Home · 2013 Ford Fusion Hev · Complaints

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

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 (1,948)Crash / fire / injury (173)Steering (417)Engine (395)Transmission & drivetrain (315)Electrical system (189)Body & structure (179)Fuel system (156)Seat belts (113)Airbags (112)Brakes (88)Latches & locks (88)

7 of 1,948 complaints match · Fuel system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jun 3, 2025Fuel systemElectrical systemFire

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

Sep 19, 2023Electrical systemEngineFuel systemFire

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

Oct 12, 2022Electrical systemEngineFuel systemFire

THE CARS DASHBOARD LIGHTS KEPT LIGHTING UP AND NOT LONG AFTER I WAS ON THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR CAUGHT ONFIRE UNDER THE HOOD AND BURNT DOWN COMPLETE LOSS

NHTSA ODI 11488892

Dec 28, 2021Electrical systemEngineFuel systemFire

My 2013 Ford Fusion SE had the high pressure fuel pump start leaking and dripped fuel on the exhaust and started the car on fire while driving down the road. This caused about $7,000.00 in damage but could have easily gotten out of control and caused injury or death to occupant(s). I reached out to Ford Motor Company and did a chat log asking for assistance and to make them aware. Ford Motor Company Case number CAS-34734107-H6J0Z5. What is dangerous about this design is that Ford chose to design and install a secondary high pressure fuel pump directly above the exhaust manifold and the engineers surely would have known the durability and longevity along with possible outcomes due to normal use over time. For the same reason you are not to refuel a hot engine, a fuel pump should not be placed directly over the exhaust manifold. I believe Ford Motor Company should be held accountable for their finished product liability. This is dangerous enough that they should remove these vehicles from service until a safe solution is available and deployed in my opinion.

NHTSA ODI 11445359

Oct 12, 2020EngineFuel systemFire

WHILE DRIVING I SMELLED A FAINT WHIFF OF GASOLINE, MOMENTS LATER THE CAR BEGAN FILLING UP WITH SMOKE THAT SPILLED IN THROUGH THE HEATER VENTS. THERE WAS ALSO SMOKE THAT WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. MY HUSBAND & I JUMPED OUT OF THE CAR TO RUN TO SAFETY AND I SAW FIRE UNDER THE FRONT END OF THE CAR. ONCE THE FIRE FIGHTERS ARRIVED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE WE WERE TOLD IT LOOKS LIKE THE ENGINE HAD CAUGHT ON FIRE.

NHTSA ODI 11363933

Dec 23, 2016Electrical systemEngineFuel systemFire

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

Sep 1, 2014Electrical systemEngineFuel systemFire

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

Working with the data? Download all 1,948 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

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 Hev verdict →