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 2,613 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Fusion, and it carries 6 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 | 1,259 | 48% |
| Air bags | 379 | 15% |
| Power train | 87 | 3% |
| Unknown or other | 85 | 3% |
| Service brakes | 78 | 3% |
| Structure | 63 | 2% |
| Steering | 45 | 2% |
| Steering | 43 | 2% |
| Engine | 41 | 2% |
| Electrical system | 38 | 1% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
I got a 2012 ford fusion se 2.5 4l power steering gone out in it,I put in the vin number to see if mine was recalled it said 0 but my car has the part in the car that made the car recalled ,on the dash its says power ste
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
While I was driving my 2012 Ford Fusion on August 3rd the steering cut out. I parked the car and re-started it and it worked again. It went to the shop (Extra Mile Automotive) on XXX where they informed me of the 2015 r
NHTSA complaint: Steering
Vehicle experienced loss of power steering so it was hard to steer.When I called a ford dealership I was told my vehicle didn’t qualify for any power steering recalls so I would have to pay full price which is unaffordab
NHTSA complaint: Steering
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. The contact stated that the brake pedal
NHTSA complaint: Service brakes
I am submitting this formal complaint against Ford Motor Company and its authorized dealership network for falsely reporting a safety recall repair as "resolved" while applying an unauthorized, temporary workaround that
NHTSA complaint: Steering
I had purchased these tires P225/50R17 for my son‘s car in 2022. They have an 85,000 mile tread life warranty in April of this year. He had a blowout on the left rear tire where the tread separated from the tire and in l
NHTSA complaint: Tires
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The message "Power Steering Assist Fault" was displayed. The failure was a
NHTSA complaint: Steering
No check engine, light or anything lost my electronic steering capabilities I’m going down the road
NHTSA complaint: Steering
NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for the 2012 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 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Marian
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. Interim
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 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the pass
| Reliability raw | 43 | below average |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 61 | 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 2,613 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and steering is the most reported area with 1,259 of them (48%). There are 6 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 43/100 (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 61/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2012 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 66/100. 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.