Ford Fusion Lemon?

[TBullard]

I purchased new 2011 Ford Fusion in Feb of 2011. It has left my wife stranded requiring a tow 3 times. It has been to the shop for trans troubles that resulted in Ford replacing the trans. 2 airbag sensors have been replaced. A CV axle has failed. The front engine gasket failed and we just got it out of the shop where they had to replace the steering rack assembly.

I don't remember all the details on these issues but asked the dealer to print out an oasis report when we picked it up Friday. Granted nothing has cost me any money at this point but eventually the warranty is going to run out. What would be to the best next step to take with this car? Talk to the dealer that sold it to us, Talk directly to Ford, or don't expect anything from Ford and Sell it? I haven't approached Ford about any of these issues yet since I keep telling myself "What else can go wrong" but this last time it left my wife stranded 4.5 hrs from home.

[Big-Foot]

Any brand / model can have a lemon and it sounds like you bought one..

All it would have to do is leave my wife stranded once and it would be history...

[mrmustang]

Originally Posted by TBullard

I purchased new 2011 Ford Fusion in Feb of 2011. It has left my wife stranded requiring a tow 3 times. It has been to the shop for trans troubles that resulted in Ford replacing the trans. 2 airbag sensors have been replaced. A CV axle has failed. The front engine gasket failed and we just got it out of the shop where they had to replace the steering rack assembly.

I don't remember all the details on these issues but asked the dealer to print out an oasis report when we picked it up Friday. Granted nothing has cost me any money at this point but eventually the warranty is going to run out. What would be to the best next step to take with this car? Talk to the dealer that sold it to us, Talk directly to Ford, or don't expect anything from Ford and Sell it? I haven't approached Ford about any of these issues yet since I keep telling myself "What else can go wrong" but this last time it left my wife stranded 4.5 hrs from home.

Open up your glove box and grab your owners manual, within the manual there is most likely a little blurb about Ford Customer Service and an arbitration board. Take your documentation and make copies, then contact Ford Customer Service and lodge a complaint that while these items were taken care of under warranty, that the car may have been substandardly built and you want to speak with an arbitration board about potential remedys. Never raise your voice, never threaten the person you are speaking with in any way, just present the facts (this is why you will offer to send Ford copies of your cars service and repair history) and await a call from the arbitration board.

Bill S.

[Technic-Fan]

Originally Posted by TBullard

I purchased new 2011 Ford Fusion in Feb of 2011. It has left my wife stranded requiring a tow 3 times. It has been to the shop for trans troubles that resulted in Ford replacing the trans. 2 airbag sensors have been replaced. A CV axle has failed. The front engine gasket failed and we just got it out of the shop where they had to replace the steering rack assembly.

I don't remember all the details on these issues but asked the dealer to print out an oasis report when we picked it up Friday. Granted nothing has cost me any money at this point but eventually the warranty is going to run out. What would be to the best next step to take with this car? Talk to the dealer that sold it to us, Talk directly to Ford, or don't expect anything from Ford and Sell it? I haven't approached Ford about any of these issues yet since I keep telling myself "What else can go wrong" but this last time it left my wife stranded 4.5 hrs from home.

Here is definition for GA...from what you've described, you don't have a lemon law case:

"1 repair attempt in the braking or steering system or 3 repair attempts or 30 calendar days out of service for other problems."

Basically it has to be multiple unsucessful attempts to solve the same problem, or a long period of time out of service. Multiple warranty claims for different things don't clear the hurdle.

[TBullard]

Originally Posted by mrmustang

Open up your glove box and grab your owners manual, within the manual there is most likely a little blurb about Ford Customer Service and an arbitration board. Take your documentation and make copies, then contact Ford Customer Service and lodge a complaint that while these items were taken care of under warranty, that the car may have been substandardly built and you want to speak with an arbitration board about potential remedys. Never raise your voice, never threaten the person you are speaking with in any way, just present the facts (this is why you will offer to send Ford copies of your cars service and repair history) and await a call from the arbitration board.

Bill S.

I went out to the car to check the manual for the number and to get the "warranty invoices". I had never added them up and I don't have one for the latest repair but for everything else the warranty has paid $10,875.72 in repairs so far. That's close to 50% of the original cost of the car!

