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2012 Ford Fusion problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

NO ELEVATED SIGNAL
14%
301 of 2,163 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

No elevated drivetrain complaint concentration in the available NHTSA records for the 2012 Ford Fusion. Engine, transmission and fuel system account for 14% of relevant complaints.

Better than 95% of the 1,790 model years we track (2010–2023).

Excludes 453 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 12%).

NHTSA data checked October 17, 2026
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The VIN is on the listing, the driver’s door jamb, and the bottom of the windshield on the driver’s side.

Does the 2012 Ford Fusion have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 301 of 2,163 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Fusion concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (14%). For comparison, the 2011 scores 23% and the 2013 scores 46%. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
301
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
2,616
this model year
Fires reported
9
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
6
111 crashes · 66 injuries

Complaints by component

STEERING1,511 · 58%
AIR BAGS436 · 17%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM177 · 7%
POWER TRAIN162 · 6%
SERVICE BRAKES131 · 5%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER127 · 5%

The years either side

2010
38%
1,709 of 5,129
2011
23%
573 of 2,786
2012
14%
301 of 2,616
2013
46%
817 of 1,956
2014
39%
504 of 1,429
2015
48%
473 of 1,061
2016
54%
878 of 1,709
2017
71%
812 of 1,196
2018
77%
377 of 507
2019
60%
275 of 470
2020
51%
115 of 234
2021
no data
2022
no data
2023
no data

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

In the full report

The rest of the picture on the 2012 Ford Fusion

What one owner reported

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PRO10/22/2014CRASH5 INJURED
ACCORDING TO THE DRIVER, THE VEHICLE WAS PUT INTO REVERSE BACKING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, THEN WHEN THE CAR WAS PUT INTO DRIVE THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP GAINING HIGH SPEEDS UP TO 50MPH. THE ENGINE RPMS WERE HIGH AND THE CAR WAS "OUT OF CONTROL" AS THE DRIVER HAD THEIR FOOT PRESSED ON THE BRAKE. THE FUSION STRUCK A FEW …

One of 301 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows them, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2012 Ford Fusion?

No engine or transmission recalls. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns on the 2012 Ford Fusion, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system. A recall is the manufacturer admitting a defect and paying to fix it; whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN, which the full report checks. The owner complaints above are a separate record and often point at problems that never became a recall.

6 other recalls on this model year (airbags, lighting, brakes and the rest)
air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module21V158000 · Mar 2021
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…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module21E013000 · Feb 2021
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 bags: frontal21V081000 · Feb 2021
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…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module19V001000 · Jan 2019
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…
air bags: frontal: passenger side: inflator module17V024000 · Jan 2017
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,…
steering: electric power assist system15V340000 · Jun 2015
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…

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns filed against this year, make and model. Checked October 17, 2026.

Checking one particular 2012 Ford Fusion? This page is about the model year. Accidents, title brands and odometer records belong to the individual car, and that is what a vehicle history report covers.

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Questions people ask about the 2012 Ford Fusion

Does the 2012 Ford Fusion have engine or transmission problems?

Not as a pattern, going by owner complaints. 301 of 2,163 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Fusion concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (14%). It describes the model year, not any one car, so an inspection still matters.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2012 Ford Fusion?

No. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns on the 2012 Ford Fusion, none of them for the engine, transmission or fuel system.

Which Ford Fusion years are better?

The 2012 has the lowest engine and transmission complaint share of the Ford Fusion years we track (14%). The other years run higher.

Should I buy a 2012 Ford Fusion?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2012 Ford Fusion shows no elevated engine or transmission pattern in owner complaints, which is a good starting point. It is still one car with its own history, so get an independent pre-purchase inspection and a vehicle history report before you commit.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.