What 175 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Ford Fusion

The front left lower control arm (driver's side) snapped off (broke) while turning a corner. There was no reason for the breakage other than turning. It was repaired through insurance. The driver's safety as well as the safety of pedestrians were put at risk because the breakage forced the car to turn sharply to the left. Because of this, the vehicle struck a utility pole. The pole had very little damage, but damage was done to the car. The policeman at the scene inspected the damage, as well as the insurance adjuster in the days following the accident. No warning lights or messages were displayed before the control arm broke. If this had happened at hi-way speeds, it is likely that the resulting loss of control would have resulted in a multi-vehicle accident, resulting in fatalities.

NHTSA ODI 11734895

While turning into a parking lot the lower control arm snapped (broke in half, approximately). The picture I sent is of a front lower control arm, however it is not a picture of the actual control arm that broke. After it broke, the car was forced into a sharp left turn, resulting in the car crashing into a telephone pole. The pole was not damaged but there was damage to the car.

NHTSA ODI 11732267

I am reporting a life-threatening incident involving my 2020 Ford Fusion PHEV. On December 5, 2025, while my wife was driving on a public street, the vehicle suffered a sudden, complete engine failure followed by smoke and fire originating from the high-voltage battery pack in the trunk. There were no prior warning signs or dashboard alerts before the incident. This vehicle was sold via IAAI auction in September 2023 without disclosing the active, critical safety recall (NHTSA 23V440 / Ford 23S33) issued in June 2023. This non-disclosure placed my family in extreme danger. When the fire started, my wife was in a state of panic. I arrived at the scene before emergency services. Being a technician, I performed a high-risk manual extraction of the burning battery pack to prevent the entire vehicle and the surrounding residential area from a potential explosion. I risked electrocution and toxic chemical exposure to save lives. The damaged battery pack is currently preserved and available for professional inspection upon request. As a result of the fire and exposure to extinguisher chemicals, I suffered respiratory distress and asthma-like symptoms for several days. I have contacted Ford Motor Company through official channels and documented all interactions. Ford representatives stated that they 'only assist customers in the United States' and local representatives in [XXX] have officially refused to provide the remedy, stating they are not authorized or equipped for this specific recall. I am now left with a charred, unusable vehicle. I demand a full investigation into the failure of the recall remedy process and manufacturer liability for these life-threatening damages. ( Form fields about my location are place holders. Contact me in [XXX] (Country) at [XXX] / [XXX] ]. I hope you do don't ignore our lives due to geography. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11725471

"The incident occurred immediately after shifting the vehicle into reverse and starting to move. The engine suddenly shut down with a 'System Performance' alert, and cooling fans engaged at maximum speed. Moments later, a thermal runaway event began in the high-voltage Li-ion battery pack, leading to a catastrophic fire. This is directly related to Recall 23V440 / 23S33 (BECM failure). The fire was extinguished by the local fire department in Telavi, Georgia (Country)."

NHTSA ODI 11717716

In 2024 on Black Friday while driving home from work my car all of a sudden was starting to lose speed. Even when I'm hitting the gas it would not accelerate and I could push it all the way down to the floor or nothing. And all of a sudden I start to see a whole bunch of monitors go off on my dashboard animal League to the government off and then all of a sudden I started see this underneath my core board pulled over and all sudden those planes coming from my engine and within minutes the whole car was destroyed. Fire department came to drop the fire and everything but the trunk was left essentially. The insurance company has taken to car since and I believed it was sold for parts. I have Thought I had submitted this before but never got somebody you can just in case I messed up. I just feel like a car shouldn't just randomly catch fire

NHTSA ODI 11712192

The contact owned a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the contact briefly lost control of the vehicle. As a result, he collided with the center guard rail on the drivers side of the vehicle. The air bags did not deploy, which he held responsible for his resulting injuries. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a storage facility and deemed a total lost by the contacts insurance provider. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The contact was transported to an area hospital by EMT and treated for neck pain, back pain, and leg paralysis in both legs. The contact stated that the leg paralysis lasted for 3 days, after which a walker was required for several months. In addition, the contact mentioned being unconsion on the scene when paramedics arrived. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 67,343.

