Wheel & Tire complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 4 | 2% | 28,000 miles |
| 2019 | 2 | 1% | 31,000 miles |
| 2018 | 11 | 2% | 58,000 miles |
| 2017 | 24 | 2% | 45,000 miles |
| 2016 | 46 | 3% | 50,000 miles |
| 2015 | 26 | 3% | 52,000 miles |
| 2014 | 40 | 3% | 45,000 miles |
| 2013 | 37 | 2% | 63,000 miles |
| 2012 | 38 | 2% | 51,000 miles |
| 2011 | 52 | 2% | 78,000 miles |
| 2010 | 158 | 3% | 50,000 miles |
| 2009 | 15 | 1% | 65,000 miles |
| 2008 | 6 | 0% | 20,000 miles |
| 2007 | 30 | 3% | 29,000 miles |
| 2006 | 11 | 2% | 11,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The front left lower control arm (driver's side) snapped off (broke) while turning a corner. There was no reason for the breakage other than turning. It was repaired through insurance. The driver's safety as well as the safety of pedestrians were put at risk because the breakage forced the car to turn sharply to the left. Because of this, the vehicle struck a utility pole. The pole had very little damage, but damage was done to the car. The policeman at the scene inspected the damage, as well as the insurance adjuster in the days following the accident. No warning lights or messages were displayed before the control arm broke. If this had happened at hi-way speeds, it is likely that the resulting loss of control would have resulted in a multi-vehicle accident, resulting in fatalities.
Constantly with this specific vehicle, especially with the lane assist. The vehicle continuously jerks either left or right even within the green parameters of the lane, especially when doing a slight turn on the highway. When it is raining the vehicle smart as go offline an cannot read the lane or the vehicle in front of it. When I first purchased the vehicle after driving for less than a year I had to take the vehicle in because the engine was warped. Constantly when I'm the vehicle the Apple car play system would either freeze or the screen would go black.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. The contact stated during a routine oil change and tire rotation, the contact was informed that the lug nuts were swollen and needed to be cut off to be removed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.
At a. Recent appointment at local Ford dealer, I was told that tires could not be rotated due to swollen lug nuts. I perceive that as a safety concern as in event of a flat out out on the road, I would be stranded. Dealer quoted a price of over $250 to replace. Seems to me that this should be Fords responsibility. I feel uneasy driving my Fusion now.
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 stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, he heard a popping sound from the passenger's side rear tire. The contact stated that the TPMS warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled off the roadway and observed that the tire had lost a significant amount of air pressure and needed to be changed. The contact stated that while attempting to remove the lug nuts using the factory provided lug wrench, the wrench was unable to fit the lug nuts. The contact stated that roadside assistance arrived and it was difficult to remove the lug nuts. The contact stated that after much effort, the flat tire was removed and replaced with the spare tire. …
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion equipped with Michelin Tires, Tire Line: Energy Saver A/S, Tire Size: 235/45/R18, DOT Number: (Unknown). The contact stated while driving at MPH, the TPMS warning light illuminated. While the contact was attempting to pull over, the driver's side rear tire experienced a blowout. The contact was able to change the tire with the spare tire with the assistance of the local authorities. The contact later took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who discovered a nail in the tire which lead to the failure. The tire had been replaced. The tire failure mileage was approximately 20,000. The vehicle failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the lug nuts were swollen and were unable to be removed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that there was a defect with the lug nuts. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer for tire rotation and the contact was informed that the lug nuts were swollen. The contact declined the repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA but, provided no further assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 44,010.
Related recalls (1)
Wheels › Lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
Ford is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Ford fusion and Mercury milan vehicles equipped with 17 inch steel wheels and built from April 1, 2009, through April 30, 2009, and from December 1, 2009, through November 13, 2010. The wheel studs May fracture, potentially causing a wheel to separate.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear brake disc surface for flatness and replace the discs as necessary. Additionally, the wheel lug nuts will be replaced on all four wheels.
NHTSA investigations
Tire valve cracking
On October 14, 2008, odi opened pe08-060 to investigate allegations of cracked and leaking snap-in tire valves in model year (my) 2007 vehicles manufactured by Ford motor company.the valves were supplied to Ford by topseal auto-parts, a subsidiary of the shanghai baolong automotive corporation in china.valves made by topseal for aftermarket sale were the subject of two recent safety recalls by tech international…
Wheel Stud Fracture
On January 21, 2011, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE11-003) to investigate alleged wheel stud fractures in certain model year (MY) 2010 Ford Fusion vehicles.ODI sent the manufacturer an information request letter dated February 8, 2011 and Ford responded by letter dated March 25, 2011.Ford provided a supplemental response by letter dated July 15, 2011.To date, ODI is…
Wheel Mounting Stud Fracture
To date, the agency is aware of 84 consumer complaints and 361 warranty claims related to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles.In total, 382 subject vehicles reportedly experienced one or more wheel stud fractures, resulting in 7 alleged wheel separation incidents.Most of the reported wheel stud fractures occurred on subject vehicles originally equipped with 17 inch diameter steel wheels (368 of 382) as did…
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Fusion years have wheel & tire problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2010 (158), 2011 (52), 2016 (46), 2014 (40) and 2012 (38) model years. Wheel & Tire complaints make up 3% of all complaints for the 2010.
Is there a recall for Ford Fusion wheel & tire problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 11V-574 (lugs/nuts/bolts/studs, Dec 7, 2011). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford Fusion wheel & tire problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 51,000 miles; 51% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the lugs/nuts/bolts/studs (93 mentions), followed by the pressure monitoring and regulating systems (9).
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.