What 175 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 Ford Fusion

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

Vehicle Make/Model/Year: Ford Fusion, 20XX (replace with your year) Component Affected: Suspension – lower control arm bushing or mount Summary of the problem: I am reporting a recurring and well-known issue with the lower control arm bushings on Ford Fusion models from 2013 and newer. In my case, the bushing wore prematurely, causing a clunking or cranking noise when turning, especially at low speeds. The bushing or bolt appears to shift even when torqued properly. This problem has been acknowledged by many other owners as well. Safety risk: This affects the vehicle’s handling and stability. It can cause loose steering, misalignment, premature tire wear, and could result in suspension failure while driving. This poses a real safety concern, especially during cornering or evasive maneuvers. Repair history: This issue is so common that owners often have to replace the bushings or the full control arm multiple times. Even after replacement, the problem can come back, suggesting a design flaw. Community evidence: There are many online complaints and forum threads about the same issue in Ford Fusions from 2013–2020. This appears to be a widespread defect that has not been formally acknowledged by the manufacturer. Request for action: I’m asking NHTSA to investigate this recurring suspension issue and determine if a safety recall is warranted. This is a design defect that affects vehicle safety and should be addressed by Ford.

NHTSA ODI 11675220

The ball joint broke off while driving and the car only has 44,000 miles.

NHTSA ODI 11673586

At approximately 99,900 miles, my 2020 Ford Fusion began experiencing serious transmission issues, including rough shifting, hesitation, jerking, and difficulty accelerating, especially at low speeds or while merging onto highways. These symptoms created an unsafe driving situation, particularly in traffic and intersections. I took the vehicle to multiple repair shops to have the issue diagnosed. This process caused my mileage to go slightly over the 100,000-mile recall coverage limit for transmission repair assistance, but I have full documentation showing that the transmission problem clearly began while the vehicle was still under the limit. I later discovered that Ford had issued a recall or Customer Satisfaction Program (CSP) related to known transmission issues on this model. The CSP is 22N12, however, I never received any notice from Ford by mail, phone, or email about this recall or warranty extension. I was unaware it existed until after my car began to fail. Despite being under the recall threshold when the issue began, and having proof, Ford has so far refused to fully cover the cost of the repair, only offering partial assistance due to the slight overage in mileage. This is a serious safety defect. My vehicle hesitates or fails to shift properly at critical times, putting myself and others at risk of collision. I was not informed of the recall, and now I'm being financially penalized for Ford’s delay and lack of notification. I cannot afford this out-of-pocket expense, and I believe it is unfair and unreasonable to place this burden on consumers, especially when safety is involved. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this matter and urge Ford to take full financial responsibility for the recall repair. This defect is not due to misuse or wear-and-tear, but is acknowledged by Ford as a manufacturer issue I have an open case with Ford Corporate in which they have failed to get back to me about the issue. Case number ([XXX]) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11667067

The manufacturer is using the wrong material for the parts on my car. Currently, the right-side lower control bushing is bulging out because a steel bushing was used instead of the aluminum one specified on the website. This issue is causing my car to pull to the right, making steering difficult. I've also experienced the same problem on the left side in the past. I request a recall to fix this and ensure the safety of all drivers on the road.

NHTSA ODI 11644204