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

While driving home from work. I heard a pop and seen smoke coming from my tire. I pulled over and seen fire behind the wheel. After looking it over the emergency parking brake motor that attaches to the brake caliper was blown apart. The pistons in the caliper pushed so hard against the brake pad that it was bent to a 90 degree angle. Had to replace pads, rotors, and calipers in both sides.

NHTSA ODI 11748680

I own a 2013 Ford Fusion SE with a 1.6L EcoBoost engine. Prior to the incident, the vehicle displayed a “Check Charging System” warning and the engine overheated. After parking the vehicle and shutting it off, a fire started under the hood in the engine compartment. The fire occurred shortly after the overheating warning and while the vehicle was not running. The fire appeared to originate in the engine bay area and caused significant damage. There were no prior accidents or modifications to the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11722738

1. My car began to produce white smoke after a burning smell. Then caught fire under the hood in engine area. The car is buried in snow/ice, not available to access. 2. The car caught fire. 3. The problem has not been reproduced nor confirmed by anyone (dealer/independent service center) 4. No, due to weather conditions. (Blizzard) 5. Only the burning smell and white smoke.

NHTSA ODI 11720518

UNKNOWN - I was driving the car on a highway, there were no alerts and my engine light was not on, and my car started smoking and within 5 minutes my car was completely on fire. After the fire was put out, the whole front of the car was gone and then engine looked melted.

NHTSA ODI 11715831

The contact owned a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while entering a parking lot, while depressing the accelerator pedal, another vehicle T-boned her vehicle on the front passenger side. No air bags deployed. The contact stated that she sustained a concussion to the head. Medical attention was required. The contact stated that a police report was filed.  The contact stated that the failure was not diagnosed by a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was towed to Copart. The contact mentioned the vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and they informed her that the air bag may not have deployed because the other vehicle did not hit her on the driver's side. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11699033

Vehicle ran very well, however engine caught fire while exiting highway. Insurance adjuster states common issue with Ford EcoBoost engines. Reported to Ford whom dismissed issue of engine fire

NHTSA ODI 11694903

My car was parked in my driveway. I realized that I didn't have my key on me. So I quickly ran in the house to get my key. I went outside to find my car rolling down my driveway into my neighbor's brick house. My 11 year old was messing with the gear shift from the back seat and was able to change the gear to neutral with no brake engaged and no key in the ignition. When I went to the dealership, an employee was able to tell me that it was a bad shifter cable bushing. I checked to see if there is a recall and there was for our year, make, and model; unfortunately, our VIN is now registered under the recall.

NHTSA ODI 11694166

I was on the highway and a car came in front of me, When I tried to stop the brake was hard and wouldn’t stop! It veered me into the wall and totaled my car. My brakes stiffed up and didn’t stop which cause me to crash.

NHTSA ODI 11688782

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

Single vehicle accident on 11/01/2024 wet rode came into curve hut brakes it sped up struck guardrail on rt side darted across road into a ditch ripped front bumper cover off the seatbelt didn’t catch or no air bags worked

NHTSA ODI 11671700

The rear view camera will display a black screen or the image will be reversed causing confusion and dangerous reversal actions. Also the camera will go black in the middle of parking or not display at all. The transmission will slip without warning and the vehicle will have have to be shut down and restarted in order to drive correctly.

NHTSA ODI 11671212

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

The contact's granddaughter owned a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated that while her granddaughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver looked in the rearview mirror and noticed black smoke coming from the rear seats of the vehicle. The contact stated that the driver's sons were in car seats in the rear seats of the vehicle. The driver immediately pulled over to the side of the road, exited the vehicle, and took her sons out of the vehicle. The contact stated that the entire vehicle then caught on fire. The contact stated that the driver's side of the vehicle was more burned than the rest of the vehicle. The fire was extinguished by the Fire Department, who informed the contact's granddaughter that the fire might have originated from the trunk of the vehicle. It was unknown whether a Police report or a Fire Department report was filed. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed and could be totaled. The driver's mother transported the driver and her sons to the emergency room due to smoke inhalation. It was unknown whether injuries were sustained. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11664680

Engine was leaking oil and it caught fire twice. Emergency activates while driving and yes it's available upon request. My, family members and others around where at Risk because whole car could of caught fire. No one has confirmed it or inspected yet. Brake light stays on. Engine was leaking about a week.

