The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel seized, with the steering assist failure message displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the steering assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
The worst 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Steering43
- Airbags34
- Brakes24
- Engine12
- Transmission12
- Electrical11
- Driver assistance9
- Body6
- Acceleration5
- Fuel system4
- Lights1
- Seats1
- Suspension1
- Visibility1
- Wheels1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid
Power steering loss 17ABS 14Loss of power 14Steering lock-up 9Engine failure 8Brake failure 6Jerking 5Stalling 5
Recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Defect investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
the federal safety agency received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, the federal safety agency opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified the federal safety agency he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by the federal safety agency regarding the subject matter of the petition.
DP22005
Electric power steering failure
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate complaints of the loss of power steering while driving. The subject vehicles are equipped with a rack mounted Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) unit.Some of the complaints alleged that the steering assist failed and resulted in increased steering efforts that contributed to a loss of control and in some cases a crash.The EPAS system was manufactured by TRW Automotive for Ford and was designated as Generation I.These units were first produced and put into vehicle production in July 2008 beginning with the model year (MY) 2010 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan.The system is comprised of a mechanical steering rack-and-pinion gear with torque sensor, electric assist motor, motor position sensor and a power steering control module (PSCM). The PSCM is self-monitoring and designed to detect faults within the system and can store diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) if a problem is detected.There are 29 potential DTCs the system can detect.Many of these allow the system to go into reduced-assist steering mode by using the default vehicle speed signal should the live speed signal be lost, if voltage to EPAS system falls below 10.7 or goes above 17 volts, the temperature at the PSCM goes above 105C (221F), or if high friction is detected.Some DTCs will cause the system to go into manual steering mode (no assist). On July 1, 2015, Ford filed a Defect Information Report (DIR) identifying a safety related defect in TRW GEN I EPAS systems installed in some of the subject vehicles (the federal safety agency Recall 15V‑340, Ford No. 15S18).The DIR indicated that intermittent electrical connections caused by quality issues associated with conformal coat contamination and ribbon cable pin misalignment within the steering gear motor may lead to a loss of the motor position sensor signal, resulting in a sudden loss of power assist while driving.The recall covers approximately 393,623 vehicles built from September 2010 through February 2012:2011-12 Fusion built SEP 2010 - FEB 2012; 2011-12 Lincoln MKZ built SEP 2010 - FEB 2012; 2011 Milan built SEP 2010 - DEC 2010; 2011-13 Taurus built SEP 2010 - FEB 2012; 2011-13 Flex with 3.5L GTDI engine built SEP 2010 - FEB 2012; and 2011-13 MKS, MKT with 3.5L GTDI engine built SEP 2010 - FEB 2012.The repair consists of updating the PSCM software to prevent a loss of steering assist while driving. The revised software will provide audible and visual warnings to the driver. If one or more of the following DTCs are stored, C1B00-62, C200B-2F, C200B-61, C200B-62, C200C-2F, C200D-49, U0300-00, U2011-49, U2011-61, U3000-46, U3000-49, U3000-61, U3000-72, U3000-96, P07AE-09, the dealer will replace the EPAS system at no charge to the owner.ODI's analysis of failure data for this PE identified a total of 2,584 complaints to ODI and Ford and 9,967 Ford warranty claims related to the alleged defect.The recalled vehicles account for 1,634 of the complaints and 7,311 of the warranty claims.ODI's analysis identified 40 complaints alleging crashes that may be related to loss of steering assist while driving, 20 of which involved vehicles included in Ford's recall.The information available for the alleged crashes were not sufficient to assess specific causes of the incidents or to verify EPAS malfunctions in each case.Most of the crashes were low-speed impacts with curbs or roadside objects resulting in wheel or minor body damage.None of the injury claims indicated medical attention was required.In addition, statistical modeling of the failure data by the federal safety agency's National Center for Statistics and Analysis projected 10-year failur
PE14030
Floor mat interference with accelerator
On May 27, 2014, Ford Motor Company submitted recall 14E-028 (Ford recall #14S07) to correct a safety-related problem with certain driver's side Ford optional all-weather floor mats sold for use in model year 2006 through 2011 model year Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr, and Lincoln MKZ vehicles built at Hermosillo Assembly Plant (HAP) from November 9, 2007, to October 31 ,2010.the federal safety agency testing determined that the original accessory all-weather mat with a single retention clip (Figure 1), may interfere with accelerator pedal return to idle with the mat retained by the clip and rotated clockwise.Both the single- and double-clip (Figure 2) all-weather floor mats may interfere with the accelerator pedal return to idle when the mats are not secured by the retention clip(s).Testing showed that this can occur if the mats are moved forward from the clipped position approximately two inches into a position in which the rear edge of the mats will abut the retention clip(s) when installed singly and align with the clip(s) when stacked on another floor mat.The pedal interference incidents reviewed by the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) include 1 crash and 9 incidents with allegations of brake friction materials smoking and/or requiring repair for heat related damage.The crash incident occurred after the parking brake was applied at speed, resulting in loss-of-control vehicle yaw event caused by lock-up of the rear tires.The spin-out resulted in a side impact collision with an oncoming vehicle in an opposing lane of traffic. For the 29 incidents with sufficient information available to make an assessment; 23 (79%) were controlled by the driver either shifting to neutral, turning the engine off, or both; 4 (14%) were ended by the driver either kicking the pedal free (2) or pulling the mat away from the pedal (2); and 2 (7%) were ended by the pedal freeing itself from the mat with no apparent driver action.None of the drivers who reacted to the incident by shifting to neutral or turning the engine off reported any difficulties with either action.The subject mats were sold by Ford and Lincoln dealers directly to customers as an optional accessory equipment item or, beginning in November 2007, the mats were also available as a factory installed accessory if ordered with a new vehicle.Ford estimates that approximately 82,579 affected driver's side all weather floor mats were sold worldwide; either over the counter through Ford dealerships or as original equipment.Owners that purchased the subject all-weather floor mats as a factory installed accessory with their new vehicle will be notified to return their all weather floor mats to their Ford or Lincoln Dealership in exchange for replacement mats.Owners of all other potentially affected vehicles will be notified that, if they have an affected Ford driver's side all weather floor mat, they should return their mats to the dealership in exchange for replacement mats.The VOQs associated with the closing of this investigation are: 10327597, 10332233, 10334211, 10335336, 10339330, 10348772 (and duplicate 10342572), 10372674, 10379562, 10415911, 10426255, 10434107, 10521053, 10554966.This investigation is hereby closed.
