Print this page

8.2

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
No data
Average Mileage:
8,350 miles
Total Complaints:
36 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (29 reports)
  2. replace battery (3 reports)
  3. warranty replacement & software update-audio control module (3 reports)
  4. replace radio (1 reports)
2017 Ford Fusion electrical problems

electrical problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2017 Ford Fusion:

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

2017 Ford Fusion Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #36

Jul 182018

Fusion Sport 2.6L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 1,100 miles

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

Bought this 2017 car of the year brand new, so that I would avoid owning a giant piece of sh*t...well unfortunately that is exactly what I got.

After having the car at home with right around 1,100 miles on it, when I went to start it up to go to work...dead as a doornail. I figured I must have left something on, and dismissed it as new operator's error, jumped it and went on my merry way. Well when less than five days later I had the same issue I figured there was something else going on.

I made the mistake of finding this car online, and purchased the car from Fox Grand Traverse in Traverse City, Michigan despite living in Colorado.

Fox's explanation was a "faulty" battery, and any Ford dealership would remedy the issue under the warranty...ever go to a dealership with a new car that you did NOT purchase from them?/

Well rather than buy the faulty battery explanation, I did some research of my own, and found that several 2017 Fusions have a battery drain issue. The fix I found was an ACM firmware update which I had done, and seemed to work...for a while.

This issue has reared its head again and again just enough to know the car is not reliable to start, which make a car have little to NO value to me.

- Brian S., Granby, CO, US

problem #35

Aug 192019

Fusion Sport V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 48,000 miles

I purchased my 2017 Ford Fusion 3-3-18 with less than 20,000 miles on it. I had to replace the battery on 8-19-19. There's no reason for the dead battery.

Update from Nov 25, 2019: A dead battery AGAIN! There is no reason my 2017 Fusion should have a dead battery again especially since it is only 3 months old.

I am so angry to miss more time from work. I'm also pretty mad that Ford knows about the dead battery issue. What can I do now before I get stranded again with my "NEW" car?

- Oceanseast7 .., Spring Hill, FL, US

problem #34

Jun 102020

Fusion Sport 2.7L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 33,800 miles

The day I went up to the Ford dealership in North Dallas, TX to test drive the car it had a dead battery. I figured since it was used with around 33,000 miles and sitting outside it wasn't a big deal. The dealership jump started it and I got to drive it. It looked great and drove great so I bought it. The next day I got up and went into the garage to drive my new car and it wouldn't start. You could hear a clicking sound like relays clicking on and off. I used my volt meter and the battery had only 8 volts without load. I jump started it and drove it back to the dealer. They replaced the battery and 2 months later it has done the same exact thing again. They claimed they couldn't find anything wrong with the alternator or charging system and didn't find any leaks in the system that could drain the battery. We will see what they find this time.

- Jeff T., Grand Prairie, US

problem #33

Oct 062020

Fusion SE 4 cyl Ecoboost

  • Automatic transmission
  • 42,000 miles

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

My 2017 Ford Fusion worked fine for just about 3 years, then I went out in the morning and the battery was fully drained. I see this is the #1 complaint about this car on this site, yet Ford doesn't seem to acknowledge the problem. I'm out of full warranty. I took the car in after the first instance around 10/6/2020 and told the service manager about what I found on this site. They didn't seem to know anything about the issue.

I told them that I noticed that the shifter rotary knob never shut off. They replaced that part under warranty (yay!), but told me my battery had been compromised due to the stress. I paid over $300 out of pocket for the new battery. I drove the car home and everything was fine for another 4-5 weeks. At that point it was dead again. Completely, 100% dead with no response to anything. Trickle charged it again and took it to the dealer. Dealership, did something for free (again yay) and told me to come pick it up. I go to pick it up and I can't leave the dealership because it's dead.

So dealership looks at it again and says they have to replace the Audio Control Module which isn't covered under warranty. Replacement cost was going to be over $900. I was asked to authorize the work and at that point I said, I only will authorize it if it's guaranteed to fix the issue. I was told electronic components can't be returned. What was I to do? I can authorize or just let the car be dead? I authorized and contacted Ford customer service. Ford CS told me they would deduct $250 off the price which should bring it down to $700.

