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Ford FusionModel year report

2009 Ford Fusion Problems

Compared with other Ford Fusion years

Typical for this model

44/100 0.9× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with fewer complaints than typical and no open NHTSA investigation: 2008

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
1,023filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
97,000miles, 623 complaints with mileage
Recalls
63 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 / 29 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2009 Ford Fusion (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe a brake pedal that sinks toward the floor and stopping distance that feels much longer than expected, frequently in wet, cold or bumpy conditions. Many of these complaints reference a brake hydraulic control unit recall and describe repeat trouble after the recall work, with parts sometimes unavailable. A smaller group describes air bag warning lights or air bags that did not deploy in a crash.

  1. Brakes

    Brake pedal sinks to the floor / long stopping distance

    • 527 complaints (52%)
    • median 100,700 mi at 9.0 yrs old (448 state mileage)
    • 46 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • owner-quoted repair $1,237 (median of 28 quotes)
    • filed 2009–2026

    Complaints describe the brake pedal traveling most or all of the way to the floorboard, sometimes suddenly, with the vehicle slow to slow down or failing to stop. Owners report having to pump the pedal or use the parking brake, and some say it happens after an anti-lock stop event, over bumps, or in rain, sleet or cold weather. According to the complaints, dealers often pointed to the ABS hydraulic control unit, flushed the brake fluid, or said no fault was found, and many owners noted the part was not available for the recall repair. Mostly reported between roughly 80,000 and 150,000 miles, though some owners describe it in the 40,000-50,000 mile range, often in wet or cold conditions.

    Recall 19V9040001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask whether recall 19V904000 was completed and whether the hydraulic control unit was replaced or only inspected and the fluid flushed. Test the pedal at a stop and after a hard stop, and check for an ABS warning light.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “We received a safety recall notice in january for recall 19v-904. There was no fix offered at that time. I checked with the dealer today, who said there is still no fix or parts available. With a recall notice like this involving a brake pedal potentially going to the floor, this is unacceptable.”

    NHTSA complaint #11349960, filed 2020-08, 135,000 miles

    “I was driving on a city business road of 40 MPH max when I was required to slow down for a stoplight ahead. As I slowed I noticed that the brake pedal chugged and proceeded to move forward to the floorboard. Luckily the stoplight had changed to green and the vehicles ahead of me advanced. Knowing that I had an issue with stopping the vehicle, I shifted the vehicle into neutral in case I needed to pull the parking brake. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11350802, filed 2020-08, 87,940 miles
  2. Air bags

    Air bag warning light on / passenger air bag shows off

    • 356 complaints (35%)
    • median 89,500 mi at 9.0 yrs old (72 state mileage)
    • 20 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2011–2024

    Owners describe the air bag warning light staying on, or the passenger air bag indicator showing off, sometimes starting right after the vehicle is started. Some complaints say the light returned after a previous air bag repair, and others mention that air bags did not deploy in a collision. Several complaints ask when the inflator recall work will be available for their vehicle. Reported across a wide mileage range, from about 90,000 to 170,000 miles in the sampled complaints.

    Recall 21V158000Recall 21V081000Recall 16V384000 · DO NOT DRIVE3 related service bulletins

    What to check: Confirm which air bag recalls apply to the VIN and whether the inflators were replaced. Watch the dash indicators at start-up: a light that stays on or a passenger air bag that reads off is worth having checked.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “When I crank up the car there are times when it says passenger airbag is off in the airbag signal be on the dashboard as well this is coming on on a regular now as soon as I crank up it will come on on the dashboard every now and again the passenger airbag off sign will be on and it's usually when I'm driving”

    NHTSA complaint #11415446, filed 2021-05, 168,698 miles

    “We have two safety recalls on our 2009 Ford Fusion dating back to december 2019! Any idea of when these will be addressed as Ford says working on a solution!!”

