2017 Ford Fusion Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2017 Ford Fusion most often report coolant getting into the cylinders of the turbocharged 1.5L and 2.0L engines, which dealers typically diagnose as needing a new engine or short block. A second common theme is transmission trouble — failures needing replacement, torque converter problems, and a shifter cable bushing that detaches so the car will not move out of park. Most complaints fall between roughly 50,000 and 120,000 miles, and many describe the engine coolant issue appearing without much warning beyond a check engine light, white exhaust smoke, or low coolant.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   Coolant leaking into engine cylinders

   • 404 complaints (36%)
   • median 81,785 mi at 7.4 yrs old (194 state mileage)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $7,923 (median of 50 quotes)
   • filed 2018–2026

   Owners describe low coolant that has to be topped up often, white smoke from the exhaust, rough running, misfires on one or more cylinders, and the check engine light coming on. Many say the dealer diagnosed coolant intrusion and recommended replacing the engine or short block. Several mention that the repair was not covered or that the vehicle identification number was not included in a related customer satisfaction program. Reported from roughly 29,000 to 180,000 miles, with many complaints in the 50,000-100,000 mile range.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Check the coolant level and look for white residue or smoke at the exhaust, and ask whether the engine or short block has already been replaced. A service bulletin describes a powertrain control module reprogram and short block replacement for this symptom on 1.5L engines.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Engine code surfaced and told me I had a misfire. I took it to the shop and was told that coolant had leaked into the cylinder and I would have to replace the entire engine and would cost me $9,300. I called Ford and even though there are recalls on similar vehicles with similar issues, there is not a recall on this particular vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #11308771, filed 2020-02, 65,000 miles

   “I have a 2017 Ford Fusion titanium with the 2.0l ecoboost engine that has 72,890 miles. I experienced rough idle for about a week then my check engine light came on. I had the engine light checked and showed the code p0302 which is a misfire in cylinder 2. When I proceeded to leave the place of business where I had the light checked white smoke came out of my exhaust upon start up and was still coming out by the time I drove home. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11397265, filed 2021-02, 72,890 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Shifter will not come out of park

   • 162 complaints (15%)
   • median 84,000 mi at 5.9 yrs old (98 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $644 (median of 8 quotes)
   • filed 2017–2026

   Owners report the rotary gear selector jumping back to park or refusing to move out of park, often with a shift system fault message. In many cases the shifter cable bushing was found detached or broken and replaced; some say the problem came back or recurred after repair. Generally reported between about 60,000 and 115,000 miles.

   What to check: Shift through all gears several times with the engine running, and ask whether the shifter cable bushing has been inspected or replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “One evening when pulling out of my driveway in reverse and then shifting into drive, the radial dial shifter automatically shifted to park. It would not shift out of park at all, and I sat stranded in the middle of the road not being able to move my car for over two hours. The road is such that people had to drive through neighbors' yards to get around me. I'm very fortunate that my neighbor is an engine mechanic and was able to walk over and diagnose the problem. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11397511, filed 2021-02, 70,000 miles

   “I have a 2017 Ford Fusion, purchased 6 mths ago. I was stationary in a parking lot, when I put it in reverse it immediately threw itself back in park and gave error 'shift system fault service soon'. Cycled car on and off several times with the same result. There was no prior warning of any issues. I am reading this is happening to alot of 2017 Ford fusions. I am out of warranty, the dealership is fighting me on warranty when I specifically said I would not buy it without one, and I cant afford to fix it. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11300221, filed 2020-01, 96,000 miles
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission failure and shuddering

   • 316 complaints (28%)
   • median 79,921 mi at 6.5 yrs old (205 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $4,800 (median of 15 quotes)
   • filed 2017–2026

   Complaints describe the car hesitating or shuddering when accelerating, transmission slipping, loss of power while driving, and in some cases the transmission seizing or failing to engage a gear. Several owners say the dealer determined the transmission needed to be replaced, sometimes without a clear cause being found beforehand. Mostly reported between about 50,000 and 125,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test drive at low and highway speeds and feel for shuddering, delayed engagement, or slipping; ask for transmission service records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the power train fault warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 65,689.”

   NHTSA complaint #11497256, filed 2022-12, 65,689 miles

   “The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his son was driving 60 MPH and depressing on the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated while responding and instead decelerated. The contact attempted to exit the highway however, the vehicle failed to respond as needed while attempting to merge over to the exit ramp. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11630147, filed 2024-12, 120,000 miles

Buying note. Have a mechanic check for coolant intrusion and transmission condition before buying, and confirm that open recalls for the steering wheel bolt, brake hoses, and torque converter were completed. Service records showing engine or transmission work are worth asking about.

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.