What they failed to tell me is that they inflated the price of the part during their "new math" and in reality this was a savings of $50. Thanks guys. I go to pick up the car and guess what, it's still dead. So I'm currently well over a grand into repair costs and I still have a dead vehicle. I'm told they are working on replacing something else to fix the issue and I will hear more next week. We will see. I'll update this post with whatever it is I hear back.

I just need a car I can count on! I've had a 2002 Ford Escape and still have a 2007 Ford Explorer that my kids drive. I've loved every Ford and have always bought American. I'm currently pretty disappointed.

- Derek B., Port Byron, US

problem #32

Mar 252019

Fusion

  • Automatic transmission
  • 18,500 miles

I bought this car brand new. It has had continual battery problems. They finally replaced the battery in February 2019. They told me it had bad cells (probably from jumping so much). Warranty covered battery. Less than a month later the problem happen again. They were just trying to replace the battery again. I complained until they kept it for a couple days and told me it wasn't the battery. They replaced a cable. It hasn't been even two weeks and car is dead again.

Uber is loving this. I'm so furious that I make a car payment and it doesn't run. They actually had the nerve to tell me that I must start my car daily or this will happen. The service guy assumed I don't drive it everyday because of the low miles. I explained to him that I work less than a mile from my house. I also asked if he could show me in my owners manual where it says I must drive my car everyday. This is becoming annoying.

I switched to this car because the last car I bought from ford had a transmission problem (their problem - and I ate a $8000 loss). That car was a brand new focus. I can't get rid of the car because of the loss I rolled in from the last ford issue. I can't wait to get away from ford. Their service sucks. No one answers the phone. The people are ignorant.

DON'T EVER BUY FROM MURPHY FORD. YOU WILL REGRET IT.

- Dorothy S., Boothwyn, US

problem #31

Mar 202019

Fusion SE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 35,100 miles

On Wednesday I pulled in to have the pollen washed off my car and vacuum before a road trip. It was one of those self vacuum places. Anyway, pull car out of wash tunnel, pull into a vacuum stall and turn it off. My son wiped down the console and may have hit the push button a few times. All I know is the car would not start. It clicked, told me to put my foot on the brake, but would not start.

Called Ford. It was 4:50. They closed in 10 minutes. Told me to bring it in tomorrow. Well, I was leaving for a trip on Thursday. Got it jumped - it started up as soon as one of the connectors connected to the battery. NO ONE STEPPED ON GAS TO GIVE IT SOME JUICE! IT JUST TURNED ON! I left there and went straight to Autozone.

They tested the battery and the starter and something else. All tested fine. Decided to drive my car and not a rental. Got all the way from Spring Hill, FL to Charleston, SC with a few stops - no problems. I drove my car once on Friday. On Saturday, after finishing an event, I went to leave and the car would not start. It was too late to have it towed to a local Ford dealership. So I hung out with my friends and called Ford Roadside Assistance on Sunday before I left town. Sure enough- car started as soon as he barely touched the battery. Drove it home. Made about 5 stops total.

This morning, would not start. I had it towed into Flammer Ford. I refused a jump because on Saturday night at the dance (I was in town to volunteer with a high school organization), I was talking to a police officer and we talked about the issues with the Ford Fusions. He said that more than likely it is an issue with the computer. Only way to find out for sure is to NOT jump it, take it straight to Ford and have them test it. I have a funny feeling they will jump it to bring it into the bay before running their tests.

Three dead start ups within a week? On a car that is only a 2017?

- dabernethy, Spring Hill, US

problem #30

Aug 302018

Fusion SE 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 3,500 miles

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

We purchased a new 2017 Ford Fusion SE in May of 2018. The car was fine for 2 months. I came out to start the car one morning and the lights started flashing and the engine would not turn over. There was a persistent clinking sound under the hood like a motor trying to run. I jumped the battery and the car started OK. I thought maybe we had let it sit too long in the garage.

About a week later the same thing happened. The car had only sat for 36 hrs. I jumped the battery again, but this time took it to the dealer service department. They kept the car for the day and said they could not find anything wrong with it. We were told if it happened again to have the car towed to the dealership. 4 days later it happened again.