NHTSA ODI 11633693

The engine malfunctioned and faulty rear seat belt, it is not available for inspection because it started a fire that destroyed by car. The remains of the car is at a savage yard. We were put at risk because we were driving/riding in the car at the time it starting burning. We were able to pull the car over and park it in a gas station parking lot before it became fully engulfed in flames. I am reaching out to Ford. Since it was not an accident involved, the fire department inspected the vehicle and determine the fire started in the engine. Insurance representative has determined it is a total loss. There were no warning lamps or messages from the car. However, what caused us to detect something was wrong was the thick smoke started filling the car's cabin at which time we immediately pulled over. When we stopped the car, actual flames came from under the hoods towards the windshield of the car and we proceed to exit the car. My granddaughter in the back seat was having a hard time releasing herself from her seat belt.

NHTSA ODI 11614780

See attached document for complaint

NHTSA ODI 11577588

The fire started in the engine, unsure of exact cause according to the fire report. My wife [XXX] ), I, and my one year old daughter’s safety was compromised bc there was no warning until a minute before us realizing fire and exited the vehicle. Car was investigated by local department. Check engine light flashing crazy less than a minute before car loss power INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11564155

Sterling gear rack n pinion got very hard and the vehicle couldn't be controlled . Lost control and caused to crash

NHTSA ODI 11546235

As I was going down the highway my car started smoking dramatically. There were no warning lights so I assumed it might be a belt. I pulled to the side of the road and opened the hood to find flames coming from the backside of the engine. I have had it in the shop now for the last two months and the initial thought was that the water pump could have caused the issue. However, after that set of repairs it was burning oil. Further investigation has shown that the head is cracked.

NHTSA ODI 11545435

The contact's employee owned a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while the employee was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. No warning light was illuminated. The brakes failed to stop the vehicle immediately, causing the employees' vehicle to rear-end another vehicle. No injuries were sustained, and no medical attention was received. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the tow yard, where it was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The employee later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11533209

Car is totaled, yes its been confirmed by TN highway patrol, wrecker service who had to get down embankment to get the vehicle, insurance. It was totaled not one air bag deployed. It was a rainy night driving i-24 towards clarksville, im in the left lane, as im going around corner towards exit 8 , a vehicle cut in front of me, to avoid a rear end collision i quickly turned my wheel to the left , as i did that 70mph the water on the road took my front vehicle up and i went down the embankment hitting trees , rocks, etc. the entire car damaged all sides. No air bags deployed. I walked away with not a pain or scratch after plummeting 15ft or so down that sloped embankment. This happened on December 10, 2021. Over a year later on December 20, 2022 someone went down that same embankment not even a mile from where i went down that slope i was mile marker 7.8. He went down that embankment a lil after exit 8 mile marker 8.4 and He died.

NHTSA ODI 11519012

The contact owned a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 70 mph, the brake pedal was depressed and the pedal remained floored. The vehicle collided with a parked vehicle and then the vehicle was stopped in a ditch. The air bags deployed. The contact sustained right shoulder injuries and received medical attention. There was a police report taken. The vehicle was towed to a salvage lot where it was deemed destroyed. The contact administered brake fluid to the engine compartment approximately ten minutes before the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 173,000.

NHTSA ODI 11518220

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH and slowing for a traffic light she depressed the brake pedal, the vehicle did not slow and she crashed into the rear end of the vehicle in front of her. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The damage was mild and both vehicles were able to drive away, there were no injuries. The police were on the scene, however, the contact is not sure if a report had been written. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic prior to the crash, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rotors and brakes in both the front and rear of the vehicle needed to be replaced. The vehicle had been repaired. The contact stated that she was hearing an abnormal squealing noise when she depresses the brake pedal. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 61,452.

NHTSA ODI 11517081

The contact owned a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving at approximately 30-40 MPH, another vehicle driving in the opposite direction made an illegal turn. The contact's daughter depressed the brake pedal to avoid colliding with the other vehicle; however, the brakes failed to engage, and the contact's vehicle crashed into the other vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. The contact's daughter suffered injuries to her head, neck, and back and was transported by ambulance to the hospital. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, where it was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 151,363.

NHTSA ODI 11517109

While driving my vehicle into the garage, I placed the car into the P(park) gear and the car continued to roll. I had to hit the emergency break to stop the vehicle. The fuel line keeps cracking although it has been replaced multiple times causing gas to be leaking from the vehicle even after filling the car up.

NHTSA ODI 11505722