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 2012 Ford Fusion owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle started to shake without warning. The contact then stated that she attempted to operate the A/C unit, when she heard an abnormal sound inside the unit. The contact also stated that the unit failed to dispense cool air. Additionally, the contact stated that after the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle hesitated to respond for five seconds. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that due to an unknown electrical failure, the A/C compressor needed to be replaced. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to bring the vehicle in for diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage as approximately 120,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the traction control system, brakes, and power steering functionality became inoperable. The vehicle was restarted and worked as designed. While driving approximately 30-40 MPH, the brake warning light illuminated. Additionally, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The driver pumped the brake pedal several times before the brakes started working as designed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed him that the failure was not covered under the warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
My power steering failed. The steering is very difficult to steer and maneuver at low speed. The error code on the dashboard beeps every time I enter the vehicle "power steering assist fault" and is available for inspection. This is extremely unsafe when driving at any speed because of the extra effort required to maneuver the vehicle putting other drivers or pedestrians at risk in the event of needing to avoid a collision. The problem has been inspected by Ford and another independent mechanic. Ford did not honor the recall. There was no warning for the issue, other than the beeping and the message on the dashboard. I had drove to the store and parked with power steering, when I started the car up to leave the store I suddenly had no power steering and had to have the car towed.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the A/C unit failed to operate as needed, causing the cabin of the vehicle to become hot while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the evaporator temperature sensor was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 143,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that on several occasions, the instrument panel warning lights randomly illuminated and then failed. The contact then stated that when the instrument panel failed, the turn signals failed to operate. The contact then stated that the air conditioning unit failed and blew out heat. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 89,544.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated after a week of the vehicle not being driven, the battery was drained. The contact stated that the battery was new and should have not drained so soon. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Power Steering just locked up while driving with no warning or indicator, it still drives but it randomly locks up where i have no control over the vehicle In backing up out of our driveway i wasnt able to stop because the braking system froze up along with the steering and i hit a truck that was going down our road
Started car and began to back out of parking space. There had been a few drops of rain, but it wasn't actively raining at the time. Brake went to floor when driver went to slow down. Numerous dashboard lights and messages came on, including ABS, Traction Control, Traction Control Off, and "Service ADVANCETRAC" message. Driver stopped car with handbrake and shut car off. Tried several times to restart vehicle over the next 30 minutes, but lights remained on and brake remained soft. Finally restarted car and brake was normal, but lights remained on. All lights went on and car returned to normal when put in drive gear. This has happened about five times to two different drivers over the past 18 months. All but one time in rain, and twice while driving at 35 mph or so. We will plan to scrap or trade in the vehicle. …
I was driving down the highway, and out of no where my powersteering shut off, we almost wrecked with my 2 kids and wife In the car. I had a message pop up on the dash saying "service powersteering now" "service advancetrac". We pulled over, I tried disconnecting the battery hoping the issues was electrical. It didn't help. I checked every fuse both under the dash and under the hood, all were good. I got to doing some research, turns out there was a recall on 2012 ford fusions without the 3.5L (mine is the 2.5L) for this exact issue. The Electric Powersteering has issues that could cause severe accidents. I reached out to Ford about the issue, and I was told the recall didn't apply to my vehicle. Even though I do in fact own a 2012 ford fusion with the 2.5L engine, and I'm having the same dangerous issue that was replaced in other vehicles like mine. …
While driving, the power steering went out completely which made it incredibly difficult to steer the car. The car's warning lights immediately flashed that the AdvanceTrac and Power Steering were both out. There were no advanced warnings and happened in the middle of a drive. I have taken the car to a dealership that said there was a recall for this exact situation in other 2012 Ford Fusions with the electric power assist system going out which causes the power steering to fail, but my VIN did not meet the recall requirements. I believe the recall should be expanded as this is incredibly dangerous to current owners. I am lucky this happened while I was driving the car as my wife would not have been able to safely move the car to the side of the road. She could have been in a much worse situation where the car was a risk to other drivers on the road.
Electrical complaints in other Fusion years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2012 Ford Fusion?
NHTSA has 164 complaints about the electrical system of the 2012 Ford Fusion, 7% of the model year's 2,517 complaints. The component named most often is instrument cluster/panel (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Ford Fusion electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2012 Ford Fusion, though it has 5 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 2012 Ford Fusion electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 63,000 miles, and 17% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 8 crashes, 4 fires and 7 injuries and 2 deaths 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.