We had the car towed to the dealer and they said the battery tested bad so they replaced it. They kept the car for two days to be sure it was OK. The car ran fine for 2 weeks. My wife had run some errands on Tuesday, Thursday morning I came out to start the car and had no lights at all this time. I checked the battery with a volt meter, the battery was at 3.5 volts. We had the car jumped by Ford’s roadside service and I took it back to the dealer. We now have a loaner until they can find what’s wrong with it.

Very frustrating to have a new car and it is in the shop more that it is on the road. Why can Ford fix this problem????

Update from Aug 8, 2019: We had to jump the car 2 more times in 2018. Dealer can't find anything wrong, very frustrating!!!!. Car went through the winter of 2018-2019 just fine. Had -22 below zero, car started fine. We got to late June of 2019, weather turned hot, sure enough the car battery is dead again in the morning after being driven the day before. Had it jumped by Ford road service, took it to dealer and after 3 days that can't find anything wrong. We drove the car about a month with no problem, came out on Tuesday after driving the car on Sunday, battery dead again. had it towed to dealer. He still has it and it only has 6500 miles on it. Maybe time trade for something else, but it won't be a Ford!!!!!!

- Dave G., Moline, IL, US

problem #29

Oct 192017

Fusion

  • Automatic transmission
  • 10 miles

We bought the Ford Fusion October 19, 2017 and it has been in the shop 4 "four" times and is getting ready to go in once again.....

The battery was replaced on 10-19-17 the day we bought the car. The battery was replaced and serviced again on 11-16-17 less then one month after we bought it, they said the problem this time was the ACM and that caused the battery to go dead again. Once again the battery went dead on 11-21-17 they said the problem was fixed once again. The battery was dead and serviced again on 4-6-18. Each time they said it was fixed.

I filed the Lemon law claim with Ford in April 2018 I got a phone call that said my claim was denied. Now a new problem the A/C does not work, you can barely feel the cold air if you put your hand on the vent, the fan does not work. I had to turn the car off and restart it a few times to get the A/C fan to work. I called Ford once again and they said there is nothing they can do, they said take is to the dealer it is under warranty. The car has a little over 4,000 miles.

My question is this car has left me sitting three times in five months. I had to call Ford road side service each time to have it jumped and they continue to fix it because it is under warranty. What happens when it goes out of warranty.

I feel like I have a "LEMON" and Ford finds a reason not to replace or buy back the car.

I do want to say that the Ford dealership has made every effort to help.

- Marilyn M., Front Royal, VA, US

problem #28

Mar 162017

Fusion

  • Automatic transmission
  • 6,000 miles

Battery was too low to start the car. Second time I replaced the battery because the dealer was closed. Happened a third time. I jump started and took the car to dealer. They could not find anything but did "flash" the computer. Between the first and the second time it went dead, the system locked up and all I could do was enter the car. Took the battery cable off for five minutes and system returned to normal. Dealer said they could not find anything wrong and was a little upset that I brought it in since they had to pay a tech to find a problem. Not happy.

Update from Apr 4, 2018: Dead batter again. Towed to dealer. Was told they might have it two weeks. Last Saturday we drove it 15 miles to eat. Came out and computer had shut down system but it did start when I hit start button. Don't want to but we hay have to use the lemon law. Just cannot keep this up.

- Harry D., Troy, US

problem #27

Nov 202017

Fusion

  • Automatic transmission
  • 240 miles

Ford came to jump start the car. Then brought it to the dealer where they couldn't find anything wrong.

- mjmeeks1974, Pearland, US

problem #26

Dec 272017

Fusion

  • Automatic transmission
  • 600 miles

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

Since the first time the battery went dead we have turned off everything in the car before we turn it off. This morning the battery was totally dead again. Did not call Ford, put charger on it until it got to 30% charged then it started up. Not very happy that this has happened twice.

- mjmeeks1974, Pearland, US

problem #25

Nov 272017

Fusion Titanium 2.0L I4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 17,000 miles

Yet another dead battery in a 2017 Fusion. I have had this car for 11 months. It is the Titanium Energi plug-in hybrid.

In the weeks leading up to the total failure of the 12V battery I was experiencing erratic operation of the electronics (e.g. radio wouldn't turn off, AC wouldn't come on, seat didn't return to its preset position). In the days leading up to the dead battery I would return to my vehicle after a few hours to find a message on my console stating that the car had switched to battery saver mode and the car often didn't start immediately with the push button. This happened even though I was sure that I had turned everything off and was not in accessory mode.

