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2013 Ford Fusion: sudden loss of power

77 of the 1,793 complaints about the 2013 Ford Fusion describe sudden loss of power.

owner complaints
77
of this car's complaints
4%
typical repair cost reported
$1,800
typical mileage
72,000
recalls
2
Is there a fix? There are 2 recalls and 21 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below

Sudden loss of power by model year

What owners say

Filed Mar 30, 2026 · Steering · OH

Power steering / power steering assist failure. Complete loss of power steering

Filed Jan 18, 2026 · CA

Vehicle: 2013 Ford Fusion Mileage: ~165,000 miles Issue Type: Engine stalls / loss of power My 2013 Ford Fusion has experienced intermittent engine stalling and hesitation since early ownership. The vehicle will stall or “putter” when slowing down or coming to a stop, often without warning. When this occurs, the engine shuts off and the vehicle must be put into park and restarted. Restarting is sometimes delayed or hesitant. This issue occurs without any warning lights or diagnostic trouble codes appearing on the dashboard, making it difficult for dealerships and mechanics to diagnose. The problem has persisted for years and has occurred multiple times under normal driving conditions. This defect presents a serious safety risk, as the vehicle can lose power unexpectedly while in traffic, at intersections, or during braking. Loss of engine power in these situations creates a high risk of collision. The vehicle has been inspected multiple times, including by dealerships, but the issue could not be identified due to the absence of fault codes. This appears to be a design or component defect that does not reliably trigger diagnostic warnings. I am reporting this as a safety-related defect involving unexpected engine stalling and loss of power. The date I marked you asked below is the most current but as I stated it’s been happening since a month after purchasing the car brand new.

Filed Feb 20, 2025 · Engine · TX

Engine was losing power while driving. Upon inspection of engine it was noticed that coolant was being lost. I took it to dealership and was told I needed a new engine. I went ahead and got the engine replaced at the ford dealership. I was told this would fix the issue. After having the car back I noticed I was still losing coolant. I took it back and they claimed to have fixed the leak in coolant system. It was fine for a while but it’s back to losing coolant with no visible signs of where the coolant is going.

Filed Jan 28, 2025 · Steering · 161,000 miles · MO

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering functionality. The contact stated that the steering wheel failed to turn to the right or the left. The power steering failure message was displayed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 161,000.

Filed Mar 21, 2024 · Brakes, Steering · KY

Power steering assist light appears and you lose power steering which is hard to turn the wheel at all. I’ve had it looked in to and they say it’s a steering problem for years in them models

Filed Jan 8, 2024 · Engine · 160,000 miles · GA · fire

The fire started in the engine, unsure of exact cause according to the fire report. My wife [XXX] ), I, and my one year old daughter’s safety was compromised bc there was no warning until a minute before us realizing fire and exited the vehicle. Car was investigated by local department. Check engine light flashing crazy less than a minute before car loss power INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Aug 8, 2023 · Steering · MI

I was driving on 7/26/2023 and the power steering system malfunctioned, resulting in complete loss of power steering. I received a warning message: "Steering Assist Malfunction Service Required" I lost control of the vehicle momentarily until I realized I could still steer, but with great difficulty. I pulled over, turned off the car, restarted it and regained power steering for a few seconds before it failed again, giving the aforementioned warning message. From that point, power steering was completely lost and did not come back after stopping and restarting again. Fortunately, I was able to get my car home without incident but it was very difficult to steer and making tight turns was impossible. I took the vehicle to Varsity Ford in Ann Arbor, MI who told me, "The power steering rack has an internal failure that won't reset or clear." They indicated that the only way to restore the power steering is by replacing the electronic power steering rack. I was quoted $3950.80 for this and my car is currently undergoing repair because I need a mode of transportation. There is a known issue with the Ford Fusion (https://www.consumerreports.org/consumerist/ford-recalls-nearly-445k-vehicles-for-power-steering-failure-fuel-leak-issues/) and Ford has issued recalls for 2011 to 2013 model years. Mine is a 2013, but the specific model (Energi) is not covered. I experienced the same issue so Ford's recall should cover the Energi model and I should be reimbursed for the repair costs.

Filed Aug 3, 2023 · Steering · 111,000 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, the message "EPS Warning System" was displayed, and the vehicle suddenly lost power steering assist functionality, causing the steering wheel to become very difficult to steer. The contact stated that he turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the steering wheel responded as needed. However, upon starting the vehicle the following day, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the electric power steering (EPS) system. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure was related to the federal safety agency Campaign number: 15V250000 (Steering). The local dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 111,000.