    NHTSA complaint #11405241, filed 2021-03, 48,000 miles

Buying note. Have any 2009 Fusion you are considering checked for open brake and air bag recalls and ask for documentation of what was actually replaced. A careful test drive on wet roads, plus a look at the ABS and air bag lights, will tell you a lot about the brake issue that dominates the complaints for this year.

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 1,023 consumer complaints for the 2009 Ford Fusion. 623 of the complaints include a mileage, and 13% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 97,000 miles. Of all complaints, 65 involved a crash, 5 a fire, 40 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns (3 marked do-not-drive) and 19 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 44 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: Fuel system (12), Seats (9), Wheels (9), Engine cooling (7), Suspension (6), Tires (6), Electronic stability control (5), Exterior lighting (3), Forward collision avoidance (3), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (3), Equipment (2), Seat belts (2).

Example complaints

Brakes: “Break pedal becomes spongy after hitting a pothole. Currently at the dealership they are trying to replace the master break cylinder, but that didn't work. The next move is to replace the mcu. I have read multiple similar reports here to mine. I'm very concerned this is a factory defect that is revealing itself to be dangerous and costly to Ford consumers.”

NHTSA complaint #11221327, filed 2019-06, 74,000 miles

Air bags: “Takata recall I had made an appointment for 3/28/19 we had an accident on 3/26/19 a car hit us at a red light totaled the car the airbag hit me in the chest bruises and cuts . I was the passenger my husband the driver he lacerations mostly . I also had broken ankle on the right foot and a sprain on the left. The car was totaled. Car was in motion.”

NHTSA complaint #11195410, filed 2019-04, 150,000 miles

Body and structure: “My rear passenger side door won't stay closed. The latch seems to be malfunctioning and it opened when I was driving. I wad able to oull over quickly and secure the door with rope but it still opens slightly. I probably use this door the least of all 4, so my biggest concern is that the other 3 doors are soon to follow.”

NHTSA complaint #11115349, filed 2018-08, 109,000 miles

Vehicle speed control: “My 2009 Ford Fusion would not crank, then when it did it idled rough and would not speed up. I had it towed to my Ford dealer who informed me that the throttle body had to be replaced. Even though Ford has a customer satisfaction program 13b17 and 13b03 that refers to my car, I was informed that my car was not covered. I'm glad that I was not driving the car at the time.”

NHTSA complaint #10906820, filed 2016-09, 116,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

13% of the 623 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 73,000 and 125,000 miles.

3%0–103%10–257%25–5013%50–7526%75–10035%100–15013%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (623 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 97,000 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.

’11’14’17304’20’23’26
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 2009 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

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 2009 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 AWD3.0L 6-cyl6-speed automatic172520$3,350
Fusion FWD2.3L 4-cyl5-speed manual202923$2,900
Fusion FWD2.3L 4-cyl5-speed automatic202823$2,900
Fusion FWD3.0L 6-cyl6-speed automatic182621$3,200

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 2009 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. 19 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 19 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 2009 Ford Fusion?

Owners of this model year most often describe a brake pedal that sinks toward the floor and stopping distance that feels much longer than expected, frequently in wet, cold or bumpy conditions. The issues reported most often: Brake pedal sinks to the floor / long stopping distance; Air bag warning light on / passenger air bag shows off.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2009 Ford Fusion have?

NHTSA recorded 1,023 consumer complaints for the 2009 Ford Fusion as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2009 Ford Fusion is reported most often?

Brakes is named most often, in 531 complaints (52% of the total), followed by air bags with 359.

Has the 2009 Ford Fusion been recalled?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year, 3 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 2009 Ford Fusion get?

The EPA rates the 2009 Ford Fusion (Fusion FWD, 2.3L 4-cyl) at 23 mpg combined, 20 city and 29 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 2009 Ford Fusion reported?

Among the 623 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 97,000 miles and the middle half falls between 73,000 and 125,000 miles; 13% 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.