Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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 while driving 60 MPH with the air conditioning activated, there was a burning odor inside the vehicle. The contact reached under the glove box and discovered that the heat sink and wiring harness connecting the fan was extremely hot to the touch. The contact indicated that no flames were present but the wires were visibly charred and burnt. The contact stated that the heat sink and wiring harness connection to the fan had been replaced on multiple occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
My driver heating element in my seat stopped working. I went to get it fixed and that's when they noticed the charred heating pad in the seat had burnet makers on it. I have picture showing that the electrical part in the heating pad indicator has black marks around the wires and burnt through the pad and the electrical coils. The seat under the leather part had damage to it. This would have caused a fire. I'm very lucky. I bought the part on [redacted]. I just want to be reimburse from Ford Dealership the part cost. Thank you, [redacted]
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle had failed to start. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics to be diagnosed. The contact stated that a mechanic replaced the starter; however, the failure persisted. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000. The VIN was not available.
Advance Trac light abs traction control light came on next thing I know car goes out of control and now my car is totaled total loss smashed right into side of the road brakes failed steering failed and all this popped up moments before and then q truck ran into me my mom went to hospital but is ok I'm fine
The vehicle caught fire July 7, 2026 after it was parked and we were in bed, woke up to the front dash and under the steering wheel being melted. The ignition was melted severe damage to the entire driver's side
I was driving on the highway and my power steering suddenly went out on me in the middle of traffic. My 2011 Ford Fusion SE had a "Power Steering Assist Fault" on my dash and it stopped working, it only had 117k miles on it. I then took it to the dealership to get it diagnosed and they said it was the Rack and Pinion that needed to be replaced. They told me that its a known problem, and for this generation of Fusion there was an extended warranty for this problem, but only 10 year/150k miles, whichever comes first and my car(12 years old) is now too old to get it replaced at no charge. Said that Ford around 2011 was introducing electric power steering for the first time. The Ford Dealership then wanted me to pay out something like $2300 to have them replace the parts needed. …
am filing this complaint regarding a serious safety defect in my 2011 Ford Fusion. The vehicle's electric power steering (EPAS) intermittently fails while driving, causing the steering to become extremely heavy and sometimes lock up. The dashboard displays a "Power Steering Assist Fault" warning. Restarting the car temporarily restores steering assist, but the problem recurs. This is a direct safety hazard. Driving the vehicle in this condition is dangerous, as the steering can fail at any time, including at highway speeds. They say The vehicle was previously repaired under recall but the issue has recurred. …
It started in February 2023 no warning lights nothing just when I came to a stop at a red light the car dies it will start right back most of the time but other times when you start it back it's like the starter stays engaged and makes a struttering sound and whole car shakes and you have to hurry and shut it back off and restart it again the longer you drive the car the more it dies when you come to a stop other times it may not do it for days I've almost been in 7 accidents that I've counted bc of this issue bc it dies and ppl think I should be moving and I can't or I just turn at a light and it will die and I can go until I restart it I also think it cause my battery to go out bc I had to replace it not long after this started. It's not been reported to anyone but you or inspected but is available to be anytime. …
The power steering has failed intermittently (at least 5 separate occasions) while driving. The failure was inconsistent between times driven and parked. First time noticed, turned vehicle on and could barely move the wheel. Turned vehicle off and back on and didn't have an issue with the steering wheel or on the road and got home okay. The issue started out this way and then once it was consistent it was unable to operate the vehicle safely. This vehicle is our main vehicle so it happened to myself and to my husband while on his way home from work. However, when the power steering failed was extremely difficult to turn the wheel while driving. We took into dealership and the diagnostics was the electrical power steering is faulty and the traction control has failed. …
The "Power Steering Assist Fault" light came on when the car was started and the steering wheel was very heavy and hard to move. Simultaneously, the "Service AdvanceTrac" light also came on. The vehicle was later scanned and an internal component failure code "U-3000:04-68" was identified for the Power Steering Motor. This is an internal system failure. The safety risk was to the driver along with other drivers on the road due to the vehicle being harder to control. The failure happened during a 600 mile drive and the vehicle was driven home carefully as no other arrangements could be made. Driver sustained wrist injury and pain at the carpals from increased effort needed to manually steer vehicle. The "Power Steering Assist Fault" had previously appeared for a couple seconds upon vehicle start up but had not previously disabled the power steering. …
Electrical complaints in other Fusion years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2011 Ford Fusion?
NHTSA has 203 complaints about the electrical system of the 2011 Ford Fusion, 7% of the model year's 2,794 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (3 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Ford Fusion electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system 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 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 57,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 7 fires and 5 injuries to electrical system 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.