What 1,948 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Ford Fusion Hev

LEFT MY HOUSE DROVE 5 MILES, STOPPED TO SISTERS HOUSE TO DROP OFF AN ITEM, 2-3 MINUTES LATER WALKED OUTSIDE AND FOUND FLAMES COMING OUT OF THE HOOD ON THE PASSENGER SIDE NEAR WINDSHIELD. BARELY ABLE TO OPEN DOOR QUICK ENOUGH TO GET MY PURSE OUT AND IT WAS ENGULFED. WOKE UP A NEIGHBOR WHO CAME OVER WITH A TRUCK TO DRAG IT AWAY FROM HOUSE AND GARAGE. WASN'T FOR HIM MY SISTERS HOUSE WOULD BEEN LOST AS IT TOOK 25 MINUTES FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT TO SHOW UP. ONLY THING NOT BURNED IS THE TAILLIGHTS. OBVIOUSLY THERE WAS AN ISSUE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. HAVE READ ABOUT A RECALL FOR THIS SPECIFIC MODEL FOR THIS SPECIFIC REASON. FEELING LIKE MY INSURANCE IS NOT GOING TO BE VERY HELPFUL WITH DAMAGES. WHAT ELSE CAN BE DONE?

NHTSA ODI 10937312

YESTERDAY I PURCHASED A VEHICLE THROUGH AN AUTO BROKER FROM MANHEIM ATLANTA. NO MORE THAN 6 HOURS LATER THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT AND EXPLODED MULTIPLE TIMES. 7:30PM I WAS DRIVING ON 285 HEADED HOME AND I NOTICED A WARNING ON MY DASH STATING THAT THE POWER STEERING ASSISTANCE HAS A FAULT AT THE SAME TIME I NOTICED BALLS OF FIRE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH MY CAR. I TRIED TO GET TO THE SHOULDER HOWEVER THE ENGINE SEIZED HINDERING ME FROM DOING ANYTHING. BY THE TIME THE CAR SLOWED THE INTERIOR WAS FILLED WITH SMOKE, I JUMPED OUT THEN THE CAR EXPLODED MULTIPLE TIMES. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10928487

POWER STEERING SYSTEM FAULT CAME ON THE DASH. PRESSED THE OK BUTTON AND THEN NOTICED BALLS OF FIRE COMING FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. I THEN TRIED TO PULL OVER. I COULDN'T BRAKE, PRESS THE GAS, OR TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. THE CAR THEN BURST INTO FLAMES AND THEN THE VEHICLE EXPLODED AND BURNED.

NHTSA ODI 10928481

I WAS DRIVING MY 2013 FORD FUSION, 1.6L ECOBOOST TO WORK WHEN I NOTICED THE ENGINE STARTED OVERHEATING WHILE I WAS DRIVING UP A HILL. I SAW SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND PULLED OVER. AS I DID THIS, SOMEONE DRIVING BY SAID THEY SAW FLAMES COMING FROM UNDER MY CAR. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED THE CAR ONTO SOME PAVEMENT AND GOT OUT TO CHECK. I SAW FLAMES DRIPPING FROM THE OIL RESERVOIR. I GRABBED MY BACKPACK AND STARTED RUNNING UP THE HILL TO MY OFFICE, WHICH WAS ONLY ABOUT 100 YARDS AWAY, TO GET A FIRE EXTINGUISHER. AS I STARTED RUNNING, I HEARD A LOUD WOOSH SOUND AND SAW THAT THE ENTIRE FRONT OF THE CAR HAD BURST INTO FLAMES. LESS THAN A MINUTE AFTER I HAD GOTTEN OUT OF THE CAR. THE FLAMES WERE ABOUT 15 FEET HIGH AND LUCKILY DIDN'T IGNITE THE DRY, GRASSY HILLSIDE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME AFTER ABOUT 20 MINUTES AND PUT OUT THE FIRE.

NHTSA ODI 10911237

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD FUSION. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A CURB ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE STREET. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,297.

NHTSA ODI 10910186

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 FORD FUSION. WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE SLIGHTLY STRUCK THE DRIVER SIDE BUMPER OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. TWENTY MINUTES LATER, A POPPING SOUND EMITTED FROM INSIDE THE STEERING WHEEL AND SMOKE APPEARED FROM THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF INDEPENDENTLY AND THE CONTACT HASTILY EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CONTACTED AND THE FIREFIGHTERS HAD TO RIP APART THE ENTIRE DASHBOARD IN ORDER TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE FIRE. A POLICE AND FIRE REPORT WERE FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE CONTACT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURER AND DEALER WERE MADE AWARE OF THE INCIDENT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V597000 (AIR BAGS, SEAT BELTS). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 15,000.

NHTSA ODI 10663396

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 45 MPH THE CARS BESIDE US BEGAN HONKING AND FLASHING LIGHTS AT US. WE BEGAN TO SLOW FOR A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND SMOKE BEGAN TO POUR OUR FROM UNDERNEATH THE CAR. THE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND WE PULLED LEFT INTO THE TURN LANE TO STOP. WE THEN TURNED ON THE FLASHERS AND TURNED OFF THE CAR AND EXITED TO THE MEDIAN. WE CALLED 911 AND LUCKILY, THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT GOING THE OTHER DIRECTION WITH FIRE AND POLICE ARRIVING AT THAT ACCIDENT. UPON SEEING OUR SITUATION, THE ORANGE CITY, FL FIRE MARSHALL CAME ACROSS THE STREET TO HELP US AND SENT THE FIRE TRUCK TO US. THEY POPPED THE HOOD AND TRUNK AND TRIED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. AFTER A FEW MINUTES OF TRYING TO PUT OUT THE FIRE, THEY PULLED THE HYBRID BATTERY LINE. THE INCIDENT # IS [XXX]. OUR CAR WAS TOWED OFF AND TOTALED BY USAA. THEY HAVE THE CAR. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10629821