Print this page

CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2011 Fusion builds off the 2010's reputation. That's not a good thing.

The first thing that jumps out is the ridiculous amount of power steering complaints. It grinds, it squeals, and it eventually just fails.

And if losing power steering isn’t enough for you, how about a sudden loss of engine power? That combination is enough to achieve clunker status.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
49,222 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2011 Ford Fusion drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2011 Ford Fusion:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2011 Ford Fusion Owner Comments (Page 12 of 13)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #37

Jul 062012

Fusion 6-cyl

  • 30,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I read where the NHTSA was looking into issues with Ford engines from 2009-2011 in Fusion & escapes. Thought I would relay my incident. Traveling about 55-60 mph, the vehicle suddenly and without warning slowed to a crawl on a busy highway. We were able to nurse the car to the side of the road. Noticed a amber "wrench" warning light. Turned off the vehicle and re-started it. We were able to get the vehicle home under normal operating conditions. Since it was a very hot day, just assumed it was heat related. Happened 2 more times that week-end (at lower speeds in parking lots). Took it to the dealer, but they could not duplicate the problem and could not get an error code. Seems like the light has to actually be on. The dealer replaced the throttle body (under warranty). Have not experienced another incident since, however the gears seem to shift much harder now, though not constant. It's a great vehicle, but I always have that power loss in my mind, praying it wont occur again.

- Severna Park, MD, USA

problem #36

Dec 272012

Fusion

  • 37,004 miles
My car lost power and we had to pull over to the side of the road. Eventually I got it started again, limped to a Ford dealership, and was charged $591 for a throttle body replacement.

- Nacogdoches, TX, USA

problem #35

Jun 012012

Fusion 4-cyl

  • 29,000 miles
2011 Ford Fusion -while driving on the interstate at 70 mph, vehicle suddenly lost acceleration, tachometer started going up and down, traction light came on, fuel gage going up and down, a lock light was illuminated, bells were going off and car began to de-accelerate. When I pulled the car to the shoulder turned the car off and back on the problem continued. I immediately drove to the Ford dealer which was close by at the time and had the manager view what was happening. He pulled the car into the shop, shut off the engine and it never restarted. This could have caused a serious accident if I was not able to react as quickly as I did. The car has only 37000 miles. This problem has been intermittently occurring in this vehicle for a year now. When it first started to occur I could turn off the engine and turn it back on and the problem would clear, but not now! the car is not safe! when is Ford going to recall this car!!!

- South Rockwood, MI, USA

problem #34

Sep 192012

Fusion 6-cyl

  • 26,603 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Car was hesitating and shifting roughly. Ford dealership performed tsb 11-9-9 to reset power control module. On 10/19/12 car died with no warning while driving my son to school. Part #ds7Z 9E926 a throttle body was replaced. On 11/12/12 took car in because it was still shifting rough and hesitating. Ford couldn't verify my concern and had no codes so they did nothing. On 02/07/13 my car died again while driving down the road. Ford replaced part #ds7Z 9E926 a throttle body again. The car is still shifting rough and not right. Ford needs to address the concern immediately before someone gets killed. It is terrifying to be driving and to lose all power and acceleration.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #33

Feb 082013

Fusion 6-cyl

  • 19,650 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the throttle control and transmission warning light illuminated as the vehicle began to lose power. The failure recurred on three occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing however, the results were unknown. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 19,650...updated 02/25/13 the consumer stated the wrench light illuminated on the dash, and the vehicle would quickly lose power and speed, go into idle/limp mode and the engine would continue to run at a very low RPM. Pressing on the accelerator did nothing to help. The transmission did not activate, or shift. The vehicle would jump slightly, but very little. The only alternative was to turn the vehicle off and back on again, and then all of the functions were restored, but it also reset and deleted the code, so the problem could not be determined. The dealer kept the vehicle for three days of testing. On the fourth try, the dealer was able to duplicate the failure, in which a code of D42 appeared. Updated 02/27/13

