2014 FORD FUSION ENERGI Complaints

OPEN RECALL NUMBER 16S42 - SEAT BELT TENSIONERS NOT OPERATING CORRECTLY - FORD WILL NOT AUTHORIZE ALTERNATE TRANSPORTATION. I AM WRITING TO FILE A COMPLAINT ON FORD THAT THEY WILL NOT PROVIDE ALTERANTE TRANSPORTATION FOR A CLEAR SAFETY ISSUE

VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY. I DROPPED AN INK PEN BETWEEN DRIVER SEAT AND CENTER CONSOLE. WHEN REACHING FOR THE PEN WITH MY LEFT HAND, I SUFFERED A LACERATION ON THE OUTSIDE OF FIRST KNUCKLE OF MY THUMB. THERE IS A VERY SHARP, EXPOSED METAL EDGE ON THE FRAMEWORK OF THE DRIVERS SEAT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD FUSION ENERGI. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE TRANSMISSION FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CLUTCHES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. UPDATED 04/07/16*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP WHEN CHANGING SPEEDS. IT SHUDDERED AND VIBRATED WHEN THE CHANGING GEARS. THE DEALER MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE TCM, WHICH HELPED A LITTLE, BUT NOT A LOT. UPDATED 04/14/16.*JB

THE CHARGER (SHORELINE) NEARLY CAUSED A HOUSE FIRE. THE CHARGER OVERHEATS AT THE WALL SOCKET. IT IS NOT THE WALL SOCKET BECAUSE I TRIED IT ON A COMMERCIAL OUTLET ON A NEW 20A CIRCUIT BREAKER. THE ONLINE CHAT ROOMS ARE FULL OF CONCERNS ABOUT THIS. I CALLED FORD AND THEY DID NOT SEEM TO TAKE THE CONCERN SERIOUSLY AT ALL. THE VEHICLE IS IN PARK, TURNED OFF AND CHARGING.

THERE IS A PLASTIC SHIELD RIGHT INSIDE THE SEAT BELT BUCKLE BOTH OF THESE ON BACK SEATS HAVE COME LOOSE (I USE BOOSTER SEATS) IT REQUIRES A LONG NEEDLE NOSE PLIERS TO GET THIS PART OUT OF THE INSIDE OF THE BUCKLE IN ORDER FOR THE SEATBELT TO WORK AGAIN... WHEN YOU ARE AND ABOUT THAT MEANS YOU HAVE NO USE OF THE SEATBELT UNTIL YOU CAN GET HOME TO REMOVE THIS PIECE. IE KID NOT RESTRAINED DATE BELOW IS 2ND / TIME BUCKLE

POWER STEERING WENT OUT, FIRST TIME FORD LOOKED AT IT AND COULD NOT IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM, SAYING THERE WAS "NO CODE" SHOWING UP, AND THAT THEY "RESET" THE ELECTRONICS. 1 WEEK LATER, POWER STEERING WENT AGAIN OUT AT 75MPH, CREATING A VERY SCARY AND UNSAFE ISSUE.

DROVE THE CAR DOWN A MOUNTAIN ROAD AND SOMEHOW MANAGED TO REGENERATE 29 MILES ON THE BATTERY. THOUGHT THAT VERY STRANGE AS THE HIGHEST CHARGE OR REGEN ACHIEVED PRIOR TO THIS SHOWED 24 MILES AND DID NOT THINK THE BATTERY COULD HOLD THAT MUCH. RETURNED HOME ABOUT 9:30PM WITH AN EMPTY PLUG-IN CHARGE. AT APPROXIMATELY 9:50PM PLUGGED IN THE CAR FOR CHARGING USING THE 120V FORD PHEV CHARGER SUPPLIED WITH THE VEHICLE. AT APPROXIMATELY 3AM AWOKE SMELLING ELECTRICAL FIRE. FOLLOWED THE SMELL TO THE GARAGE AND DISCOVERED THAT THE PHEV CHARGER PLUG HAD COMPLETELY BURNED UP ALONG WITH THE OUTLET RECEPTACLE, PLASTIC RECEPTACLE BOX AND SOME OF THE STUD THE RECEPTACLE BOX WAS ATTACHED TO. SOMEHOW THE ATTACHED GARAGE STRUCTURE DID NOT BECOME ENGULFED; RATHER, THE FIRE WENT OUT SOMEHOW BY ITSELF. UNPLUGGED THE CHARGER FROM THE CAR AT 3:11AM AND MADE SURE THE PANEL CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS COMPLETELY IN THE OFF POSITION. LOOKED AT THE ANDROID MYFORD APP AND DISCOVERED THAT AT 2:27AM THE CAR SENT A MESSAGE "SCHEDULED CHARGE DID NOT BEGIN - EXTERNAL FAULT." THE APP ALSO REPORTED THE FOLLOWING AT 3:11AM, YOUR VEHICLE HAD AN ACCIDENTAL UNPLUG WHILE CHARGING.' HOWEVER, THE CAR APPEARED TO BE FULLY CHARGED. THROUGH THE PROCESS OF INVESTIGATING THE FIRE WITH THE INSURANCE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE CHARGER PLUG IS WHERE THE FIRE STARTED. WE POSSESS A COPY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORT ON THE CAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT. *TR

THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED W/ FORD'S DRIVER ASSIST PACKAGE WHICH INCLUDES BLIS (BLIND SPOT INFORMATION SYSTEM). BLIS ONLY WORKS AS DESCRIBED 50% AT BEST AND EVEN THEN IS WHOLLY INADEQUATE AND NO BETTER THAN NOT HAVING. WHEN BLIS DOES WORK, BY THE TIME THE INDICATOR TRIGGERS THE VEHICLE TRIGGERING IT WAS ALREADY IN THE BLIND SPOT. BLIS TYPICALLY DOES NOT INDICATE WHEN A VEHICLE IS IN THE BLIND SPOT AND TENDS TO BE TRIGGERED EVEN WHEN NO VEHICLE IS PRESENT. IF THE VEHICLE IN/APPROACHING THE BLIND SPOT IS MOVING FAST ENOUGH (35+ MPH), BY THE TIME THE INDICATOR COMES ON THE VEHICLE HAD ALREADY COME AND GONE; THAT'S IF THE INDICATOR WAS TRIGGERED AT ALL. THE INDICATOR IS ALSO ON THE FAR END OF THE MIRROR AND ONLY A SMALL LITTLE LIGHT WHICH DISTRACTS THE DRIVER DUE TO HAVING TO TURN EYES/HEAD FAR ENOUGH TO THE SIDE TO SEE THE INDICATOR. THE MAIN REASON FOR THE COMPLAINT IS THAT NON-DRIVER ASSIST PACKAGE FORD FUSION MODELS COME STANDARD WITH BLIND SPOT MIRRORS WHICH ALLOWS THE DRIVER TO SEE THE BLIND SPOTS WITHOUT HAVING TO TURN THE HEAD (TURNING THE HEAD WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF AN ACCIDENT) BUT THE DRIVER ASSIST PACKAGE MODELS ONLY HAVE BLIS AND BECAUSE OF THE LOCATION OF THE INDICATOR THE DRIVER CANNOT ADD A THIRD PARTY BLIND SPOT MIRROR TO AUGMENT THE INEFFECTIVE BLIS. BLIS SHOULD BE IN ADDITION TO THE BLIND SPOT MIRRORS, NOT REPLACE THEM WHEN THEY DO NOT MEET THE SAME FUNCTIONS AND DOES NOT WORK AS DESCRIBED (EVEN WHEN TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THE TIMES WHEN FORD SAYS BLIS DOES NOT WORK). THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO FORD'S ATTENTION TO NO AVAIL. THERE HAVE ALREADY BEEN SEVERAL TIMES WHEN DRIVING THAT I'VE PERSONALLY ALMOST HIT SOMEONE BECAUSE THE INDICATOR WAS NOT TRIGGERED OR WHEN HAVING TO TURN MY HEAD TO DOUBLE CHECK WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC, BOTH OF WHICH WERE NOT AN ISSUE WITH MY PREVIOUS NON-DRIVER ASSIST PACKAGE MODEL. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING SLIGHTLY DOWNHILL ON A FREEWAY, IN 10-15MPH STOP AND GO TRAFFIC......THE BRAKES FAILED ON MY ENERGI. I WAS APPLYING THE BRAKES A LITTLE, GETTING BACK SOME EV CHARGE; WHEN THE CAR IN FRONT STOPPED AND WHEN I PUSHED HARDER ON THE PEDAL IT WENT TO THE FLOOR AND THE BRAKES FAILED......CAUSING AN ACCIDENT. *JS

EARLY ON IN OWNERSHIP AND UNDER HEAVY ACCELERATION FROM A DEAD STOP, THE FRONT TIRES (GOODYEAR EAGLE 235/45R18 98Y) WOULD LOCK, HOP, SKIP UNTIL ACCELERATION REDUCE. AS OF MID-DECEMBER, UNDER EVEN LIGHT ACCELERATION FROM A DEAD STOP GOING UP HILL, THE FRONT TIRES WOULD LOCK, HOP, SKIP. THE DEALERSHIP CONFIRMED THE EXISTENCE OF THE PROBLEM 11/24/2014. THE DEALERSHIP TESTED THE ISSUE PER FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND FOUND THAT FUSIONS WITH THE SAME TIRES PRODUCED THE SAME UNWANTED RESULTS. THOUGH FORD MOTOR COMPANY IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, IT WILL NOT AUTHORIZED TIRE REPLACEMENT TO FORD FUSIONS WITH THE ECO-BOOST, 2.L ENGINES VEHICLES. FORD'S POSITION, ACCORDING TO THE DEALERSHIP, IS THAT THE MOUNTED GOODYEAR TIRES ARE SOLD AS "SPORT" TIRES AND AS "SUMMER" TIRES. VIRGINIA HAS FOUR SEASONS AND FORD SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THE MOUNTED TIRES WERE NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THE ANNUAL CLIMATE CHANGES IN THIS STATE. *JS