Home · 2013 Ford Fusion Energi · Complaints

What 1,774 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Ford Fusion Energi

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (1,774)Crash / fire / injury (157)Steering (389)Engine (372)Transmission & drivetrain (280)Body & structure (166)Electrical system (160)Fuel system (144)Seat belts (102)Airbags (98)Latches & locks (85)Brakes (73)

Newest first · 1,774 complaints · page 1 of 71

Aug 4, 2025Engine & coolingFire

The contact owned a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that the message "Coolant Over Temperature" was displayed. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact then exited the vehicle and raised the hood and there was black smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact backed away from the vehicle and approximately 3 minutes later the vehicle caught on fire. The Fire Department was contacted and arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire. A Fire report was filed however, the contact had not received a Fire report number. The Police also arrived on scene and collected information from the contact; however, the contact was unaware of a Police report being filed. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The contact was made aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

NHTSA ODI 11678263

Jul 30, 2025Steering

I believe my car was missed in the steering rack recall. There’s a decent amount of side to side play that just moves the steering wheel not the wheels. The car will be all over the road. Also when I’m accelerating with my foot on the gas the steering stiffness up & goes back to feeling like normal under load. As soon as there’s no driving load it loosens back up. Today it randomly almost felt like the steering got stuck for a second while going straight then quickly jerked itself to the right then went back to feeling loose. I’ve replaced controls arms, ball joints, tie rods.I do not want to crash because fords negligence on not including my car in the recall. I’m still making payments on the car and can not afford money out of pocket to fix fords mistakes. Please help! My car needs this recall! I have videos upon being needed, it will only let me upload pictures.

NHTSA ODI 11677238

Jul 25, 2025Engine

In 2019, my car suddenly began to leak engine coolant. A low engine coolant signal alarmed, the car started to smoke, and then was un-usable. I took it to a Ford dealership, they ran some diagnostics, and determined that the issue was related to a known recall. They repaired the issue and for 5 years, things seemed ok. This April, the engine coolant warning came back on and the car shut down. I inspected the engine coolant revisor and it was extremely low and the check engine light came on. I took the car in to be inspected and it was noted that the hoses and gaskets were corroded. The hoses and gaskets were replaced and that seemed to resolve all of the alarms and check engine light, but weeks later, the low engine coolant light came back on. This week the same Ford dealership determined that there was an issue with the water pump and that it needed to be replaced. I wondered if anyone else with a Ford Fusion experienced water pump issues and there seem to be two class action lawsuits against Ford siting several vehicle models with faulty water pumps. I can submit my water pump replacement receipt when I receive it from the Ford dealership on Monday.

NHTSA ODI 11676275

Jul 24, 2025Transmission & drivetrain

Delayed/ rough up shift

NHTSA ODI 11675961

Jun 30, 2025Steering

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel felt loose and was wobbling abnormally. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

NHTSA ODI 11670159

Jun 24, 2025Steering

Noise from steering column, took to local repair shop. Diagnosed as rack and pinion failure. No alarms or alerts of any kind other that noise that is easily heard when in parking lot or driving on a low speed street. Risk is loss of steering control, at highways speeds could lead to accidents or worse.

NHTSA ODI 11668793

Jun 16, 2025Steering

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the power steering assist and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn to the left or the right. The contact pulled off the highway and turned off and restarted the vehicle to reset the steering functionality. The contact stated that the steering wheel was still difficult to turn. The contact had not yet taken the vehicle to a dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V232000 (Steering). The contact notified the manufacturer and was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.

NHTSA ODI 11667127

Jun 11, 2025Electrical system

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 174,000, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 202,000.

NHTSA ODI 11666315

Jun 9, 2025Fuel system

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the odor of fuel was present inside the vehicle. Upon inspection, the contact discovered fuel leaking underneath the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the fuel delivery module was cracked and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V227000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 160,000.

NHTSA ODI 11665695

Jun 9, 2025Fire

The contact owned a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked at the contact's work parking lot, the vehicle caught on fire due to unknown reasons. A security guard discovered the fire, and called the Fire Department extinguished the fire. A fire report was filed. No police report was filed. The contact was at work during the incident, and it was not until he finished his shift that he discovered that his vehicle had caught on fire. The contact believed the fire started from the engine area, per witnesses. The vehicle was towed to a local towing yard. The contact notified his insurance company and deemed the vehicle totaled. The fire spread and damaged several vehicles parked nearby. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

NHTSA ODI 11665885

May 23, 2025Engine

Constantly drinks coolant and has been fixed at least once.

NHTSA ODI 11662840

May 21, 2025Transmission & drivetrain

The transmission started smoking and I had it towed to a mechanic. They found a huge hole in the transmission and the bearing was gone .