- Owensboro, KY, USA

problem #32

Sep 132012

Fusion 6-cyl

  • 37,000 miles
While entering interstate 275 South on ramp in tampa, fl my car abruptly stopped responding to the gas pedal and the little wrench light came on. All I could do is coast to a stop on the side of the road. Once my speed slowed to around 5 to 10 miles per hour, the car began to jerk and shake. I put it in park, turned it off and restarted the engine, and it worked like normal for about another month or so until it happened again while I was turning right on red on a major 5 line street. Since then it has happened at least 20 times and has become increasingly more frequent. After a little research on the web, it seems hundreds of people are describing the exact same problem. I mean exactly in every way except for the speeds and locations. The oldest model that I recall seeing this problem described about online is a 2010 with only 15000 miles on it. This is a potentially very dangerous issue, that in my opinion, needs to be fixed. When I was making that right turn, the car just stopped in the middle of the road and I had to quickly restart the engine and floor it to avoid causing an accident.

- Tampa, FL, USA

problem #31

Jan 282013

Fusion 6-cyl

  • 40,168 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While in transit on a busy major state road, fully accelerated to the 60 mph speed limit, my car made a rather abrupt "hiccup" and immediately decelerated to 45 mph. I attempted to accelerate without success. The car continued to lose power, at which time I immediately pulled to the side median. The wrench icon on the dashboard illuminated. I contacted roadside service as the car has the remainder of the manufacturer's warranty in place. The dealership diagnosed the problem as a faulty throttle body with a fault code dtc P2111, and informed me this issue is not covered under any warranty. This is a known issue with the Ford Fusion line and could potentially result in serious injury or death. A recall should be issued, and Ford should be held responsible for the repair/replacement of the faulty part with a part that has no defect.

- Winter Haven , FL, USA

problem #30

Jan 152013

Fusion

  • 47,997 miles
I was driving on the highway with my cruise control on, when suddenly the wrench light came on the dash and the car began to slow down, no power. I had to move from the fast lane over to the slow lane to get off the side of the road. There was a very rough idle. There were many cars around and so it was a dangerous situation. I called the Ford store and they said to shut the engine off and restart the car. I did, and it started, drove it to the Ford store, and dropped it off. The car did not store any codes, so the educated guess is that it is the throttle body. They say it isn't covered under the original warranty, but is under my extended warranty. It sounds like this is a big problem and should just be recalled by Ford.

- Mount Vernon, IN, USA

problem #29

Jan 132013

Fusion 6-cyl

  • 39,500 miles
Vehicle began to shake, would not accelerate, wrench light came on.

- Wayne, NJ, USA

problem #28

Apr 032012

Fusion 6-cyl

  • 9,000 miles
I bought my car on December, 2011. 1st problem was the dashboard turning off for no reason. The 2nd problem is life threatening. I am driving down the road and out of no where the dash board lights up, the readers go crazy, and my car will decelerate to 25mph and will not go over that speed. Every time I have had to pull over and when I do the car shakes. I turned my car off and when I turn it back on its like it never happened. No lights stay on and the car drives like a champ. It does it at random times, and random speeds. I took the car to a Ford dealership in May 2012 and they could not find a problem with it. This happened 3 times and in August I took the car in twice, the first time nothing was found, the second time they change the throttle body on it. Problem fixed right?? not even close. In November it did it again. I called the dealer but they could not see my car for a few days and didn't have any loaner vehicles. The car then began to randomly jerk at a stop lights or when I changed gears. This week the flare up happened again but this time the car jerked when I put it in drive and the engine light and wrench light both turned on. I continued to drive and right when I started going up a hill the dashboard lit up, the readers went crazy and my car started rolling backwards. I was able to break but when I pushed on the gas the car barely crept up the hill. The wrench light then turned off but the engine light stayed on. The next morning I took it to the dealer. When I took it in the engine light was on but when they checked it the engine light was off and there were no codes on the computer. I am scared of the car I am driving. I know the car has a problem and so does the dealer but they just can't figure out what the problem is. I called Ford but all they said was that they were working with the dealer. I am paying for a car I can't drive.

