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Ford FusionModel year report

2008 Ford Fusion Problems

Compared with other Ford Fusion years

Fewer complaints than typical for this model

20/100 0.5× 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
1,353filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
98,000miles, 756 complaints with mileage
Recalls
52 do-not-drive
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
23 mpgcombined, 2.3L 4-cyl FWD · 20 city / 28 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2008 Ford Fusion (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year mostly write about two things: a brake pedal that travels to the floor, and the airbag recalls that apply to the car. Brake complaints cluster around ABS activation, wet or rough surfaces, and often mention that the recall remedy was not available at the dealer. Airbag reports mostly concern recall work, inflator replacement, and a dashboard pad that can deform or lift near the passenger airbag.

  1. Brakes

    Brake pedal goes to the floor / long pedal travel

    • 505 complaints (37%)
    • median 107,500 mi at 9.8 yrs old (431 state mileage)
    • 26 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,200 (median of 50 quotes)
    • filed 2009–2025

    Owners describe the brake pedal sinking to the floorboard, sometimes only after the ABS has activated on ice, wet roads, or a bump, and needing extra distance to stop. Some say pumping the pedal restores braking temporarily. Many tie the symptom to recall 19V904000 and report that dealers confirmed the part was not yet available, while a few say the dealer tested the hydraulic control unit or declined the repair without additional payment. Reported across a wide mileage range, from around 16,000 to over 190,000 miles, and several owners note it appears in wet, cold, or icy conditions.

    Recall 19V9040001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask whether recall 19V904000 has been completed and get the paperwork; a service bulletin on these cars covers brake fluid and ABS function. Test the pedal on a wet or loose surface and see whether it firms up or sinks.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Multiple Ford dealerships have rejected to fix/or settle my recalled issue on my brakes and ive been in just misses just about every time I push the brake pedel due to you gotta push the peddle down to the floor just to stop otherwise it wont stop the car without hitting someone... Nhtsa campaign id: 19v904000 the issue has only been getting worse since ive owened the car.”

    NHTSA complaint #11402836, filed 2021-03, 98,000 miles

    “On december 27th 2019. My daughter slide into the back of another car and she complained the breaks were taking to long to come to a complete stop. The car was totaled and on january 23rd, 2020 we received safety recall notice 19s54/NHTSA recall 19v-904. Had we received this notice before 12/27/19 we believe repairs would have prevented the accident and the car would not have been sold for parts.”

    NHTSA complaint #11307656, filed 2020-02, 192,000 miles
  2. Air bags

    Airbag recalls and dashboard pad deformation

    Mentioned in 7 of 60 sampled complaints

    Complaints center on the frontal airbag recalls: owners describe inflator replacements, appointments where the dealer could not finish the recall because bolts or parts were missing, and an airbag warning light that came on after service. Others report the dashboard pad near the passenger airbag bulging, lifting, or separating, especially when the car sits outside in the sun. Reported from low mileage up to about 190,000 miles, with the dashboard deformation often noted on cars parked outdoors in hot weather.

    Recall 21V158000Recall 21V081000Recall 16V384000 · DO NOT DRIVERecall 17V024000 · DO NOT DRIVE5 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check that both driver and passenger inflator recalls are closed for this VIN, and look at the dashboard pad around the passenger airbag for cracks, bulging, or separation.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “After the recall of the air bag. I never had the air bag light on the dash on. After the dealer fix my air bag it would turn and off most of the time but after taking the car back to get it check the light was not on the dash but after a few month the light is on now and it won't turn off the dealer ship want to charge me to fix the problem now it's on all the time even if I'm stop or moving on the freeway.”

    NHTSA complaint #11320377, filed 2020-04, 98,700 miles

    “My vehicle was in a accident involving a frontal crash of both vehicles in joliet and my airbags didn't deploy. I have since had my vehicle repaired by Ford recall of the airbags and now I have had to replace my brakes at least twice a year when I only travel locally with my car.”

    NHTSA complaint #11341502, filed 2020-07, 120,000 miles

Buying note. Prioritize a car whose open recalls, especially the brake hydraulic control unit recall, are documented as completed, and test the brake pedal feel carefully on wet or rough pavement. Also check the dashboard around the passenger airbag and confirm coolant level and service history on higher-mileage examples.

