Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Ford Fusion owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle hit a stop sign, which flew and hit the passenger's side window of the vehicle. The vehicle then hit a privacy fence and crashed into an electrical pole. The air bags failed to respond. The contact stated that she hit her chest against the steering wheel and hit the back of her head against the front driver's side seat headrest. The contact's husband arrived at the scene and transported the contact to the residence. The contact was later taken to the hospital, where she was informed that she had sustained loss of 20 percent of her hearing, loss of smell and taste, and intermittent dizziness due to an internal fluid leak in the back of her head. The contact was still receiving medical assistance. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked in her driveway on a hill without the emergency brakes, the vehicle rolled down the hill and bumped into her husband's parked vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer but was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact stated on April 2022, while she was driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle began to shake and failed to go over 50 mph. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V427000 (Power Train), however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure and transferred her to the NHTSA Hotline. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the vehicle had not yet been taken to a dealer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH, as she started slowing for a traffic signal, as she depressed the brake pedal it went to the floorboards. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that she was close enough to her residence that she drove onto the driveway, however the vehicle crashed into the side of her garage. The vehicle's front driver's side fender was scratched. The contact was not hurt. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced a failure. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop immediately causing the contact to rear end the vehicle in front of her. The contact sustained injuries to her neck and back but did not receive medical attention. A police report was filed.The vehicle was taken to a brake specialist, who informed the contact there was no brake fluid in the vehicle due to a leak on the front brake flexible hose. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Upon trying to stop at a stop sign my son was unable to stop in time and rolled into the roadway which caused a collision with another vehicle. He depressed the brakes and clearly heard a grinding noise and never felt the pumping feeling under his foot for the antilock breaks. He thought he couldnt stop due to ice on the roadway, but have since seen the brake recall on my vehicle. The accident caused the vehicle to become a total loss. The witnesses said my son stopped at the stop sing and pulled into the roadway in front of car going 50mph. That could not have happened by the angle of the car at the time of the accident. Had he stopped like the 'witnesses" said, he would have entered the roadway a couple second later and then become t-boned by the other car. He was hit on the rear quarterfinal coinciding with my sons story he could not stop. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving approximately 15 MPH, she heard an abnormal clicking noise as she depressed the brake pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle kept moving forward. The contact started pumping the brake and suddenly the vehicle lost power steering assist and became very stiff. The contact stated that the brakes, traction control, and Hill Start Assist warning lights were illuminated. The contact let the vehicle coast to a stop and turned the vehicle off and on and the power steering returned. The contact stated that the brake failure had become constant. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start and required to be jumpstarted. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. The contact stated that the failure mostly occurred while coming to a complete stop. The contact stated that on some occasions, the ABS warning light would illuminate and the ABS would make abnormal sounds prior to the failure; on other occasions, the check engine warning light was illuminated and a message indicating that the vehicle was overheating was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed three times out of the five to a Cadillac dealer and a Ford dealer. The dealers replaced the water pump, the alternator and an unknown part; however, the failure persisted. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed to slow for a traffic sign however, the brake pedal went to the floorboard. The contact pumped the brake pedal repeatedly, but the brake functionality had not returned. The contact was close enough to her residence, so she drove the vehicle back to the residence and shifted into park(P) and turned the vehicle off. The contact stated that the brake warning light was illuminated after the vehicle lost braking functionality. The contact's father inspected the vehicle a determined that there was no brake fluid in the brake fluid reservoir. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving approximately 20-30 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed, but there was resistance, and the brakes was slow to respond. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the brake pedal was firm and had to be pumped several times to respond. The contact stated that the brake hose had ruptured. The brake fluid warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to get the vehicle off the road. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer and the contact was informed that there was brake fluid on the brake pads and the brake pads needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving out of a parking space, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact pulled into a parking space and coasted the vehicle to the curb until it stopped. The message "No Brake Fluid", and a message regarding the parking brake were displayed. Additionally, the contact stated that brake fluid had leaked significantly onto the ground. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V162000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. …
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2018 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. The front brake hoses may rupture and leak brake fluid.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front brake hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 27, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S12.
NHTSA investigations
Front Brake Jounce Hose Failures
On August 8, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 50 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging front brake jounce hose ruptures on model year (MY) 2013-2018 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles. A ruptured front brake hose results in a brake fluid leak.
Brake complaints in other Fusion years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2017 Ford Fusion?
NHTSA has 102 complaints about the brakes of the 2017 Ford Fusion, 9% of the model year's 1,115 complaints. The component named most often is antilock › abs warning light (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Ford Fusion brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 23V-162 (hoses, lines/piping, and fittings, Mar 10, 2023). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2017 Ford Fusion brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 11 crashes, 1 fire and 7 injuries to brakes 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.