Originally Posted by Technic-Fan

Here is definition for GA...from what you've described, you don't have a lemon law case:

"1 repair attempt in the braking or steering system or 3 repair attempts or 30 calendar days out of service for other problems."

Basically it has to be multiple unsucessful attempts to solve the same problem, or a long period of time out of service. Multiple warranty claims for different things don't clear the hurdle.

I knew that about the lemon law in GA. Since it is always something different it doesn't qualify. This is one reason I haven't went to Ford about the car before.

[2FAST4U]

I would write a long detailed letter to Ford.

[1fastsedan]

It sounds like it doesn't qualify for the lemon law, but its definitely a flawed vehicle. Start talking to corporate Ford as described above.

I deal mostly with Mopar vehicles, but I know they have done buy backs on problem cars that don't quite fit the lemon law like you described. There are options besides the lemon law.

[Jack ffr1846]

Boy......there's a couple ways you could look at it. Either you now have all the problems worked out and the car is going to go 300k miles trouble free or you'll get problems every 30 days whether you need them or not.

I'm curious which engine you have. The car is pretty much a Mazda 6. I had a Mazda 6i (4 cyl manual) that had zero problems and I even tracked it when the weather was too cold for my little CRX on hoosiers to ever heat up. I recommended to my mom to get one, and she did....an 09 Ford Fusion 4 cyl, auto. No problems with her car either.


When I had my Mazda, others I worked with did as well. Those with V6/Auto had tons and tons of problems. I'm pretty convinced that the 6's are lemons and the 4's go forever.

[TBullard]

Originally Posted by Jack ffr1846

Boy......there's a couple ways you could look at it. Either you now have all the problems worked out and the car is going to go 300k miles trouble free or you'll get problems every 30 days whether you need them or not.

I'm curious which engine you have. The car is pretty much a Mazda 6. I had a Mazda 6i (4 cyl manual) that had zero problems and I even tracked it when the weather was too cold for my little CRX on hoosiers to ever heat up. I recommended to my mom to get one, and she did....an 09 Ford Fusion 4 cyl, auto. No problems with her car either.


When I had my Mazda, others I worked with did as well. Those with V6/Auto had tons and tons of problems. I'm pretty convinced that the 6's are lemons and the 4's go forever.

I kept thinking the same thing about getting all the bugs out of it early but new ones just keep popping up. I have the V6 Auto.

I spoke with the dealer today and they had me call the Ford Dispute Settlement Board. I spoke with a lady there and after viewing the history of the car it was escalated. Now I am waiting for a call back.

[Venom_Injected]

50,000 miles on our 2010 Fusion 2.5 I-4 w/ the 6 speed auto.....

It had a sensor fail in the throttle body... replaced free....

Been trouble free and never stranded....wife is getting 26 mpg in town and 34 on highway.....

We love it as it was the only one I fit in (malibu or camry i didnt fit at 6'5")
We also love not taking my 5.4L F150 on long trips for no need ga$ wise....

[Chief]

Find a good lemon law lawyer in your area and give them a call. You may be supprised what does and does not make it a lemon. They know teh rules and can give you the best answer.

I had a lot of different problems with my '08 Pontiac G8. GM wouldn't do anything about it. I called a lemon law lawyer. The good ones have a direct contact with the big guys. In the end, I turned the car in and it basically cost me $200 a month to drive the car for the 3 years I had it. You get all of your money back you paid for the car plus the interest you paid, if on a loan. Then they get to deduct for the milage on the car.

As I said, once GM got their credits, The rest of the loan was paid off, and the lawyer got paid, it cost me about $200 bucks a month to drive it. I got a nice little check back from them and it didn't cost me a penney out of my pocket to get it done. The lawyer took care of everything.

One other thing, when it goes back as a lemon buyback, the title is marked as a lemon, they cannot wholesale it out, and if they sell it, they have to state that it is a lemon buyback.

