Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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).
The contact owns a 2009 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, without warning the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that there was an abnormal odor inside the cabin of the vehicle. The contact coasted the vehicle to the road shoulder. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to start-up. The contact left the vehicle on the shoulder to get assistance with towing. The vehicle was towed to the residence where an independent mechanic was contacted and came out to the residence. No dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was diagnosed and determined that the power train control unit and ignition coils failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was not drivable. The manufacturer was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximate 90,000.
While driving down the high way car began to sputter and jolt felt much like someone slamming on brakes aggressively and then releasing and motor stopped completely. Was able to pull over and put hazards on. After running diagnostics test discovered that the TAC system was faulty. Codes: P0122 , P0223 , P0110 . Car will start and idle briefly and some times drive down the road but always ends up dying while driving abruptly and hazardously without warning. Car still will start but scared to drive it for fear of causing domino effect on damaging the car. Would like the limited warranty on this product to apply to fixing this problem.
Transmission failed while making a left hand turn. Close call with on coming traffic. Dealer evaluation code P0735. Dealer has stated; transmission cannot be repaired but must be replaced with a new transmission. Cost: $6422.45. Dealer implied faulty transmission and liability issues. Ford refused to acknowledge it would cover the replacement cost. This vehicle has been properly maintained and has only 51,649 miles on the odometer. I have noticed many class action legal complaints on Ford transmissions in the Fusion model.
I was parking my 09 Fusion at my son's preschool, and was almost stopped in the spot, when my car violently and unexpectedly accelerated forward up over a 4 inch curb. I pressed on the brake as hard as I could, but it was the tree that I hit that stopped me. There was no damage to the car, but I had both my children (4 years old and 11 months old) in their car seats with me at the time. This is the second time it has happened while parking. Both times I was going less that 10 MPH and was almost at a complete stop when the car unexpectedly lurched forward. Will not put my children back in this vehicle until this problem is fixed; is not drive-able.
Driving the other day I lost brakes and almost had an accident with another vehicle. The brake light came on along with the service light. Which is still on. Drive home variously in low gear when needed. When in low gear I heard a constant grinding noise. Still patiently waiting on my Takata air bag replacement thru Ford. This vehicle is new to me and I haven't made my first payment yet. Only has 40K for mileage. As is common with most Ford cats. I asks experienced surges in the vast. My lay cast was an 04 taurus.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that it took at least three attempts to start the vehicle. When the vehicle finally started, it failed to accelerate and the wrench warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 129,000.
I have twice now experienced a catastrophic engine/power train failure while at speed and in traffic. While driving and without any prior notice, my car immediately shuts down. During which the engine stalls, power brakes fail, and steering wheel locks. Luckily I was in a position in traffic where I could quickly engage the hazard lights and allow plenty of reaction time for other drivers to avoid me. After the car has stalled and lost all power, that is when the warning lights (engine and wrench) come on the dash. Each time it has taken no less than 5 minutes, while sitting in heavy traffic, to restart the car. When the car restarts it will drive like it did prior to the failure but the check engine light will remain on. This time I was able to bring the car to the local Ford service department to have them diagnose the problem. …
I'm getting a check engine light and a wrench symbol on my dashboard. When I take it to get checked, it says 'faulty throttle body' or throttle control actuator. This causes my Ford Fusion to go into 'limp home' mode. This is a mode that causes that car to accelerate no more than 20 miles an hour. The problem with this is that it happens when I'm in the middle of traffic, traveling at speeds of 55-70 miles an hour. When this happens, I fear for my life. When I contact auto care centers, they all tell me that this is a problem that has to be handled by the dealership. When I contact the dealership, they don't know what I'm talking about. I think that this throttle body is defective and after some online research, I see that I'm one of many Ford owners that this has happened to. I would like a them recall this defective auto part. …
Vehicle shifts very irregularly- seems to go in and out of gear and when stepping on gas pedal it does not respond then jerks into drive gear. Two warning lights came on in dash, small wrench and check engine. An OBD code reader was used to determine a fault code of po 772 ( shift solenoid stuck on) and car was taken into a Ford dealer. Initially told that warrant had expired but engine and drive train warranty is for 5 years / 50,000 miles. Dealer inspected and found solenoid defective and transmission bands damaged. Car is be at dealer since June 4, 2013 as of today's date (06-08-13) upon investigating this problem I found hundreds of similar complaints by Ford Fusion owners and thus far no recall by Ford. This problem could cause an accident which could result in injury or even death if occurring on the freeway. Ford needs to recall the Fusion for repair or replacement.
After making a right turn and attempting to accelerate, the wrench light illuminated for the first time and the vehicle appeared to stall and I could not accelerate. Thankfully, it's a Saturday morning and traffic was light and I was not on the highway. After pulling over and putting this information in a search engine I found numerous complaints of this happening to other Ford owners. Some were on the highway and some in heavy traffic. The light eventually goes off, so of course the owner assumes there is no problem. The repair cost is expensive and this is an obvious problem Ford knows about and is refusing to fix it. This is very dangerous and I don't think a lot of people know to report this problem to you.
Transmission complaints in other Fusion years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2009 Ford Fusion?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2009 Ford Fusion, 2% of the model year's 1,023 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2009 Ford Fusion transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 64,000 miles, and 25% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.