2013 FORD FUSION HYBRID Complaints

TRAVELING SOUTH AT ABOUT 8:30PM ON A DARK RAINY NIGHT MY WIFE COULD NOT SEE THE ROAD ADEQUATELY AND STRUCK A LANE DIVIDER BLOWING OUT BOTH FRONT AND REAR LEFT SIDE TIRES, DAMAGING THE FRONT RIM. LUCKILY SHE WAS NOT INJURED AS THERE WAS LIGHT TRAFFIC ON THE HIGHWAY. AAA HAD TO HAUL THE VEHICLE HOME ON A FLATBED TOW TRUCK. DAMAGE INCLUDING TWO TIRES AND A WHEEL EXCEEDED $1000. THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS ON THIS CAR ARE INADEQUATE AND NEED TO BE IMPROVED. I DON'T SEE HOW THE LIGHTS PASSED NTSB ILLUMINATION STANDARDS. THE LIGHTS ON MY 1928 MODEL A WERE BETTER. I NOW DRIVE IN THE CITY WITH BOTH THE FOG LIGHTS AND LOW BEAMS TURNED ON TO GET ADEQUATE ILLUMINATION. THE LIGHTS NEED TO BE RECALLED AND IMPROVED. *TR

WHILE TRAVELING NORTH ON CA-2 NEAR SAN FERNANDO ROAD, THE STEERING STARTED TO FEEL WOBBLY. ABOUT 2 SECONDS LATER, THE COMPUTER SCREEN IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DISPLAYED AN ALERT SAYING TO SERVICE THE STEERING SOON; ABOUT 2 SECONDS AFTER THAT, IT SAID "STEERING LOSS - STOP SAFELY" ALONG WITH AN AUDIBLE WARNING SOUND. THE CURVATURE OF THE ROAD WAS SUCH THAT GOING STRAIGHT AHEAD PUT THE CAR ON THE ROAD SHOULDER WITH ENOUGH TIME TO STOP, SO I CANNOT SAY WHETHER THE STEERING WOULD HAVE WORKED IF I HAD APPLIED EXTREMELY HIGH FORCE TO THE STEERING WHEEL. HOWEVER, AFTER STOPPING AND RESTARTING THE CAR, THE STEERING WHEEL'S MOVEMENT HAD NO EFFECT ON THE WHEELS, AND THE MECHANIC AT THE FORD DEALER (TO WHICH THE CAR WAS TOWED) SAID THAT THEY WERE ENTIRELY UNABLE TO STEER THE CAR. ALTHOUGH I WAS ABLE TO STOP SAFELY, I AND OTHER PEOPLE COULD EASILY HAVE DIED IF I HAD BEEN ON A WINDING ROAD, HAD NEEDED TO MAKE AN EMERGENCY MANEUVER, OR IF THE DRIVERS NEXT TO US ON THE FREEWAY HAD NOT NOTICED THE HAZARD FLASHERS AND MOVED OUT OF THE WAY. ADVANTAGE FORD LINCOLN IN DUARTE REPAIRED THE STEERING BY REPLACING THE ENTIRE RACK AND PINION SYSTEM, AND WE SUBSEQUENTLY RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO THE SELLING DEALER FOR A REFUND. THE REPAIRING DEALER ASSURED US THAT THE FAULTY PART WAS BEING SENT TO FORD FOR ANALYSIS. *TR

AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS OF OWNERSHIP IT WAS ALL TOO APPARENT THAT THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS, EVEN AFTER THE SAFETY HEADLIGHT RECALL (12C27/NHTSA 12V-553), OFFER INADEQUATE, SUB STANDARD, HAZARDOUS INFERIOR ILLUMINATION BOTH FORWARD AND TO BOTH SIDES! COMPARED TO OUR TOYOTA HIGHLANDER 2008 AND VOLVO S70 WAGON 2003 THE 2013 FUSION HYBRID LOW BEAM ILLUMINATION IS SHORT DISTANCED AND DIM, <50% OF EXPERIENCED IN THOSE VEHICLES! THAT PUTS THE DRIVER AT SERIOUS RISK! I CALLED FORD MOTOR'S 800 LINE A FEW WEEKS AGO. THEY COURTEOUSLY PUT ME THROUGH TO THE HEAD MECHANIC AT MUZI FORD. I SPOKE TO 2 HEAD FORD DEALER MECHANICS: MUZI FORD, NEEDHAM AND FRAMINGHAM FORD, FRAMINGHAM AND THEY CONFIRM THAT I HAVE NO HEADLIGHT OPTION. *TR

APPROXIMATELY AFTER 10 MINUTES OF DRIVING, THE ENGINE SHUT DOWN AND THE ELECTRIC MOTOR GOT STUCK AT ABOUT HALF ITS POWER (ACCORDING TO THE DISPLAY ON THE DASHBOARD). THE FRONT AIR BAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT WAS ON (THIS HAD HAPPENED 3 TIMES BEFORE DURING THE PAST TWO WEEKS), THE "HILL ASSIST OFF" LIGHT TURNED ON, AND A LARGE WARNING MESSAGE CAME UP ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DASHBOARD. THE VEHICLE HAD VERY LITTLE POWER, I MANAGED TO GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND PULLED OVER IN A PARKING LOT. PARKED AND TURNED THE IGNITION OFF, WAITED A MINUTE AND STARTED THE VEHICLE. IT WORKED NORMAL FOR THE REST OF THE DRIVE (5 MORE MILES). THE NEXT MORNING, THE FRONT AIR BAG MALFUNCTION LIGHT CAME UP AGAIN AFTER 4 OR 5 MILES OF DRIVE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER. *TR