EA12009
Technical service bulletins for the 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid 10
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- When performing any transmission fluid change or topoff involving Motorcraft® Premium ATF, MERCON® V has...
- Some 2010-2012 Fusion/Milan and 2011-2012 MKZ vehicles equipped with a 2.5L or 3.0L engine and electronic...
- Reduced electric vehicle operation and increased gasoline engine operation around 10 years of vehicle age...
- Certain 2010 â 2012 Model Year Fusion / MKZ / Milan Hybrid Vehicles Hybrid Battery Reduced Electric...
- Certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2005-2006 GT, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion & MKZ/Zephyr, 2006-2011 Milan,...
- Reduced electric vehicle operation and increased gasoline engine operation
- Ford: no service action is recommended for this condition
- Ford/lincoln: when flat towing vehicle, battery will drain, due to manual instruction of key remaining in...
- Fusion hybrid, lincoln mkz, mercury milan 2010-2011 may exhibit wrench light on with no driveability...
What 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the powertrain control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 142,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the steering wheel became inoperable. The contact drove the vehicle without power steering functionality downhill. The service power steering immediately message was displayed. The contact stated that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 170,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel was difficult to turn and failed to function as needed. Additionally, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with steering rack failure. The contact was informed that the steering rack needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The contact stated that the steering rack had been replaced five times starting in 2023. In addition, the contact stated that on several of the failures, the vehicle was undriveable and was towed to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,625.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 10-15 MPH and depressing the brake pedal several times, the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact drove in a circle and slammed on the brakes, and the vehicle responded. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the failure could be related to the ABS module. The mechanic informed the contact that it was a common failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was driven to the dealer and the contact was informed that the ABS warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was diagnosed with internal electronic failure of the ABS module. The dealer informed the contact that the VIN was not included in an unknown recall. The dealer informed the contact that parts were not available for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, she became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly. The contact stated that the "Service Power Steering" message was displayed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the power steering control module. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 150,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving down a hill at approximately 35 MPH, the "Service Power Steering Now" and Service Advance Track" messages were displayed before the power steering malfunctioned and the steering wheel became very difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the same failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 112,891.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle started shuddering and jerking inadvertently. The accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The power train warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull into a parking lot. The contact stated that the vehicle went into LIMP mode and emitted abnormal rattling sounds while shuddering. The contact turned off the vehicle for a moment. The contact stated that as she restarted the vehicle, the vehicle responded as needed and she was able to continue driving. However, four months later the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the throttle actuator was stuck in the closed position, and the throttle body needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact notified the local dealer and another unknown dealer who referred her to the federal safety agency hotline. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle experienced a loss of power steering assist. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the electric power steering assist needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering) however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was 99,847.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to stop as needed. The contact was informed that the Service Brake warning light illuminated. The vehicle eventually came to a rolling stop as the contact depressed the brake pedal to the floorboard. The vehicle resumed normal operation after being restarted. An independent mechanic was notified of the failure and informed the contact that he would not be able to diagnose the vehicle until the failure was persistent. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 205,000.
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Questions about the 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid
Is the 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid reliable?
Owners have filed 132 complaints about the 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid, 2.0 times a typical Fusion Hybrid model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid year score?
The 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid scores 49 out of 100 (below average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Ford Fusion Hybrid: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid?
Steering, with 43 complaints, typically around 81,000 miles. Next is airbags (34).
How many recalls does the 2011 Ford Fusion Hybrid have?
No recalls on record.
What year does the Ford Fusion Hybrid have bad steering?
The Ford Fusion Hybrid model years with the most steering complaints are 2010 (138 complaints), 2011 (43 complaints) and 2012 (36 complaints).
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