[ROB J]

Sorry to hear of your troubles, that certainly sucks to have so many issues with a new car. looks like the old FORD acronym still means "Fix Or Repair Daily", or "Found On Road Dead"

[TBullard]

Just got the call from Ford today. They immediately offered to extend my warranty to 5yr/75000. I expressed concern with the dependability of the car and how the previous issues would affect trade-in/resale value. She is going to further research the situation and give me a call tomorrow with the next offer.

[Finallygotit]

Keep pushing. You might want to mention that your wife (and you) fears for her safety. That usually escalates things a bit. It worked with my wife's 300C; Chrysler bought it back.

[geoffav]

Glad to hear they are working with you. You can't go wrong using the advice from "mrmustang", he nailed it on this issue. Especially in how to set the tone.

[CraigS]

I agree, just keep pushing. It's not the $ for right now anyway, it's your wife being stranded. That is the angle I would push,push,push. The extended warranty offer is their cheapest way out and I wouldn't even consider it. That gets the car fixed but does nothing to get your wife where she needs to be. Don't go crazy on demands. All you want is to get out of the car and be back $ wise where you were before you bought it. IE: if you traded something in valued at $4K, or put $4K cash as down payment, you want out of this and a check for $4k.If there was no trade involved, all you need is out of the car and move on. good luck! I think you have a case whether it meets the lemon law criteria or not.

[Riptide Motorsport]

Its like that Honda commercial "is this car dependable? Salesperson: It has a great warrenty, customer: But is it dependable?" The warrenty is dependable...but mabey not the car............

[TBullard]

Ford's Customer Care Rep contacted me again today and they are conducting a good faith review for a buy back. So far everything seems to be going really well.

On the other hand the salesman that I purchased the car from called me back today. He basically told me the buy back procedure was a long drawn out process and that I would be better off to trade the car in now while everything is working correctly. I can't imagine what his agenda is .

In regards to trading in. If I did trade this car in am I obligated to divulge the past issues with the car? I can't imagine that this would help its value but I don't want to get into a situation where the buying dealership feels like I withheld the information.

[Michael Everson]

You gotta wonder how these lemons are created. My father used to tell me not to buy a car built on friday. ( like you could find that out). Let's face it. The people assembling the car did not make the engine, or the steering rack etc. but somehow the 1 or 2 % of defective parts end up all in one car. I have never known the Fusion to be unreliable. Getting a true lemon is kinda like hitting the (bad) lottery.

[TBullard]

Originally Posted by Michael Everson

You gotta wonder how these lemons are created. My father used to tell me not to buy a car built on friday. ( like you could find that out). Let's face it. The people assembling the car did not make the engine, or the steering rack etc. but somehow the 1 or 2 % of defective parts end up all in one car. I have never known the Fusion to be unreliable. Getting a true lemon is kinda like hitting the (bad) lottery.

I jokingly mentioned the last one off the assembly line on Friday afternoon to the Customer Care Rep and she was quick to tell me the guys in the factory take offense to that joke. I think someone else mentioned it but the car could go another 300,000 miles and never have another issue or it might need to be towed to the dealer tomorrow you never know. I have talked to several Ford Dealer service dept's and they all tell me that they don't see these kinds of issues with the Fusion and I don't see a ton of complaints online so it leads me to believe I just got a dud.

[Chief]

Originally Posted by TBullard

On the other hand the salesman that I purchased the car from called me back today. He basically told me the buy back procedure was a long drawn out process and that I would be better off to trade the car in now while everything is working correctly. I can't imagine what his agenda is .

I wonder what he considers a long drawn out process? I know my lemon law buyback only took about 45 days total. And as you said, what's his hidden agenda? A trade in will get you less than the buy back.

I'm glad to hear that Ford is stepping up to the plate and taking care of it for you. GM didn't give a hoot about my issues and basically tried blowing smoke up my .... Once I got a lawyer, 45 days later I turned in the car and got my money back. Simple and easy.

Last GM vechicle I'll ever buy.

[USMC]

Don't sell it to a third party. How would you like if someone did that to you? I have sold some real PITA's ready to fall apart (the car not me) but have always disclosed what I know to be wrong. It's amazing what people will buy even if you tell them the problems.

Maybe use it as a trade in at the same dealer. At least then when he resells it the person buying might have recourse.