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2017 Ford Fusion: complete transmission failure

39 of the 1,116 complaints about the 2017 Ford Fusion describe complete transmission failure.

owner complaints
39
of this car's complaints
3%
typical repair cost reported
$4,900
typical mileage
94,000
recalls
1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 21 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below

Complete transmission failure by model year

What owners say

Filed Oct 6, 2026 · Steering, Suspension · SC

The automatic transmission failed at approximately 59,000 miles. The vehicle was delivered to an authorized Ford dealership on 09/04/2025 for warranty repair. The transmission was replaced. The vehicle remained at that dealership approximately eight months and was returned to me on or about 05/01/2026. After return, a grinding and clunking noise was present when accelerating, turning, braking and going over bumps. A power steering line failed within days of return and emitted smoke from the front of the vehicle while driving. A "Shift System Fault" message began appearing when shifting into reverse and continues to appear intermittently. The same dealership performed three further repair visits. Their repair orders document multiple loose bolts holding the transmission mount to the transmission, an improperly installed exhaust, and a loose right hand CV shaft nut. On 08/14/2026 I took the vehicle to a second, unaffiliated authorized Ford dealership for an independent inspection. On a lift they found all four subframe bolts loose, the right front subframe bolt not fully seated and cross threaded so that it could not be tightened further, and the four smaller rear subframe bolts missing entirely. They also documented that no one-time-use fasteners had been billed on the original transmission repair. They tightened the loose bolts, replaced the cross threaded bolt, installed the four missing bolts, and confirmed by road test that the noise was eliminated. The subframe carries the engine, transmission and front suspension. The vehicle was driven approximately 1,700 miles over roughly three months, including highway driving, in this condition before the loose and missing fasteners were found. Repair orders from both dealerships are available for inspection.

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 Jul 23, 2026 · Transmission · SC

I was coming home from work and when I tried to shift the gear from drive to park it was stuck on drive and Neutral I contacted the car dealer and they said ford has had this issue that it was a recall on it so I researched and found out that Ford issued major safety recalls (Recall 22S43 and 18S20) for 2017 Ford Fusions regarding a degraded transmission shifter cable bushing. This defect can cause the shifter cable to detach. Consequently, the car may roll away unexpectedly because the transmission isn't actually in Park, even though the shifter says it is.Recall DetailsThe Problem: The underhood shift cable bushing can degrade and fail over time.The Remedy: Ford dealers will replace the transmission shifter cable bushing and add a protective cap over it free of charge (parts and labor). It my VIN# was not coming up as a recall and this is an ongoing issue for this car and I would like to get this resolved as soon as possible with ford recall please thank you

Filed Feb 26, 2026 · Engine · 119,322 miles · KY

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously taken to a local dealer, and the transmission was replaced; however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shaking abnormally while the accelerator pedal was depressed. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer provided the contact with a rental vehicle. The vehicle was diagnosed with coolant intrusion in cylinders #2 and #4, DTC: P0316; and associated the failure with Customer Satisfaction Program: 19B37. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact associated the failure with TSB 22-2322; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,322.

Filed Dec 18, 2025 · Transmission · MN

Wrench light came on my car while driving 30mph, then the engine light. Had it diagnosed & I am told my car that went to the shop with code p0741 needs a NEW transmission!! 54, 618 miles only. Fix is $6800.00. I was told not to drive the car as it could seize up.

Filed Jul 1, 2025 · Transmission · 111,700 miles · VA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. While the contact's husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle stalled in the middle of traffic. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,700.

Filed Jan 14, 2025 · Transmission · 10,000 miles · MO

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while attempting to drive out of the driveway, the vehicle could only be shifted into reverse. The contact stated that the transmission failed to shift into drive. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Filed Oct 10, 2024 · Transmission · IL

Transmission failed on the highway with no prior signs...check engine light came up and the car would not go to higher gears and RPM was high and loud that i had to pull off the road onto gravel.

Filed Sep 7, 2024 · Engine · CA

Transmission went out , 2017 fusion had recall with something with transmission never got notice from

Filed Aug 29, 2024 · Transmission · CA

While driving my Ford Fusion on the highway at a constant speed of 65 mph, a service light appeared on the dashboard, and the car suddenly lost power to the wheels even though the engine was still running. Fortunately, I was able to pull over to the side of the road safely since there wasn't much traffic at the time. However, had this been a busy road, it could have caused a major accident. I turned off the car and restarted it. However, the problem still persisted, and the car would not shift gears (it has an automatic transmission with a center console shifter dial). I had my car towed to my Ford dealer, and they determined that the transmission had failed. The Ford service manager stated that the transmissions on this particular era Ford Fusion were poorly designed and that many of their customers needed to replace their transmissions on this model as well as several models of the Ford Explorer from the same time period. The vehicle ran perfectly fine for many years previously. Just before the transmission failed (perhaps about 20-50 miles worth of driving before it failed), I had experience several instances of the car having trouble shift out of neutral into drive and reverse, often with a delay in shifting and a slight jolt, which was barely noticeable, when it did shift. I had brought the car to the dealer, and they weren't able to find any problems and said that it worked fine. There were no error codes generated to indicate that there was a problem either. My vehicle is only a little over 5000 miles beyond its 60,000 mile warranty, and the service manager stated that he tells owners that owners "are lucky if they their car makes it to 70,000 miles before the transmission fails". Given that there were few symptoms (which I believe would go unnoticed by most drivers) of a potential failure, the sudden loss of power to the wheels, and that this is a known common issue by Ford, this is major safety issue that must be addressed.

Filed Jul 2, 2024 · Engine, Transmission · MO

I was driving the car and it started to overheat so I pulled over. I then drove the car to my home and it had a miss in the engine along with white smoke coming out of the exhaust. After getting home I checked the coolant and it was low so i filled it up and as the car sat there idling you could see the coolant disappear and the white smoke and rough idle. I could not see where the coolant leaked out on the ground. I also had to have the transmission replace at the dealership I bought it from due to transmission complete failure. Time to recall this make and model. 1. Engine, Transmission failure 2. Sitting along the highway in the middle of no where.. a woman, you can guess, not safe!! 3.Yes Transmission replaced by dealership and Engine confirmed by service center to have coolant in cylinders. 4. No warning lights at all for either. Only temp gage for overheating.

Filed Jun 3, 2024 · Engine, Transmission · 153,000 miles · VA

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, it was difficult shifting gear. The contact stated that the vehicle was slow to respond. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was experiencing transmission failure. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 17V427000 (Power Train). The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 153,000.

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

Power train: automatic transmission: torque converterReported July 6, 2017 · 6,026 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Lincoln MKZ and Ford Edge and Fusion vehicles. On vehicles with 2.0L gas engines and six-speed automatic transmissions, the torque converter weld studs may have been inadequately welded.
Risk
If the torque converter weld studs fail, the torque converter will not be connected to the engine flexplate and the vehicle will lose the ability to move, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Ford or Lincoln will notify owners, and dealers will replace the torque converters, free of charge. The recall began August 25, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S16.

Recall number 17V427000 · Recall details

Questions about the 2017 Ford Fusion transmission failure

Is complete transmission failure a common problem on the 2017 Ford Fusion?

39 of 1,116 owner complaints about the 2017 Ford Fusion (3%) mention complete transmission failure. The model year with the most reports is 2010.

How much does it cost to fix complete transmission failure on the 2017 Ford Fusion?

Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $4,900 (median of 5 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 2017 Ford Fusion?

There is 1 recall and 21 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 47Fire or smoke 46Loss of power 41Hesitation 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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