NHTSA ODI 11662415

May 4, 2025SteeringAirbagsBrakes

Right Front wheel speed Sensor replaced and problem continues due to pigtail coming from wiring harness that connects to top portion of wheel speed sensor Water enters the connector and short circuits the ABS system causing the car to disable ABS,Traction Control and Power steering all light illuminated as well

NHTSA ODI 11658776

Apr 15, 2025EngineFuel system

I had coolant leaking in my 2013 Ford Fusion SE 1.6L causing a misfire in cylinder 3 from diagnostics code P0303. After going to a repair shop on 3 seperate occasions and paying to fix issues thought to remedy the issue, I had the Ford dealership in Hudson WI look at it while they took care of a recall. They quoted me $9,900 to replace the engine due to a cracked block. It was hard to get a response from the technician and they were really unprofessional towards me when I requested the part numbers. So much time has been spent on this not to mention that I have been without a vehicle for 1.5 years because my inability to cover additional repairs or the cost of a new car. I also lost my job due to my transportation issues, and paid over $19,000 for this vehicle. I wish Ford would issue a recall because this is a very common issue for this make and model. 2013 Ford Fusion SE L4 1.6L (102K miles)

NHTSA ODI 11654835

Apr 14, 2025Steering

The contact’s mother-in-law owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contacts mother-in-law received notification of an unknown recall in 2016. The remedy included replacing the bolts and applying a wax sealer to the bolts. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that while receiving maintenance at an independent mechanic, the mechanic became aware that the electronic power steering rack bolts were fractured, and the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. On another occasion, while the vehicle was turned off, the contact inspected the vehicle and became aware that the power steering rack bolts were fractured. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 85,450.

NHTSA ODI 11654524

Apr 8, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated, and there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and opened the hood to inspect the vehicle. The contact stated that upon opening the hood, the contact became aware that oil was leaking at the rear of the engine compartment by the firewall. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the cylinder head had fractured. The mechanic determined that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11653382

Mar 21, 2025Steering

One day, my steering wheel locked up, and I get the message across my dashboard that says service power steering now I almost had an accident because of it

NHTSA ODI 11649701

Mar 18, 2025Transmission & drivetrain

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds in cold weather, and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle only responded as needed after excessive pressure was applied to the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that it was difficult shifting from first gear to second gear, and there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle jolted, shuddered, and jerked while accelerating, decelerating, and while shifting into gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that a fee would be charged for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ODI 11648930

Feb 27, 2025Engine & cooling

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Focus. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 55 MPH, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was hot(H). No warning lights were illuminated. The contact exited the highway, however, upon pulling over to the side of the road, the vehicle shut off and coasted to a stop. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the engine had experienced coolant intrusion. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11645357

Feb 23, 2025Transmission & drivetrain

My car started making a clicking grinding sound. The dealership says it's the flex plate. My fusion has an eco boost engine. I was quoted 8 to 10k to fix it. I was shocked to find oit this is a known issue with wxi boost but only later models have been recalled.

NHTSA ODI 11644334

Feb 20, 2025Engine

Engine was losing power while driving. Upon inspection of engine it was noticed that coolant was being lost. I took it to dealership and was told I needed a new engine. I went ahead and got the engine replaced at the ford dealership. I was told this would fix the issue. After having the car back I noticed I was still losing coolant. I took it back and they claimed to have fixed the leak in coolant system. It was fine for a while but it’s back to losing coolant with no visible signs of where the coolant is going.

NHTSA ODI 11644024

Feb 14, 2025SteeringTransmission & drivetrainElectrical system

Car will stahl and lock steering wheel when yielding into traffic or driving. The advance trak light along with auto hill assist will pop up on dashboard stating to repair the issue.

NHTSA ODI 11642796

Feb 8, 2025

The back up/ rear camera failed on this vehicle. The sudden failure of this caused me to panic as I could no longer see directly behind my vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11641501

Jan 28, 2025Steering

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the steering wheel failed to turn to the right or the left. The power steering failure message was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 161,000.

NHTSA ODI 11639092

Jan 8, 2025Transmission & drivetrain

The ability to stop quickly. Car jerked forward causing me to veer off the freeway. If I had not veered off, I would have ran into the back of the car in front of me. (Unaware of any problems with vehicle as the vehicle is stored more than driven) I brought the vehicle home and parked it because of the clucking noise. The recall repair on the vehicle did not fix the problem. Now the vehicle has a transmission failure just approximately 11,000.00 after the recall repair was closed out.

NHTSA ODI 11634929

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How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Ford Fusion Energi verdict →