The front left lower control arm (driver's side) snapped off (broke) while turning a corner. There was no reason for the breakage other than turning. It was repaired through insurance. The driver's safety as well as the safety of pedestrians were put at risk because the breakage forced the car to turn sharply to the left. Because of this, the vehicle struck a utility pole. The pole had very little damage, but damage was done to the car. The policeman at the scene inspected the damage, as well as the insurance adjuster in the days following the accident. No warning lights or messages were displayed before the control arm broke. If this had happened at hi-way speeds, it is likely that the resulting loss of control would have resulted in a multi-vehicle accident, resulting in fatalities.
Ford Fusion ball joint problems
108 of the 22,467 owner complaints about the Ford Fusion describe ball joint or control arm failure, most of them for the 2012 model year.
- owner complaints
- 108
- worst model year
- 2012
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,600
- typical mileage
- 98,947
By model year
Often reported together
Power steering loss 24Steering lock-up 10Grinding brakes 10Engine failure 8Jerking 7Steering noise 4Harsh shifting 4Pulling 3
What owners say
While turning into a parking lot the lower control arm snapped (broke in half, approximately). The picture I sent is of a front lower control arm, however it is not a picture of the actual control arm that broke. After it broke, the car was forced into a sharp left turn, resulting in the car crashing into a telephone pole. The pole was not damaged but there was damage to the car.
Was driving at about 45mph on [XXX] on [XXX] and there was a lower control arm failure on the front passenger side of vehicle. Caused the vehicle to be inoperable. I was able to have someone pull me out of the way to not impeded traffic with the car in neutral but was unable to do much with it. It was late at night so I was unable to really access the damage. My wife had our insurance tow the vehicle to my home a few hours ago on [XXX] and it appears the lower control arm is gone, the axle has detached from the wheel (axle still hanging from bottom of car), pretty bad damage to the inner wheel well, passenger fender, and minor damage to the front bumper and passenger side skirt. I had read there was a recall on this vehicle online and wanted to find out more about my options. The car has just shy of 100k miles and is a daily driver. So I am stuck in a bad potisition with this. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I believe my car was missed in the steering rack recall. There’s a decent amount of side to side play that just moves the steering wheel not the wheels. The car will be all over the road. Also when I’m accelerating with my foot on the gas the steering stiffness up & goes back to feeling like normal under load. As soon as there’s no driving load it loosens back up. Today it randomly almost felt like the steering got stuck for a second while going straight then quickly jerked itself to the right then went back to feeling loose. I’ve replaced controls arms, ball joints, tie rods.I do not want to crash because fords negligence on not including my car in the recall. I’m still making payments on the car and can not afford money out of pocket to fix fords mistakes. Please help! My car needs this recall! I have videos upon being needed, it will only let me upload pictures.
Vehicle Make/Model/Year: Ford Fusion, 20XX (replace with your year) Component Affected: Suspension – lower control arm bushing or mount Summary of the problem: I am reporting a recurring and well-known issue with the lower control arm bushings on Ford Fusion models from 2013 and newer. In my case, the bushing wore prematurely, causing a clunking or cranking noise when turning, especially at low speeds. The bushing or bolt appears to shift even when torqued properly. This problem has been acknowledged by many other owners as well. Safety risk: This affects the vehicle’s handling and stability. It can cause loose steering, misalignment, premature tire wear, and could result in suspension failure while driving. This poses a real safety concern, especially during cornering or evasive maneuvers. Repair history: This issue is so common that owners often have to replace the bushings or the full control arm multiple times. Even after replacement, the problem can come back, suggesting a design flaw. Community evidence: There are many online complaints and forum threads about the same issue in Ford Fusions from 2013–2020. This appears to be a widespread defect that has not been formally acknowledged by the manufacturer. Request for action: I’m asking the federal safety agency to investigate this recurring suspension issue and determine if a safety recall is warranted. This is a design defect that affects vehicle safety and should be addressed by Ford.
The ball joint broke off while driving and the car only has 44,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fusion. the contact stated that there was excessive movement in the steering when the steering column was making a clicking sound while turning to the left. The contact stated that while turning to the left, the steering wheel was seized, and the contact had to use excessive force to turn the steering wheel to the left. While pulling out of a parking space, the advance track mode and power steering loss messages were displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed that the steering had failed and replaced the lower control arm, tie rod, and rack and pinion on the driver's side of the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel failed to function as intended and the steering wheel seized. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed electric steering rack and pinion, and the right and the left outer tie rods. The contact was informed that the electric power steering rack and pinion and the right and left outer tie rods needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact referenced an unknown recall repair; however, the contact was informed that the recall repair was not associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 222,354.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fusion. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering significantly. The vehicle was taken to a tire shop where the tires were rotated; however, the failure recurred intermittently. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle, a message indicating that the power steering was inoperable was displayed, and the steering wheel was seized. The contact turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that upon restarting the vehicle, the power steering became operable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the power steering rack, the front stabilizer link, the passenger’s side outer tie rod, and the lower control arm had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the Power Steering Control Module (PSCM) was previously reprogrammed under the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 15V340000 (Steering); however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 84,529.
One week ago I started experiencing a grinding noise when steering my vehicle, at any speed. The steering also catches in certain positions and becomes difficult to turn. The issue can be isolated to the electronic power steering gear in my vehicle: the grinding persists after disconnecting the tie rods, but disappears after disconnecting the steering column. I have a 2012 Ford Fusion with 104,000 miles on it. It has been well maintained and driven carefully for its whole life with zero accidents or failures. The steering issue appeared suddenly and spontaneously. There are no warning lights, or service codes, but the steering is clearly failing and making the vehicle unsafe to drive. Power steering failures at speed are unsafe and can cause accidents. Recall 15S18 and extended warranty 15N01 specifically address this faulty part in 2011-2012 Ford Fusions and many other vehicles. Because my vehicle is 2 months outside of the manufacture date range, it is not covered by this recall. However, it is built in the same plant with the same faulty part number. This leaves me with either a $2000+ repair, or I can drive with faulty power steering which is not only a major safety issue but one that is known to Ford as well as the federal safety agency. Ford is refusing to cover the cost of this repair and additionally want to charge me diagnostic labor which I don't think I should be responsible for. Please look into this issue further and hold manufacturers accountable for replacing their faulty parts. Thank you.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Ford Fusion ball joint
Which Ford Fusion years have ball joint or control arm failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2012 (32 complaints), 2011 (27 complaints) and 2010 (20 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix ball joint or control arm failure on the Ford Fusion?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,600 (median of 24 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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