), Vehicle speed control (1).
Example complaints
Transmission and drivetrain: “I pulled straight into my garage, put the car in park, took my foot off of the brake pedal, and the car drove forward. If there wasn't a pole in between the car and the garage wall, it would have gone through the wall.”
NHTSA complaint #11403014, filed 2021-03, 38,000 milesElectrical system: “While using full accessory power with the engine off, the car will allow you to change the gear shift dial to drive. The car is able to move in this position, but the gas pedal will not work. The 'ready to drive' light is.not on.”
NHTSA complaint #11150783, filed 2018-11, 29,000 milesOther or unknown: “Car is equipped with auto lock that cannot be disabled. This poses a serious safety issue. I am a senior citizen and if something medical should happen to me while driving, I want to be sure the doors are unlocked when help arrives. If I forget to unlock the doors after the auto lock locks them, I could be in trouble. Ford says the auto lock feature is a regional feature, but some fusion on my dealers lot have auto lock disable, others do not. If it is a regional feature, Ford is selling models outside the region. …”
NHTSA complaint #10970385, filed 2017-04, 16 milesSteering: “Bought the car used from hertz. Steering wheel is extremely loose and has lots of play when guiding the wheel. Recalls for this problem but not my VIN.”
NHTSA complaint #11337893, filed 2020-07, 80,000 milesMileage when problems were reported
54% of the 39 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 28,116 and 80,000 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.
Fuel economy and running cost
EPA ratings for each 2017 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).
| Version | Engine | Transmission | City | Hwy | Comb. | Fuel / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fusion Hybrid FWD | 2.0L 4-cyl · hybrid | CVT | 43 | 41 | 42 | $1,600 |
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 2017 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. 60 on record; the latest 10 are shown.
- 10251952Mar 6, 2024Engine cooling. For 2015-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with turbocharged engines and customer concern of an engine oil leak, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-00 for oil leak inspection and…
- 10251934Mar 1, 2024Transmission and drivetrain. During service and repair requiring removal and replacement of a crankshaft bolt and/or crankshaft damper, achieving proper torque of the crankshaft pulley bolt is critical. Incorrect torque may…
- 10244801Oct 31, 2023Engine cooling. This article supersedes TSB 22-2181 to update the Service Procedure and Part List. Some 2015-2017 Edge, 2016-2017 MKX, 2017 Fusion/MKZ/Continental vehicles equipped with a 2.7L EcoBoost or 3.0L…
- 10241627Aug 2, 2023Electrical system. In various 2017-2023 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, customers may receive a message in the FordPass or LincolnWay App stating Feature Unavailable. Since this is a fleet vehicle, it cannot access the…
- 10240743Jun 8, 2023Equipment. The Service Awareness Newsletter is an informal communication that contains information that may not be presently available in a TSB, SSM, GSB, or other electronic communication. This article…
- 10235153Apr 4, 2023Body and structure. For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement…
- 10233681Mar 2, 2023Engine cooling. Some 2014-2020 Fusion and 2017-2019 Escape vehicles may be equipped with a 1.5L Ecoboost engine that uses a 50-tooth variable camshaft timing (VCT) intake and exhaust unit from the assembly plant or…
- 10228876Dec 16, 2022Brakes. Some Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit noise when the brakes are applied. When diagnosing and repairing brake noise conditions, use the Workshop Manual (WSM) and the appropriate pinpoint test in…
- 10225458Oct 25, 2022Transmission and drivetrain. Some 2013-2020 Fusion, MKZ and 2013-2018 C-Max vehicles equipped with an HF35 transmission may exhibit a thumping/rubbing or grinding noise coming from the transmission. The noise may be present in…
- 10224795Oct 18, 2022Engine cooling. Some 2015-2017 Edge, 2016-2017 MKX, 2017 Fusion/MKZ/Continental vehicles equipped with a 2.7L EcoBoost or 3.0L EcoBoost engine vehicles may exhibit an oil leak from the engine oil pan RTV seal. This…
Other model years of the Ford Fusion Hybrid
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | Crash ★ | MPG | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 8 | 51,000 | 0 | — | 42 | — | Not enough data |
| 2019 | 35 | 54,646 | 0 | — | 42 | 36 · Typical | Rising |
| 2018 | 59 | 67,000 | 0 | — | 42 | 52 · Typical | Rising |
| 2017 | 70 | 45,000 | 0 | — | 42 | 61 · Typical | Rising |
| 2016 | 55 | 33,475 | 0 | — | 41 | 37 · Typical | Falling |
| 2015 | 46 | 58,500 | 2 | — | 41 | 48 · Typical | Stable |
| 2014 | 65 | 50,000 | 1 | — | 41 | 61 · Typical | Stable |
| 2013 | 126 | 54,981 | 1 | 5 | 41 | 82 · More | Falling |
| 2012 | 96 | 62,000 | 0 | 4 | 38 | 55 · Typical | Rising |
| 2011 | 132 | 73,220 | 0 | 4 | 38 | 0 · Fewer | Stable |
| 2010 | 510 | 85,100 | 0 | — | 39 | 11 · Fewer | Rising |
All Ford Fusion Hybrid model years · Best and worst years by complaints
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid?
Owners of the 2017 Fusion Hybrid most often describe transmission problems — noises, loss of power, and a shifter that will not move out of park — many appearing between roughly 45,000 and 130,000 miles, and several report a replacement transmission failing again. The issues reported most often: Loose steering wheel or hard steering with warnings; Transmission noise, shudder, and failure; Shifter stuck in park / won't select gear.
How many NHTSA complaints does the 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid have?
NHTSA recorded 70 consumer complaints for the 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
What part of the 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid is reported most often?
Transmission and drivetrain is named most often, in 18 complaints (26% of the total), followed by electrical system with 13.
Has the 2017 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 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid get?
The EPA rates the 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid (Fusion Hybrid FWD, 2.0L 4-cyl · hybrid) at 42 mpg combined, 43 city and 41 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $1,600 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.
At what mileage are problems with the 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid reported?
Among the 39 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 45,000 miles and the middle half falls between 28,116 and 80,000 miles; 54% 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. 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.