Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2009 Ford Fusion owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford Fusion. While the vehicle was parked, a small fire on the passenger side floor ignited. The fire department extinguished the fire. A police and a fire report were filed. There were no injuries. The contact was informed that the charger cable that was plugged into the accessory power outlet cable (underneath the front passenger side floor mat) became hot and melted and burned a hole in the carpet, which ignited the fire. The manufacturer was not notified. The approximate failure mileage was 115,681. The VIN was unavailable.
Takata recall I had made an appointment for 3/28/19 we had an accident on 3/26/19 a car hit us at a red light totaled the car the airbag hit me in the chest bruises and cuts . I was the passenger my husband the driver he lacerations mostly . I also had broken ankle on the right foot and a sprain on the left. The car was totaled. Car was in motion.
Couldnt get out of drivers door. Inside lock and door latch didnt work. Latch made of cheap plastic. Had to climb over console [hard to do, as im over 65 y.o.] and try passenger front door. Thank god, I got out. Tried drivers door from outside and it did open!! Just wont work if you're in the car??? Car was parked in a lot of my drs. Office. I learned that many, many complaints were reported to Ford from the 2007 model up to 2012 as far as I know. Ford never corrected this problem!!! It is not cheap to get this fixed. I called sunshine Ford in newburgh, ny and they acted like they knew nothing about this malfunction but would ''check out'' my car, and a diagnostic evaluation is $120.00 I said that Ford should be responsible for this as they knew about the cheap plastic housing the door latch is made of instead of a heavy metal ie steel or iron. No response and Ford motor co. …
Takata recall. Vehicle stationary on January 18, 2019 the passenger air bag inflator was replaced under the 18s01 recall, Ford part number 8e5z 54044a74 ad. On September 10, 2019 brought car into local quirk Ford dealership for service because air bag cover was no longer was flush to the dashboard. Ford service said problem was due to "worn dashboard" and not covered under recall. See first attached picture. Called Ford customer service on sept 11, 2019 was told problem was not covered under any recalls or any warranties, case number cas-24226208-s8r0v4. My concern is that by having an open corner (see second attached picture) foreign objects could accidentally fall into this space without the drivers knowledge (ie. A penny, dime, etc) and if the air bag deployed a serious injury could occur. Specifically, foreign objects could become air borne when air bag deployed. …
Door handle including the lock are dangerous! First, the coating over the plastic lever necessary to exit the vehicle began spliting and became very sharp. My passengers and myself began receiving razor sharp cuts trying to exit. I brought my vehicle to Ford dor something else and asked if there was a recall, but there was none. I had to tape over the handles. Next, my driver's door hand broke off in my hand and I had to lower my window to open the door from the outside. What would I've done if my window didn't work, when I live in fl and the inside temperature of cars grows into triple digits! I had to replace and install a new handle I purchased online. When I noticed the readily availability of the parts, this seems to be a common replacement. Well it's a good thing to know because now my passenger side door handle is now malfuntioning. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford Fusion. The contact observed that the dashboard panel began to fail/warp near the passenger air bag. The failure occurred without warning. In addition, the contact stated that the panel was separated and there was a bulge where the air bag was located. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer (o'meara Ford, 400 w 104th ave, northglenn, co, 80234) where it was diagnosed that the panel needed to be replaced. Since it was an upholstery repair, the contact was advised to call an auto body shop. The manufacturer confirmed that there was no recall and stated that the failure was not something that they would cover. The manufacturer did not offer any additional assistance except for referring the contact to NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
The door handles and door locks on the drivers door as well as the front passenger door are made from some type of plastic and both of them broke from normal usage. The drivers door is not able to be locked from the outside nor is the door able to be opened from the inside using the handle, thus causing a safety issue. The passenger door locks are inoperable as well. I contacted a local Ford dealer who told me this issue is common with this particular model and that the handles were made of poor quality. I would like Ford to recognize this problem and issue a recall to those affected by this and offer to fix this issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the handle on the exterior front passenger side door fractured. As a result, the occupant sustained lacerations to the right hand on two separate occasions. There was no medical attention required. Also, the interior front driver side automatic door locks failed to unlock. The contact could only exit the vehicle from the passenger side door. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000. Updated 09/02/15 updated 10/26/2017
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the dashboard was prematurely deteriorating and bulging on the drivers side of the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated there was a sticky residue that expanded on the front passenger side causing exposure to the air bag. The contact also noticed that the inner parts of the dashboard exposed plastic and foam near the vents on the driver side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 32,000.
This May be a huge coincidence but immediately after being sideswiped with only passenger side view mirror damaged, the driver's side door would no longer open from the inside. We thought it was related to the impact on the passenger side but this seems to be a recurring problem with Ford fusions. We have to keep the motor running, lower the window and reach out to the exterior driver door handle to open the driver side door. This should be a Ford recall item. For awhile the airbag light will intermittently stay on while driving.
Body complaints in other Fusion years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2009 Ford Fusion?
NHTSA has 42 complaints about the body & structure of the 2009 Ford Fusion, 4% of the model year's 1,023 complaints. The component named most often is body (23 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Ford Fusion body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2009 Ford Fusion, though it has 6 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2009 Ford Fusion body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 76,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 1 fire and 12 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.