On 11/25/17, my car would not start at all. It was dead except for the light surrounding the shift knob and an unidentifiable "ticking" sound under the hood. Perhaps it was a spark plug sparking? I called roadside assistance and got a jump. The car sat in the garage on the charger all day on 11/26/17. 11/27/17 I got in the car intending to go to work only to find the car dead once again. I had it towed to the dealer. They replaced the 12V battery and reset the battery management system (BMS), but they had no explanation for why this battery died. They also didn't mention that this is a common problem. Many others who have reported a complaint on this site noted that the audio control module (ACM) was blamed for the issue and replaced. They did not replace the ACM on my car. I just got the car back today (11/28/17). We will see if the problem returns. Based on the complaints I have read, I expect to be back to the dealer soon with the same issue. I will provide updates.

Update from Mar 25, 2018: Well, here it is 4 months later almost to the day and I am sitting here stranded due to a dead battery. It's so dead this time that no lights or sounds of any kind are coming from the car. I'm going to get a tow to the dealer, demand they replace the ACM, then probably get rid of this car. I cannot live with a dead car every four months. I have had this car 15 months and it's only got 20,000 miles on it.

Update from Apr 29, 2018: Results of Mar 25, 2018. The battery was discharged, but was able to be jumped. The dealer kept the car for two days to test out, reload, and update the software for the BCE and ACM electronic modules. Still no explanation why the software was so messed up. Still didn't replace the ACM. It is behaving much better, but I'm pretty sure this car will be dead again in four months. Come on, Ford! Figure this out and fix it!

Here is the info from the invoice. I didn't include codes or the name of the tech. Hope some of you are better than I at interpreting: Body/Chassis/Electrical (BCE) - Test BCE Module - Reprogram/Reconfigure as built data Verified the concern-vehicle is dead. Jumped the 12-volt battery and drove into shop. Hooked up the battery tester and the battery passed with 12.35 volts. Checked the vehicle for any DTCs, none present. Checked Oasis, found SSM 46433, re-calibrated the ACM to the latest software levels available. Checked all other modules for updates. TCU, PCM, SOBDM-C & GSM all were available. Performed the coordinated flash. Cleared all DTCs. Tested the vehicle over a few days, vehicle now ok at this time. Requesting M-time for updating of multiple modules.

- Kathy M., Livonia, US

problem #24

Oct 012017

Fusion S 2.7L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 16,000 miles

I purchased a 2017 Fusion S in late December 2016. Within a few days, I found the battery was dead after sitting overnight. Initially thought it was due to my mistake of leaving something on or plugged in to the 12V jack. In Jan 2017, I realized the problem was the car. The dealer was willing to help and the car has been into their service department 8 times and a Ford engineer has been involved in the most recent time. In the last 6 months, the battery has died 10 times.

On Oct 4, 2017, I was advised by the dealer service manager that Ford has finally acknowledge there is a widespread problem with the 2017 Fusion. Apparently one of the many electronic modules randomly powers up after the car has been turned off and it drains the battery after 12 - 24 hours. The service manager advised that Ford has indicated they are working on a solution and expects to release it soon.

- Jerry M., Cartersville, US

problem #23

Jan 222017

Fusion 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 1,100 miles

On December 2016 I purchased a 2017 Ford Fusion. Happily trading in my 2014 Ford Focus with the dual shift transmission that I was told the shuddering & noises were normal. Really?!

Towards the end of January of 2017 I went to my garage to start of the Fusion and it was dead. I thought I left something on so I had my son jump it and off to work I went. Then it happened again when I went to start it in the morning approximately one-two weeks later. Nothing was on. Dealership can't find anything. After months of dealing with going out in the morning and finding it dead, having it jumped, taking it to the dealership, getting a rental -Ford Motor Co and the dealership finally got me another 2017 Ford Fusion. I was ecstatic. I thought one bad apple right? Wrong....

The middle of July, I was finally getting to take my new Fusion. I couldn't believe it, 9 days later I went to start it...dead. My stomach dropped. Why can't they just fix it? No guessing because I have heard it all. Transformers by my house (I emailed pictures to rule that one out), pushing the start button twice. I am tired of feeling like I am doing something wrong.

