NHTSA data checked October 31, 2026 · counts are computed from NHTSA's public APIs, not estimated
Summary
NHTSA's public complaint database lists 2,617 owner complaints for the 2012 Ford Fusion, and its recall database lists 6 safety recall campaigns for it.
Leaving out "unknown or other", the component group owners named most often is steering (1,512 complaints, 58%), followed by air bags (436) and electrical system (177). A complaint can name more than one group, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
111 complaints say a crash happened and 9 mention a fire; together the complaints report 66 injuries and 3 deaths.
Among Ford Fusion model years 2010–2020 in NHTSA's data, 2012 has the 3rd-most complaints (2,617, against a median of 1,274 for the other years).
The newest recall is 21V158000, received March 10, 2021, for air bags.
2 of these recalls carry a "park it" or "park outside" warning from NHTSA; see the recall table.
2,617owner complaints
6recall campaigns
111complaints reporting a crash
9complaints reporting a fire
66injuries reported
3deaths reported
Park-it warning. NHTSA marks 2 recalls for this model year (19V001000, 17V024000) with "park it" or "park outside" advice until the repair is done. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Complaints by component
Owners pick one or more component groups when they file. Share is the percent of the 2,617 complaints that name the group.
Component group (NHTSA label)
Complaints
Share
Steeringsteering column, rack and power steering: loss of assist, wander
1,512
58%
Air Bagsair bag deployment, sensors and warning lights (including the Takata inflator recalls)
436
17%
Electrical Systembattery, wiring, alternator, lights on the dash, infotainment faults
177
7%
Power Traintransmission, axles and driveshafts: slipping, hesitation, harsh shifts
162
6%
Unknown or Otherowner did not pick a component group
Engine and Engine Coolingengine and cooling parts: overheating, coolant leaks, water pumps
5
<1%
Visibilitywindshield, mirrors, defrosters
5
<1%
Equipmentadd-on equipment
3
<1%
Equipment Adaptive/Mobility
3
<1%
Forward Collision Avoidanceautomatic emergency braking and collision warnings, including false braking
3
<1%
Service Brakes, Air
2
<1%
Child Seata child car seat used in the vehicle
1
<1%
Lane Departurelane-keeping assist and lane departure warning
1
<1%
Parking Brakeparking brake
1
<1%
Recalls (6)
Newest first. Summary, risk and remedy are NHTSA's own recall text (a U.S. government record), shown as published. A recall applies only to the vehicles its notice names; your VIN lookup is the final word.
NHTSA campaign 21V158000
Received March 10, 2021 · Air Bags (frontal: driver side: inflator module)
What's wrong: 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 high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: 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 passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S12.
NHTSA campaign 21E013000
Received February 16, 2021 · Air Bags (frontal: passenger side: inflator module)
What's wrong: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain air bag inflator and/or module replacement service parts that may have been used as part of a collision repair. The parts include certain driver-side air bag inflators and/or modules, designed to fit 2005-2014 Ford Mustang and Mustang GT500. It also includes certain passenger-side air bag inflators and/or modules designed to fit 2005-2014 Ford Mustang, 2010-2012 Lincoln MKZ, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion, 2010-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2011 Ford Ranger, and 2007-2010 Lincoln MKX vehicles. Please see Ford's recall report for the specific part numbers. These parts may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Ford will notify dealers that purchased the affected parts, and dealers will provide replacement parts to purchasers, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.
NHTSA campaign 21V081000
Received February 16, 2021 · Air Bags (frontal)
What's wrong: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as a replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.
NHTSA campaign 19V001000Park it
Received January 7, 2019 · Air Bags (frontal: passenger side: inflator module)
What's wrong: 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. Virgin Islands or "Zone A."
Additionally, Ford is recalling certain 2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2011-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles and 2011-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia or "Zone B."
Ford is also recalling certain 2010 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2010-2011 Ford Ranger and Mercury Milan vehicles, 2010-2012 Ford Fusion and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, and 2010-2014 Ford Mustang vehicles sold, or ever registered, in the states of AK, CO, CT, ID, IA, ME, MA, MI, MN, MT, NH, NY, ND, OR, RI, SD, UT, VT, WA, WI, and WY or "Zone C."
These vehicles are equipped with air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules, used as original equipment or replacement equipment (such as after a vehicle crash necessitating replacement of the original air bags), that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: 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 recall began February 13, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall 19S01.
NHTSA campaign 17V024000Park it
Received January 10, 2017 · Air Bags (frontal: passenger side: inflator module)
What's wrong: 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 Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A."
Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain 2009 Ford Ranger, Edge, Fusion and Mustang, Lincoln MKX, MKZ and Zephyr and Mercury Milan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, or "Zone B."
Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Ford is recalling certain 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ, 2005-2008 Ford Mustang and 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.
Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.
Remedy: 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 letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began mailing March 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.
NHTSA campaign 15V340000
Received June 2, 2015 · Steering (electric power assist system)
What's wrong: 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 Taurus, Ford Flex, Lincoln MKS, and Lincoln MKT vehicles equipped with any available engine. The affected vehicles have electric power steering assist systems that may shut down as a result of a steering motor sensor fault.
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.
Remedy: 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 be replaced, free of charge. If, no codes are found during the PSCM inspection, the PSCM software will be updated, free of charge. The recall began on July 21, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S18.
When the complaints were filed
By the year the complaint reached NHTSA. A late rise often means a part wearing out with age or a problem drawing attention after a recall.
How many complaints has NHTSA received about the 2012 Ford Fusion?
2,617 owner complaints as of October 31, 2026, per NHTSA's complaints API.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2012 Ford Fusion?
Steering is named in 1,512 of 2,617 complaints (58%); NHTSA's group covers steering column, rack and power steering: loss of assist, wander.
How many recalls does the 2012 Ford Fusion have?
6 recall campaigns in NHTSA's recall database, most recently 21V158000 (March 10, 2021). Check a specific car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Is 2012 a bad year for the Ford Fusion?
By complaint count, 2012 ranks 3rd of 11 Fusion model years 2010–2020 in NHTSA's data. Raw counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how old they are.
How to read these numbers
Complaints are reports owners file with NHTSA. NHTSA does not confirm each one, and one problem can be reported more than once.
Counts are not adjusted for sales: a model that sold twice as many cars can collect twice the complaints without being worse per car.
Older model years have had more time to collect complaints.
A recall listed here may not cover every car of this model year. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.