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 2011 Ford Fusion owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the driver's side door handle had fractured. The contact was unable to open the door from the inside. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with a fractured spring. The contact was informed that the button and door handle needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.
2011 Ford Fusion and fortunately I was trapped within the car in a safe location, I can't imagine what would have happened had I had an automobile accident and was unable to EXIT the automobile quickly and safely. It is incumbent upon FORD MOTOR COMPANY to repair this defective door handle / latch before someone is killed due to this faulty piece of plastic they have installed inside this make and model
- Abrupt failure of driver door mechanism. Driver now unable to exit vehicle without opening window and reaching around to open from outside. On-line research discloses this is a common problem with this model. - Risk is clear, driver may need to exit vehicle quickly in an emergency. - Problem is clear and has not been reproduced or confirmed by others. - Problem occurred without warning to days ago.
On a Monday morning a light on my dashboard came on and it said steering power service now, this cause the steering wheel to become stiff and hard to control. While I look all over under the hood to find the steering power fuel reservoir I couldn't find one. On Wednesday afternoon as I was driving a sharp corner it was difficult for me to turn the steering wheel and I lost control of the car ending up hitting the bridge in the road. The low traction as well came on when the steering power light appeared.
Malfunctioning door latches 2011 Ford Fusion -- my door handle won't work and I have discovered that the same part is recalled on other models but not on the 2011. This is a safety issue as I have to crawl out my passenger side door.it's sad that Ford has recalled other year models of the Fusion; however, the 2011 is not in the recall. This needs to be recalled because this is a major safety issue!!!! I sure hope I never get a bind or situation where I need to get out of the car very quickly (car won't start & on fire, etc.) because I will not be able to get out of the car fast enough to be safe because I will not be able to roll down my driver's side window to get out of it. Ford needs to recall this safety issue a.s.a.p!!!! …
Tl* Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA campaign number: 19V001000 (air bags). Town & country Ford (6015 preston hwy, louisville, ky 40219, [phone]) scheduled an appointment; however, the part was not available for the repair. The recall was issued on January 28, 2019. In addition, the dealer was informed that the drivers side door failed to unlatch from inside the vehicle. The failure caused the driver to have to electronically wind down the window to open the door from outside the vehicle. The dealer had not verified if the vehicle was included or excluded from NHTSA campaign number: 17V210000 (latches/locks/linkages:door:latch). The contact stated that the vehicle exhibited the same failure as listed in the recall campaign. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. …
On 16 July 2016. The 2011 Ford Fusion was in park and the ignition was off. When the driver of the vehicle attempted to open the driver's side door to exit the vehicle, the mechanism for the interior door handle broke, making it impossible to exit the vehicle directly from the inside on the driver's side. The outside door handle was still functional, such that the window could be rolled down with auxiliary power or the engine running and the door opened from the outside through the window using the outside door handle. This then required rolling up the window and turning off the power/engine to fully exit the vehicle. …
Takata recall. The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact received several recall notifications for NHTSA campaign number: 19V001000 (air bags). Friendly Ford of poughkeepsie, ny was notified. However, the part was not available for the repair. The recall was issued on January 28, 2019. It took over 7 months from the day the dealer was contacted to the day it was repaired. Currently, the dealer was informed that when exiting the vehicle the drivers side door failed to unlatch from inside the vehicle. The failure caused the driver to have to electronically wind down the window to open the door from outside the vehicle. Sometimes the door would unlock using the remote keyfob, other times the key had to be used manually to unlock the driver door. I have an appointment with friendly Ford to repair the issue on 11/14/2019
The driver side door swung open while driving around a bend at approximately 35mph. The car on the other side of the road had to slam on his brakes and swerve to avoid my door. After stopping I was unable to then open the door from the inside. The oncoming driver and car did not have any injury or damage. Testing the driver door I found it opened from the outside but after the door was open it would not shut. The door bounced off the frame and hit me in the chin. I was able to close the door if I lifted the lever in the door. I repeated this a few times, every the door opened from the outside it would not shut again without lifting the lever. However, sometimes when the door shut it latched closed and other times it did not. I called my local Ford office to check for a recall, I was told the 2011 was not on the recall list.
The vehicle was in a parking lot and I was getting ready to go into a store. It was pouring down rain. I am disabled but am able to drive a vehicle. I was ready getting ready to get out of the vehicle. As I tried to open the door handle I felt the door go loose and the door would not open. This is a huge safety issue. I have knees that were fractured and I must wear knee braces on them. I had to crawl to the other side of the vehicle in order to get out. I really hurt my arms by crawling across the vehicle. It floods a lot in houston where I live. This is another safety issue. I must be able to get out of my vehicle quickly during an emergency situation such as flooding. Ford has recalled the 2010 and 2012 fusions for the door handles. Why haven't the 2011 fusions been recalled? This recall needs to be done now.
Body complaints in other Fusion years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2011 Ford Fusion?
NHTSA has 61 complaints about the body & structure of the 2011 Ford Fusion, 2% of the model year's 2,794 complaints. The component named most often is body (46 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Ford Fusion body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2011 Ford Fusion, though it has 7 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 2011 Ford Fusion body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 62,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 0 fires and 3 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.