Ford needs to find some resolution to this problem. They build them they should know how to fix them beyond the computer diagnostics which always comes back with nothing. I purchased a new vehicle for the dependability factor. I never know when I step onto my driveway whether it will start or not.......not dependable.

- jrmeyer, Toledo, US

problem #22

Sep 052017

Fusion S 2,4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 7,600 miles

Went to leave for work, and my fusion won't start. Have had NO issues before now. Jump started the car, got it running, and drove it straight to the dealer. The writer told me there is some 3 hour battery test. So im sure I wont here anything back today...Standby!

- Vernon R., Pasadena, US

problem #21

May 302017

Fusion Sport 2.7L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 4,634 miles

After a 7 day vacation and the car sat unused, it would not start. Thinking I may have left the door ajar or something, I just charged the battery and drove it to work. For five days, had no problem. After the car sat for two days, the battery was dead again. After one day, a message appeared on my Ford Pass app saying "Deep Sleep Mode Activated; To conserve battery power, Fusion Sport has entered Deep Sleep mode. This occurs when your vehicle has been inactive for 14 or more consecutive days." Since this wasn't the case, I has the battery tested at Advanced Auto. They will test for free. They said the battery was shot and will not hold a charge anymore. Took it to the Ford Dealer and they replaced the battery with no explanation of why this happened.

- toolmanman, Seven Valleys, US

problem #20

Sep 172017

Fusion Sport 2.7L V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 11,897 miles

After the car sat unused for 24 hours, it would not start. A message also appeared on my Ford Pass app saying "Deep Sleep Mode Activated; To conserve battery power, Fusion Sport has entered Deep Sleep mode. This occurs when your vehicle has been inactive for 14 or more consecutive days." Since this wasn't the case, I I called the Ford Dealer and they made an appointment for me as of this date.

- toolmanman, Seven Valleys, US

problem #19

Jan 262017

Fusion 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 1,401 miles

2017 Ford Fusion. Battery Drain. Jumped it and took to dealer. No resolution.

Update from Sep 6, 2017: 2017 Ford Fusion. Battery Drain Again on May 30, 2017. Jumped it and took to dealer. No Resolution.

Update from Sep 6, 2017: 2017 Ford Fusion. Battery Drain. Had towed to dealer September 2, 2017. No Resolution. Acquired copy of Ford's Technical Service Bulletin and I quote in its entirety, "SSM 46775 - 2017 Fusion - 2.5L - Battery Drain - Without Active Grille Shutter - Some 2017 Fusion vehicles equipped without active grille shutters (ASG) may exhibit a concern of battery drain. Battery drain may be a res... stop/start button cycling. PCM battery drain may not be reproducible under some circumstances, especially after a battery has been discharged or if the battery has b... updates. To prevent this condition, instruct the customer that the start/stop button should not be pressed more than once within 5 seconds."

- Chris W., Phoenix, AZ, US

problem #18

Aug 022017

Fusion 2.5L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 10,000 miles

Battery dead again. Called and got it towed to dealership. They have had car 5 days and unable to tell whats wrong with it. Will not give me a loaner or anything.

- Gina S., Danville, US

problem #17

Jul 022017

Fusion

  • Automatic transmission
  • 5,000 miles

On 7/2/17 while on vacation we awoke to a dead battery. We assumed that we had left something on int he car overnight. Jumped it and went about our day.

On 7/16/17 we once again awoke to a dead battery. This time we were positive that we had not left anything on. I brought it into the dealer that Monday. They tested the battery and said the battery was saying it was fine. They cleared the code and said to bring it back if it happens again. This was at around 7600 miles.

Jump to yesterday, 8/13/17 and once again a dead battery at around 9960 miles. Bringing it back to the dealer today along with a printout of these complaints.

I have noticed while sitting in the car waiting for my children to be done with whatever practice, game or event that they are at, that the dashboard will occasionally illuminate and the shifter will occasionally illuminate and click while the car is off. I'm sure this is part of whatever is draining the battery. There does not seem to be any rhyme or reason as to when it will happen or for how long. sometimes its just a couple of clicks and sometimes it seems to go on for close to a minute.

- Evelyn B., Walpole, US

Read the next 16 complaints »

Not what you are looking for?