- Killeen, TX, USA

problem #27

Dec 132012

Fusion 6-cyl

  • 28,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving my 2011 Fusion on the road at 55 mph, the engine suddenly quit and the wrench light came on. The slowdown was fast, and I could have been hit from behind very easily, but I lucked out because the person behind me took notice of my drastic drop in speed. I coasted off to the side of the road, turned off the car, waited a few moments and then restarted the engine. Fortunately I got home ok, so I thought is was maybe a fluke occurrence. When I left for work the next morning, the same thing happened as I was driving; same road, same speed, same wrench light, etc. When I got the car restarted, I took it to the local Ford dealer. They thought they had fixed the problem with a relay switch(?), but once again, the engine quit while I was driving back to work that same morning. This time more than the wrench light lit up. I went through the restart routine again, but this time it was not a very smooth start - I did not think it was going to start, but it did, and I took it back to the dealership again where they are currently trying to figure out what the problem is. This is a considerable safety hazard to anyone traveling with me and/or driving my car, and an unsafe environment for those driving near me. My car has been at the dealership most of the day now, and no word on the problem or rectification thereof. I am extremely concerned and very worried this issue will "mushroom".

- Grand Haven, MI, USA

problem #26

Dec 052012

Fusion 6-cyl

  • 37,400 miles
While driving at highway speeds, the engine will go into a very violent idle and the throttle will become un-responsive and an orange wrench light will come on the dash. This has happened twice now in a week and is very dangerous when it happens. You have to try and navigate through traffic to get off the highway while coasting only since you can't give it any gas. Ford has to know about this issue since its everywhere online and everywhere on this website. It is a very serious issue and needs to be fixed. Ford won't fix it under the power train warranty even though its a critical part of making the vehicle go.

- Muskogee, OK, USA

problem #25

Dec 032012

Fusion 6-cyl

  • 48,000 miles
Driving a 2011 Ford Fusion sel AWD 3.0L 6-cyl traveling approx. 65mph on interstate 88, vehicle shuddered, wrench light lit and no throttle control. No power. I nearly was rear ended due to significant speed reduction. Re-cycle of the engine causes the light to go out and you can continue on your drive. An identical event (set of symptoms) happened in traffic two weeks earlier at approx 20mph after leaving a stop light. I experienced a loss of all power in traffic causing my car to nearly be struck. When recycling the engine, the code that causes the wrench light to come on is re-set and Ford is unable to detect the error and refuses to correct the problem. There is significant evidence on the internet that these symptoms are pointing to a failure in the throttle body (electronic throttle control). I feel that this is a safety issue that needs to be addressed immediately by Ford who needs to diagnose by symptom as well as by code. Their software does not preserve a safety critical code across vehicle re-starts which is a major issue in my opinion. Ford warranty does not want to recognize the issue or replace the "throttle body" without a code being captured but their software is not designed to preserve the code (catch 22).

- Harpursville, NY, USA

problem #24

Jul 102012

Fusion 6-cyl

  • 19,000 miles
Traveling at freeway speed, engine suddenly lost all power and reverted to idle RPM. Engine was idling roughly, and pressing on accelerator would not increase rpms. The "wrench" (check engine) light was illuminated. Was able to coast downhill to exit freeway; very unsafe condition. Switched off engine, restarted engine... and it ran normal; "wrench" light extinguished. Took car to walnut creek Ford following morning; they said no fault code was recorded on the cars computer and they could not replicate problem. Service rep told me Ford had no records of any previous problems of this nature, so I should just keep driving the car. I told him that was unsafe, and he replied there was nothing else he could do. He said he "could not just throw parts at an unknown problem"'. same problem occurred on Nov 01, 2012. I did an on-line search on various Ford Fusion forums and found multiple reports of this same situation with V6 engine attributed to throttle body housing. Immediately took car to walnut creek Ford and told service manager I would not accept the car until it was repaired. Showed him copies of multiple on-line reports of same problem and told him his rep had lied during my previous visit about Ford not knowing of any previous reported problems. Service manager replied that "on-line reports are not always real", but said he would have his best mechanic check my car. Mechanic found defective throttle body housing and replaced. Have not had recurrence of the engine failure.

- Walnut Creek, CA, USA

problem #23

Oct 312012

Fusion 6-cyl

  • 26,200 miles
Was driving 50 mph when acceleration was lost and car stalled. Pulled over and turned car off. Turned car back on and preceded for 10 minutes when the same incident happened again, this time in a major intersection. Was able to pull off the road safely. Turned car off and on again and drove for a while longer. Incident happened again. Took car to Ford dealership. Was told that it was a bad throttle body and it was replaced.