Filed May 1, 2023 · Steering · NY

While traveling at low speed and making a turn, sometimes loss of power steering assist that is requiring a greater steering effort occurs. Increasing the risk of a crash. Dashboard warning lights turns on as in the attached photos. Similar problem resulted as a recall for certain 2013-2016 Ford Fusion vehicles, Steering Gear Motor Bolt Corrosion. However my vehicle, which is assembled in Hermosillo, Mexico, has exact same issue this recall mentions were not recalled by Ford. the federal safety agency Safety Recall: 19S26

Filed Apr 3, 2023 · Steering · CA

My vehicle steering has failed/is failing. While driving I had intermittent loss of power steering and a knocking noise when turning the wheel in any direction which has been confirmed by my local ford dealer. They have stated that the electric rack and pinion is the issue. I didn’t receive any notification on my dashboard. It seems this is an ongoing problem with my year vehicle in other states.

Filed Jan 18, 2023 · Brakes, Steering · 125,000 miles · NJ

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle would unintendedly drift to the left. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle lost power steering functionality. A warning message indicating power steering failure was displayed. The contact was able to continue driving by using physical force to steer the vehicle. The contact later received notification of the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for recall repair; however, after the recall repair, the power steering failure increased significantly. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000.

Filed Jan 2, 2023 · Steering · OH

The steering gear failed while driving and I had a total loss of power steering. I had no warning when this fault occurred, and the only warning came after the event. The original part that malfunctioned is not available for inspection, nor was it inspected by any other agency prior to its replacement. Loss of power steering while driving is incredibly dangerous, thankfully no accident occurred due to this failure.

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

Engine and engine cooling: engineReported March 27, 2017 · 208,584 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Escape, 2014-2015 Fiesta ST, 2013-2014 Fusion and 2013-2015 Transit Connect vehicles equipped with 1.6L GTDI engines. If the vehicle is started and driven with an insufficient level of coolant within the engine cooling system, the engine cylinder head may overheat, crack and leak oil.
Risk
If the cylinder head cracks and leaks oil, the oil may contact a hot engine or exhaust component, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install a coolant level sensor and the supporting hardware and software, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed April 21, 2017. The recall began on January 5, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S09.

Recall number 17V209000 · Recall details

Engine and engine coolingReported December 3, 2012 · 80,057 vehicles affected
What is wrong
This is an update to a recently announced recall. Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from October 5, 2011, through November 26, 2012, equipped with 1.6L engines, as well as certain model year 2013 Fusion vehicles manufactured from February 3, 2012, through November 29, 2012, equipped with 1.6L engines. Coolant system leaks may cause the engines to overheat and leak flammable engine fluids.
Risk
If flammable engine fluids come in contact with the vehicle’s hot exhaust system, a vehicle fire could occur.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine for coolant system leaks and reprogram the vehicle’s powertrain control module and instrument cluster with an updated calibration and overheat strategy software. There will be no charge to owners for this service. Owners were recently notified to contact dealers to arrange for alternative transportation as Ford developed a remedy. Owners will be shortly receiving notifications to contact Ford dealers to schedule the free remedy repair. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1‑866‑436‑7332.

Recall number 12V551000 · Recall details

Questions about the 2013 Ford Fusion loss of power

Is sudden loss of power a common problem on the 2013 Ford Fusion?

77 of 1,793 owner complaints about the 2013 Ford Fusion (4%) mention sudden loss of power. The model year with the most reports is 2010.

How much does it cost to fix sudden loss of power on the 2013 Ford Fusion?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,800 (median of 10 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2013 Ford Fusion?

There are 2 recalls and 21 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2013 Ford Fusion

Power steering loss 174Door locks 171Overheating 168Stalling 143Check engine light 113Fire or smoke 88Engine failure 58Jerking 45Steering lock-up 38Airbag light 36Won't shift 33Seat belt 29Won't start 29No deployment 26ABS 22Hesitation 22Backup camera 17Fuel pump 17Headlights 17Transmission failure 17Misfire 16Harsh shifting 15Wipers 15Slipping 13Shudder 12Brake failure 11Adaptive cruise 10Fuel gauge 10Fuel leak 10Grinding brakes 9Fuel smell 9Screen failure 7Warning lights 7Ball joint 6Battery drain 6Knocking 5Key fob 5Lane assist 5Water leak 5

All model years of the Ford Fusion

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