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 1,353 consumer complaints for the 2008 Ford Fusion. 756 of the complaints include a mileage, and 12% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 98,000 miles. Of all complaints, 53 involved a crash, 6 a fire, 29 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns (2 marked do-not-drive) and 21 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 12 Ford Fusion model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 20 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: Steering (11), Seat belts (7), Suspension (6), Tires (5), Equipment (4), Exterior lighting (4), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (4), Forward collision avoidance (3), Electronic stability control (2), Seats (2), Engine cooling (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Air bags: “On several occasions I have had an ABS event,when braking and running over bumps or potholes, where the brake pedal goes to the floor and then remains very soft . I have had the lines bled 4 or 5 times in the last 2 years. The brakes, even after being bled are very soft and I must continually pump them to stop.”

NHTSA complaint #11102520, filed 2018-06, 60,000 miles

Brakes: “Abs brakes system... I've been notified of recall, an ive set an appt. And went there in which the person I spoken with told me there's an recall but they couldn't help fix the safety problem and im not trying to be hurt nor hurt one one else via traffic accident due to Ford dealers don't want to help resolve the recalled parts .”

NHTSA complaint #11309923, filed 2020-02, 98,000 miles

Body and structure: “On my Ford Fusion drivers door the release mechanism is broken. I can not exit the car from this door and in the event of an emergency the escape from the vehicle would be greatly hindered. I would have to exit through the passenger door or through the window. Research (youtube videos)shows this plastic part breaks frequently.”

NHTSA complaint #10953992, filed 2017-02, 145,000 miles

Transmission and drivetrain: “I was driving home the car started shaking and idling very rough. Check engine light came on and the car died on me right in the middle of traffic. I was stuck on a city street during rush hour traffic.got it to a dealer coil pack had exploded frying the power train control module. Research shows this is an issue on fusions 2006-2009. But no resolutions are offered by Ford.”

NHTSA complaint #10979276, filed 2017-04, 85,400 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

12% of the 756 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 70,000 and 132,000 miles.

1%0–103%10–258%25–5015%50–7524%75–10031%100–15017%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (756 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 98,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

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

’08’11’14’17447’20’23’26
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 2008 Ford Fusion. 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 · sedan FWD/AWDnot rated5 / 5——5 · 9.2% risk
Fusion · sedan FWD/AWDnot rated4 / 4——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 2008 Ford Fusion 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 FWD2.3L 4-cyl5-speed automatic202823$2,900
Fusion FWD2.3L 4-cyl5-speed manual202923$2,900
Fusion FWD3.0L 6-cyl6-speed automatic182621$3,200
Fusion AWD3.0L 6-cyl6-speed automatic172520$3,350

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

Recall details for the 2008 Ford Fusion → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

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. 21 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 21 bulletins →

Other model years of the Ford Fusion

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
202018471,00035250 · FewerRising
201931678,50035250 · FewerRising
201844390,00025250 · FewerRising
20171,11571,532452547 · TypicalRising
20161,65078,0001352874 · MoreStable
201599774,4001352850 · TypicalStable
20141,33375,0001952759 · TypicalStable
20131,79276,1141952775 · MoreFalling
20122,51774,4505424100 · MoreFalling
20112,79472,0007424100 · MoreFalling
20105,13072,00011—25100 · MoreFalling
20091,02397,0006—2344 · TypicalFalling
20081,35398,0005—2320 · FewerFalling
20071,06485,0004—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200673076,0004—23Not compared (before 2008)Falling

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2008 Ford Fusion?

Owners of this model year mostly write about two things: a brake pedal that travels to the floor, and the airbag recalls that apply to the car. The issues reported most often: Brake pedal goes to the floor / long pedal travel; Airbag recalls and dashboard pad deformation.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2008 Ford Fusion have?

NHTSA recorded 1,353 consumer complaints for the 2008 Ford Fusion as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2008 Ford Fusion is reported most often?

Air bags is named most often, in 638 complaints (47% of the total), followed by brakes with 542.

Has the 2008 Ford Fusion been recalled?

NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year, 2 of them with a do-not-drive advisory. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2008 Ford Fusion get?

The EPA rates the 2008 Ford Fusion (Fusion, 2.3L 4-cyl) at 23 mpg combined, 20 city and 28 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,900 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2008 Ford Fusion reported?

Among the 756 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 98,000 miles and the middle half falls between 70,000 and 132,000 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 27, 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.