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Ford Fusion Reliability by Year

Every Fusion model year from 2006 to 2020, scored on reported failures weighted against how many were sold — and ranked against every other Mid-Size Passenger Car of the same year.

The short answer

Best model year
2009
#33 of 52 that year
Year to avoid
2010
#43 of 46 that year
Latest scored
2020
#28 of 38

Across 15 scored model years the Fusion needs fixing about as often as its class, but repairs run costlier than average. The spread between years is what matters: 2009 is its strongest, 2010 its weakest.

Every model year, scored

Longer bar is better. Rank is against every Mid-Size Passenger Car sold that same model year.

YearRelative standingClass rankPctl
2006#44 /5622th
2007#44 /5622th
2008#42 /5321th
2009#33 /5237thBest year
2010#43 /467thAvoid
2011#45 /486th
2012#40 /437th
2013#44 /5012th
2014#43 /4811th
2015#39 /5022th
2016#43 /479th
2017#43 /5014th
2018#32 /4326th
2019#39 /4717th
2020#28 /3827th

Across all 15 model years on record, the line has held a weak position in its class.

What tends to break

All 12 systems, measured against the class average for each model year.

Every Fusion model year is scored across 12 separate systems — engine, transmission, brakes, electrical, steering and suspension, structure, interior, and five more. Each system is compared against how often that same system fails on the average Mid-Size Passenger Car of the same year, so a common failure is judged against how common it is everywhere else.

Across the last three model years (2018–2020), the trouble concentrates in one place: powertrain. That system draws issue reports more often than the same system on the average Mid-Size Passenger Car of its year — which changes what you should be inspecting before you buy.

🔒 System-by-system breakdown
All 12 systems scored for the Fusion year you are looking at — which ones fail more often than the class, by how much, and on how many reports.
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How it compares to the class

All 38 Mid-Size Passenger Cars from 2020, plotted by how often they need fixes and what those fixes cost.

🔒 The whole class, plotted
Where the Fusion lands against every other 2020 Mid-Size Passenger Car — and which rivals beat it.
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Common questions

What is the best year for a used Ford Fusion?

2009 is the strongest Fusion model year on record, ranking #33 of 52 Mid-Size Passenger Cars that year.

Which Ford Fusion years should I avoid?

2010 is the weakest year in the model's history, ranking #43 of 46.

Is the latest Fusion reliable?

The 2020 Fusion ranks #28 of 38 Mid-Size Passenger Cars — the lower half of its class.

Where does this data come from?

Failure reports filed with NHTSA — submitted by vehicle owners and repair shops alike — weighted against US sales volumes so a high-volume model is not penalised for selling well, then benchmarked within segment and model year.

See the full picture for your Fusion

All 12 systems scored, the whole class plotted, and a downloadable Full Model Report for any year — 6,000+ vehicles in the dashboard.

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How this was built. Scores derive from failure reports filed with NHTSA — submitted by vehicle owners and repair shops alike — weighted against US sales volumes and benchmarked within segment and model year. We measure two separate things: Fix Frequency — how often a vehicle needs fixing — and Fix Severity — how costly those fixes are. These figures describe a model line, not the specific vehicle in front of you; trim, mileage and service history still decide an individual car.