- Middletown, DE, USA

problem #22

Sep 252012

Fusion 4-cyl

  • 29,000 miles
First incident when at a complete stop car physically jerking and jumping unless in park with engine light on..had Ford roadside to tow to fairway Ford kingsport where car was purchased where I was told it appeared to be the muffler and throttle body. When P/U car they had replaced cam solenoid switch and muffler. Car still had a loud vibration noise when on incline.

- Church Hill, TN, USA

problem #21

Sep 212012

Fusion 4-cyl

  • 20,000 miles
Made 10 mi trip to school. 1/2 - 1 hr later, made 1/2 mi trip to store. On return to school on highway lost throttle response until car was turned off and restarted. (wrench light on dash displayed.) 2 hrs later, lost throttle response when turning onto highway from school. Car responded as normal after restart. Ford dealership replaced etb, A71, gasket, and throttle body. Car has returned to normal function.

- St Charles, IL, USA

problem #20

Jun 112012

Fusion 4-cyl

  • 3,390 miles
My sister was driving my 2011 Ford Fusion to go out of town, when getting back into town, she pulled into macdonalds, put shift in park. While sitting in car, we were taking food orders from passengers, one in front passenger side of car and one in back passenger side. We, my sister who was driving and I who own the car, got out of autombile, we went into macdonalds stood in line, when we got up to the counter to order, someone yelled " that car is rolling backwards" and the car rolled backwards into the side of a white truck, damanging the passenger side door on the truck, no damage on Ford Fusion. The car was running as to leave the air conditioner on because it was so hot out. I was in the resturant and not even near the Ford Fusion at the time of roll back. I have been driving for over 53 years and know when a car is in gear, this Ford Fusion jumped out of gear somehow, it was in gear. Even where it was parked was on a small incline. When taking the Ford Fusion to Ford dealers, I was told that it could'nt have jumped out of gear, it had to have not been in park. Now remember this car was running with the air on, didn't roll back when we were taking orders for food, and then we stood in line in the resturant befor the car rolled backwards. This was reported as an accident on my sister's insurance, how can this be, how do they know I wasn't going to drive my car the rest of the way home, we were only 1 mile from home. And besides the car didn't even roll back for aproxmontey 6 minutes. This has to be reported as so it doesn't happen to anyone else.

- Wixom, MI, USA

problem #19

Jun 262012

Fusion

  • 3,000 miles
Pulled up to mcdonald's, put in park, took orders from other people in auto. Got out of auto took another order from passengers, left running, went into mcdonald's stood in line, when up to counter to order food, some yelled " that car is rolling backwards, it was my sisters 2011 Fusion, it was put in gear before we went into restaurant it jumped out of gear and rolled back into the side of a white truck. Took the car to Ford and the person said it is was not possible for that to happen, but it did.

- Wixom, MI, USA

problem #18

Sep 212012

Fusion

  • 25,512 miles
Background: I am a member of the us military stationed overseas, so it's a little harder to do maintenance on vehicles.... I purchased a Ford Fusion last year understanding it was a vehicle I wouldn't have to do much maintenance on for the next few years besides the basic oil, coolant, brake fluid, and filter checks. For the last year it had no problems until yesterday. I was driving home and came to a busy intersection where I had to turn left from a stop. 1 1/2 seconds into the turn (about 6 mph) my throttle cut off, the wrench light came on and I was coasting about 4 mph through the intersection with oncoming traffic... not an experience you want to have in a foreign country. I got through the intersection, pulled over and noticed my engine was wavering in RPM's from around 1000-2500. I turned off my car, waited about 2 minutes and turned it back on to notice it didn't turn over like the other hundreds of other times it did in the past year. It took about 6-7 seconds of the engine cranking to get it to run. I took it home and it sat overnight in my carport. Today it happened again at a 4 way stop. I would love to know if Ford is going to do something about this issue. I have read multiple posts and a ton of other people are having the same problem. Now it seems I need to replace my throttle body which is not going to be cheap. There comes a time where the dealer needs to step in, especially if it is putting people at risk.....

- Apo, AE, USA

Read the next 17 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?