Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: the reliability record is poor enough to outweigh everything else here.
Owners have filed 2,784 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Ford Fusion, and it carries 9 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 1,192 | 43% |
| Air bags | 276 | 10% |
| Service brakes | 132 | 5% |
| Power train | 103 | 4% |
| Vehicle speed control | 70 | 3% |
| Engine | 66 | 2% |
| Unknown or other | 63 | 2% |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 53 | 2% |
| Steering | 50 | 2% |
| Power train | 48 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle independently accelerated while the brake pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. The failure
NHTSA complaint: Vehicle speed control
The vehicle experienced a sudden, complete failure of the electronic power steering assist while operating, resulting in a dangerous increase in steering effort and an immediate safety hazard. A professional OBD-II diagn
NHTSA complaint: Steering
Yesterday evening, my power steering went out (EPAS), it did that when the car had been parked for the night and not in motion thankfully so nobodies safety was at risk, but I don’t know if and when it’ll happen again.
NHTSA complaint: Steering
On July 4, the electrical system under the dash caught fire and burned the ignition and dash, all the electrical under the dash
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
Having loss of power steering assist the advanced trac peering steering says service now I feel it should fall under a recall cause I took it to a mechanic shop and they told me they ford fusion have issues with the powe
NHTSA complaint: Steering
The power steering keeps going out after it was brought in for recall years ago and the recall is up the the issue keeps goin on with the car I don't understand what to do because the shop i brought it to said the power
NHTSA complaint: Steering
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the power steering became inoperable. While reversing, the steering wheel became inoperable but corrected itself. No warning lights w
NHTSA complaint: Steering
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to steer in the intended direction. In addition, the power steering failure warning light illuminat
NHTSA complaint: Steering
NHTSA lists 9 recall campaigns for the 2011 Ford Fusion. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Vi
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. The reca
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Ford Ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles, and 2005-2011 Ford Mustang vehicles originally sold, or ever register
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Ford mai
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford Fusion vehicles without a 3.5L engine and Lincoln MKZ hybrid electric vehicles, 2011 Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with a 3.5L GTDI engine and 2013 Ford
Risk: If the vehicle experiences a loss of power steering assist, extra steering effort will be required at lower speeds, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will check the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) for Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTC). If dealers find any loss of steering assist DTCs, the steering gear will
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured July 21, 2008, to March 4, 2011, and 2010-2011 Mercury Milan vehicles manufactured July 23, 2008, to December 10, 2010. The affected vehicles have fuel vapor canisters whose purge valves may not op
Risk: The pressure changes may cause the tank to crack and leak fuel. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle powertrain control modules and inspect the vehicle for any diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) for this issue and perform a leak test on the Ca
| Reliability raw | 39 | below average |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 60 | average |
| Maintenance | 78 | good |
| Depreciation | 100 | excellent |
| Performance | 67 | good |
| Efficiency | 36 | below average |
| Safety | 87 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 2,784 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and steering is the most reported area with 1,192 of them (43%). There are 9 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 39/100 (below average) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 60/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2011 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: skip, because the reliability record is poor enough to outweigh everything else here. Its overall ownership score is 65/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.