No automaker ever tries to sell a vehicle by bragging about how unsafe it is. It would probably be hysterical if a car salesman discussed all the ways a vehicle failed to meet NHTSA standards, but it would definitely cost them sales. Typically, automakers decline to publish this information. Tesla is a great example of how the auto industry does this. That’s why you need to do your own research before buying a new vehicle.

If you’re interested in buying a new Fusion before Ford phases it out its sedan lineup, you may be curious about how it stacks up to some competitors. Does it have decent safety scores? Are there any recalls? What model years have proven to be the most troublesome? We have all the answers to your questions.

Is the 2020 Ford Fusion safe?

Since the 2020 Ford Fusion hasn’t been out long, there hasn’t been time for a lot of complaints, but it has received some great safety scores. The NHTSA gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

In a frontal crash scenario, the Fusion earned 5 out of 5 stars for the front driver side, and 3 out of 5 stars for the front passenger side. The side crash rating received 5 stars in every category tested, and the rollover test earned 4 stars. 

The IIHS gave the Ford Fusion a score of mostly good. The only area that earned a score of poor was the front headlights. The LATCH received a median score, but overall, that’s not bad at all. At this point, there are no reported recalls on the 2020 Ford Fusion.

Consumer Reports was not all that impressed with the Ford Fusion, and gave it an overall score of 72 out of 100, and ranked it as number 9 out of 13 tested vehicles. The safety scores were mostly good, however.

Consumer Reports really liked all the safety features that come standard, like the forward collision warning, lane-keeping assist, rearview camera, pedestrian detection, blind-spot warning, lane departure warning, and the rear cross-traffic warning, among others. 

Model years that have proved troublesome to owners

Some model years are clearly better than others, and that remains true for the Ford Fusion. There are two years in particular that were worse than the rest, and that are definitely unsafe.

The 2011 was ranked the worst model year by Car Complaints, due to the power steering failing. Other problems include a transmission that slips and loses power. While it may be annoying to have a radio that doesn’t work, this doesn’t fall under the umbrella of unsafe. Driving down the highway and having a steering wheel that suddenly won’t turn is definitely a safety hazard that you want to avoid.

The 2010 model also had steering wheel problems, as well as loss of power. Car Complaints gave both the 2010 and 2011 model years the ‘clunker status.’ Some might decide to ignore this and buy a 2010 or 2011 model regardless, but do so at your own risk. 

If you want to buy used, and you’re looking for a model year with a better safety rating, the 2018 and 2019 have good safety ratings, and only have one recall according to Consumer Reports. The 2019 recall is for a hybrid propulsion system.

The 2017 and 2012 Ford Fusions have three recalls, so these aren’t terrible, but there are better choices. The other model years have anywhere from 8 to 15 recalls, so these are probably model years to avoid when you go car shopping.