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2017 Ford Fusion: fire, smoke or burning smell

46 of the 1,116 complaints about the 2017 Ford Fusion describe fire, smoke or burning smell.

owner complaints
46
of this car's complaints
4%
typical mileage
85,000
recalls
0
Is there a fix? 69 service bulletins cover this area of the car. See below

Fire, smoke or burning smell by model year

What owners say

Filed Sep 22, 2026 · Transmission · LA

I was driving my 2017 Ford Fusion Platinum on my way home and the wrench light came on and said check manual when i looked in my app the only thing that was in the maintenance was my 90k maintenance . my car is driving fine no RPM jumping no smoking no burning smell no shaking nothing ( the wrench light was off when i cranked it to take my daughter to work Saturday morning ) well Saturday on my way home from bring my daughter to work my check engine light came on still my car is driving fine when i looked in my Ford App at the check engine light warning which was these two warnings The transmission control system has detected the transmission torque converter clutch is not operating as expected. Additional alerts that may provide additional information may accompany this alert .A reduction in vehicle fuel economy may also occur when the fault is present. The transmission control module has detected that the torque converter clutch failed to apply. This system failsafe logic disables the torque converter clutch when this condition is present. This results in a higher than normal engine RPM's during higher vehicle cruising speeds and reduced fuel economy. now my car is still driving fine. i took it to auto zone to put the computer on it and it read this code P0741 which gives this Torque Converter Clutch Circuit Performance or Stuck Off, which indicates that the vehicle's computer commanded the torque converter clutch to lock up, but it is failing to do so. i took it to our ford dealer ship and he stated oh yes you need a whole new transmission which is 7200$ do you want to pay now .... Im shocked that my car would need a new transmission... i have seen recalls for Torque Converter for the fusion .. but my vin is not showing this recall is there anyone else experiencing this

Filed Aug 30, 2025 · Engine · UT

My vehicle had been experiencing overheating issues for several years. This would cause my car to go into limp mode making it dangerous for me and other cars around me to have to go around me. This issue is related to a manufacturing defect caused by the design of the motor cooling system. As a result of this defect I had to pay $8k+ to have this car repaired with a new engine. I am thankful no one was hurt or killed as a result of this defect. It could have caused my car to start on fire. Ford needs to take responsibility for this issue.

Filed Jul 30, 2025 · Engine · 196,000 miles · MI

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that there was white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe on cold starts and while driving at various speeds. The check engine warning light and the low coolant warning light were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the cylinders through a cracked engine block. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The mechanic informed the contact that it was known failure and referred the contact to a dealer for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 196,000.

Filed Jun 24, 2025 · Engine · 95,000 miles · GA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jolted and there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a coolant intrusion and a blown head gasket. The mechanic related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N12. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired because the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.

Filed Jun 18, 2025 · Engine · 120,000 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that there was coolant leaking into the engine and there was smoke coming from the exhaust. The contact stated that the engine was overheating. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where a pressure test was performed and determined that the engine was not maintaining the proper engine pressure, and coolant was entering the cylinder walls. The contact called the local dealer, who confirmed there was no recall coverage for the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Filed Jun 10, 2025 · Engine · AZ

Noticed difficulty starting the vehicle and smoke coming out of the exhaust and the check engine light came on with code PO302. Found this was associated with coolant leaking into the engine which caused the coolant level to decrease and had to add coolant to prevent the car from over heating. These leaking fluids could have leaked onto exhaust parts causing the smoke and possibly could have started a fire in the vehicle. I took the vehicle to Rodeo Ford in Goodyear Az. and they confirmed the code displayed and smoke coming from the exhaust and had to add more coolant right away. They confirmed coolant was leaking into the engine and checked for the recall and said my vehicle was not listed as part of the recall even though other 2017 Ford Fusions were part of the recall. They replaced the engine costing me $10,039.35 and said that the vehicle may be added later to the recall the federal safety agency Recall ID 17V209

Filed May 27, 2025 · Engine · 47,000 miles · TN

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle lost motive power with a misfire coming from the engine. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that the next day, when the vehicle was started, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a misfire coming from the spark plugs. The vehicle was taken to the residence. The contact stated that while driving to the residence, the temperature gauge went to Hot. The contact checked the coolant reservoir and became aware that the coolant reservoir was empty. The contact added coolant. The following morning the vehicle was started, and there was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 47,000.

Filed May 2, 2025 · Engine · 150,000 miles · IL

The contact’s daughter owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal amount of white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated while starting, with the message "Coolant Level Low" displayed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the vehicle had experienced coolant intrusion and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

Filed Apr 28, 2025 · Engine · NJ

Coolant leak on engine leading to white smoke coming out of exhaust engine is on brink of ruin. This model is not covered underneath any of the recalls, even though it has the eco-boost. Diagnosed by Ford dealership.

Filed Apr 18, 2025 · Engine · 110,000 miles · OH

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine coolant temperature warning light illuminated. There was white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Filed Apr 18, 2025 · Engine · 122,000 miles · IL

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, he noticed white smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle. The check engine and coolant warning lights illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that coolant was leaking into cylinder #3 and that the engine would need to be inspected. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and provided the contact with the recall number, and opened a case. The contact was relating to the failure of Technical Service Bulletin: 22-2134 (Low Coolant, White Exhaust Smoke And/or Illuminated); however, the VIN was not included in the bulletin. The contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 122,000.

Filed Mar 18, 2025 · Engine · CA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 60 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power, with white smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over to the shoulder lane and parked the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine had experienced coolant intrusion and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Questions about the 2017 Ford Fusion fire or smoke

Is fire, smoke or burning smell a common problem on the 2017 Ford Fusion?

46 of 1,116 owner complaints about the 2017 Ford Fusion (4%) mention fire, smoke or burning smell. The model year with the most reports is 2013.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2017 Ford Fusion?

There are 0 recalls and 69 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2017 Ford Fusion

Check engine light 294Overheating 167Engine failure 148Misfire 126Stalling 82Won't shift 47Loss of power 41Transmission failure 39Hesitation 31Jerking 31Won't start 26Shudder 19Brake failure 18Power steering loss 16Battery drain 11Harsh shifting 11ABS 8Grinding brakes 8No deployment 7Backup camera 7Slipping 7Wipers 7Airbag light 6Headlights 6Steering lock-up 6Knocking 5Rollaway 5Start-stop 5

All model years of the Ford Fusion

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