NHTSA ODI 11694128

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while making a turn in either left or right direction, the Traction Control warning light had displayed, and the vehicle had reduced speed independently. During failure, the contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a mailbox. During the crash, no injuries were reported. No police report was filed and the vehicle was driven home. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 81,000.

NHTSA ODI 11666224

As I was crossing an intersection, a vehicle ran through a red light and hit the front of my vehicle. There was significant damage to the whole front end and my vehicle was shifted to the left due to the impact. My air bags did not deploy. I injured my head and neck by striking the sun visor which cause a laceration and a cervical strain. My vehicle has been maintained well and there was no indication of air bag malfunction prior to the crash. Insurance adjuster has not inspected the vehicle yet.

NHTSA ODI 11549741

I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND MY BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I COULD NOT STOP AND HIT A VEHICLE BRHIND ME.

NHTSA ODI 11487834

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate upon the depression of the accelerator pedal without warning. The contact also stated that while the vehicle was in park(P) on an inclined driveway, the vehicle rolled forward without warning and crashed into a home. No injuries and damages were reported; the contact was able to resume normal driving operation after the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and a complaint was filed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for a diagnostic; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 16,270.

NHTSA ODI 11470245

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that their husband was coming to a stop light at approximately 5 mph, he attempted to stop the vehicle by depressing the brake pedal but the vehicle failed to respond. In order to avoid a crash, the driver veered to the right where they went over a curb, into a bush, and eventually came to a stop by crashing into a guard wire. The driver then drove the vehicle in a parking lot nearby and when attempting to stop the vehicle again, the vehicle failed to stop again. The driver had to place the vehicle in neutral and shut it off. There were no injuries reported. A police report was not filed. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer but the diagnosis was unknown. The vehicle had not been repaired as of yet. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case and referred them to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11470252

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that after stopping to make a left turn; while in the middle of completing the turn, another vehicle approaching from the rear crashed into the driver’s side front and rear doors, dragging the vehicle for several feet before coming to a stop. The contact stated that the driver’s front and rear doors were completely destroyed however, none of the air bags deployed. The contact stated that she received some medical assistance at the scene but was then transported from the scene by an ambulance to the hospital. The contact sustained injuries to her ribs and bruises to her upper body. The contact was the only person injured in the crash. A police report was filed. The contact stated that the following day the vehicle was taken to the auto body shop by her uncle however, she was unsure if the vehicle was driven or towed. The contact stated that she was informed by her insurance provider that the doors needed to be replaced to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact was concerned that as severe as the crash was that the air bags did not deploy. The local dealer was contacted, and she was referred to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was contacted however, the contact stated that after being transferred several times and hung up on, she finally spoke with a representative however, she received no assistance from the representative. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 13,942.

NHTSA ODI 11449556

TL* THE CONTACT RENTED A 2020 FORD FUSION FROM HERTZ CAR RENTAL. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 25 MPH ON A INCLINE HILL, A STRANGE SOUND OCCURRED AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN. THE CONTACT DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATION PEDAL , HOWEVER THE VEHICLE STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS DOWN THE HILL CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CRASH INTO TWO OTHER VEHICLES. NO WARNING LIGHTS WAS ILLUMINATED. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED ON THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND THE BACK LIGHT WAS DENTED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED WHIPLASH AND LOWER BACK PAIN; NO INJURIES SUSTAINED BY OTHER VEHICLE DRIVERS. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE A PARKING LOT AND THEN TOWED TO HERTZ CAR RENTAL LOT(625 SOUTH COLUMBUS AVE , MOUNT VERNON NY, 10550 914-665-1780). THE CONTACT STATED THE RENTAL COMPANY WAS APPRISING THE VEHICLE AND HAD NOT RECEIVED ANY UPDATES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 23,600. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11399332