What DON'T you like about your Fusion?

[2011se25]

Only height restriction problem I found is the location of the dome light relative to rear center passenger. First I test drove a car with a moon roof and thought it was just moved back there because of the moon roof. Nope.

 

 

Handles have always been to assist people getting into / out of the vehicle. Doesn't really make sense for a car company to go through the expense of adding "hang on for dear life" handles.

 

That's what the towel rack in a PT cruiser is for...

 

It's also the proper assist bar location to bump start the car:

Edited March 30, 2011 by 2011se25

[TripleW]

Does anyone else have trouble fueling? I can rarely get the handle in and have it lock without it shutting off automatically. Almost like the tube to the tank is too small and it gets backed up. Very frustrating and makes for a slow fueling experience because you have to stand there the whole time and hold the trigger halfway or just keep holding it while it stops, and restarting the flow.

 

Glad to hear I'm not the only one. I honestly thought there was something wrong with mine this whole time. I have to get the angle just right or the trigger doesn't stay activated. Depending on the handle design, I sometimes have to sit there and hold it at an upright angle the entire time it's pumping......very irritating.

[drolds1]

So true. Which genius decided that driver needs a grab...maybe for assisting a senior to get out?

 

The same genius that decided that other geezer-mobile, the BMW 5-series, should have one.

 

 

It's an assist handle, not grab handle. You're complaining that the Fusion has a feature that's also found in a $50+G car?

[Spork]

The same genius that decided that other geezer-mobile, the BMW 5-series, should have one.

 

 

It's an assist handle, not grab handle. You're complaining that the Fusion has a feature that's also found in a $50+G car?

 

Nope, not complaining about it, just curious about it. I figured the steering wheel was an adequate assist handle.

[marchingphoenix]

I'm surprised to hear about the headroom issues. I'm 6'1" as well and there is plenty for me. That was/is one of the major selling points of the car that 6'4" could fit comfortably. I wonder if they trimmed it down a bit for '11 from my '09. Also the grab handles are actually to help get in and out. It makes sense for really tall vehicles (like some trucks) and really low vehicles like some sports cars.

 

The only thing I don't like so far is the spare and that Sync won't dial a phone number only a contact already in your phone.

 

You can directly dial with sync. With voice commands, press the phone button, then the speak button. Say Dial, then speak the number.

There should also be a menu option under phone to do it. why else would they give you a 10 digit button panel on the radio?

 

~phnx

[marchingphoenix]

Also, Seconded for the steel wheels on the SE. They look ok, but come on Ford...they weigh 29 lbs each!

[2011se25]

Another one is no tow rating! It's not the engine, because the same 2.5L engine and transmission in the Escape is good for 1500 lbs. This is a deal breaker for some people I know!

 

 

why else would they give you a 10 digit button panel on the radio?

Enter a satellite channel number, enter the time, radio presets.

 

Also, Seconded for the steel wheels on the SE. They look ok, but come on Ford...they weigh 29 lbs each!

S comes with 16" Aluminum rims. More selection of tires, cheaper tires, and lighter wheels.

[akirby]

Another one is no tow rating! It's not the engine, because the same 2.5L engine and transmission in the Escape is good for 1500 lbs. This is a deal breaker for some people I know!

 

Why would someone expect to tow ANYTHING with a midsize 4 cylinder family sedan?

[2011se25]

Why would someone expect to tow ANYTHING with a midsize 4 cylinder family sedan?

Why wouldn't I?

 

As I demonstrated, the 4 cylinder isn't even the problem as it can tow in the Escape. My last car was a compact with a 1000lb tow rating. Previous 2 Tauruses we had with similar horsepower had a tow rating. Other current midsize cars like the Sebring/200 have a tow rating. Not looking to haul a 5th wheel but a small utility trailer or a small pop-up which is no reason to have to get a massive car or truck.

[con_fusion]

Hey folks,

 

This is one thing that bugs me. Are all the spoilers attached like this? This is under the trunk lid where the spoiler attaches.

 

 

It just seems raw and unfinished. I was thinking of putting some type of rubber /plastic cap on it. If I find something that works. Maybe shrink tubing?

Edited April 2, 2011 by con_fusion

[marchingphoenix]

Another one is no tow rating! It's not the engine, because the same 2.5L engine and transmission in the Escape is good for 1500 lbs. This is a deal breaker for some people I know!

 

 

 

Enter a satellite channel number, enter the time, radio presets.

 

 

S comes with 16" Aluminum rims. More selection of tires, cheaper tires, and lighter wheels.

 

Right, but i'd be giving up a lot more than i would want to by purchasing an S model. But again WTF would they put alloys on the lower model and not on the one above it? Also, if i'm changing wheel sizes, i'd prefer to move up, not down...

[drolds1]

Right, but i'd be giving up a lot more than i would want to by purchasing an S model. But again WTF would they put alloys on the lower model and not on the one above it? Also, if i'm changing wheel sizes, i'd prefer to move up, not down...

 

The 'S' has a higher EPA mileage rating than any of the 2.5-powered models above it. Part of the reason for the higher MPG is the use of the lighter, smaller aluminum wheels.

[2011se25]

Right, but i'd be giving up a lot more than i would want to by purchasing an S model. But again WTF would they put alloys on the lower model and not on the one above it? Also, if i'm changing wheel sizes, i'd prefer to move up, not down...

 

drolds1 mentioned the EPA ratings. As for sizing up... I guess you don't have potholes where you live. I downsized to 16" for the winters. Really 50 profile tires (17") are ridiculous for a family sedan. I don't know why everyone has this obsession with bigger and bigger tires with smaller and smaller sidewalls.

[CWARREN10]

As hard as it may be to believe, our cars aren't perfect. What is it about your car that you wish was better?

 

In my 2011 I have a few minor complaints:

 

-I hate the manual HVAC control, for several reasons. I hate the buttons used to control the direction. It makes it a lot harder to control by feel, just give me three knobs! Also simply by feel you can't tell the position of the temp or fan knobs. It seems there's wasted space higher up on the centre stack, a lot of space is spent on the radio, and the HVAC is crammed on the bottom, to the point that even in drive the gearshift gets in the way of adjusting the temp knob.

 

-Trip computer in metric will show fuel economy with no decimal places (7 L/100) and in English mode it shows US MPG and it shows them with one decimal place (eg: 36.2MPG). The car is being sold in Canada, and gets good economy! Show some decimals and show Imperial MPG (in Canada).

 

-Headroom in the middle seat in the back is tight, mainly due to the location of the rear dome light (even with no sun roof!)

[CWARREN10]

I recently purchased a 2011 Ford Fusion. I have a few things that I don't like. First, there's no outside temperature guage on the instrument panel. My previous car had an temp. guage. Also, the door and window controls are not located in a position that is easy to use for persons with arithritis in the hands. Also, the hubcabs can pop off easily if you bump a curb to hard. Lastly, the rear window section sits too high for easy viewing while backing up. This is a new challenge for me. Otherwise, I think it''s a great car. I love how smooth the driving is.

[redfire06]

drolds1 mentioned the EPA ratings. As for sizing up... I guess you don't have potholes where you live. I downsized to 16" for the winters. Really 50 profile tires (17") are ridiculous for a family sedan. I don't know why everyone has this obsession with bigger and bigger tires with smaller and smaller sidewalls.

mine came with alloy 16"s, i run steel 16"s with my snows. but i just upgraded to 18"s and michelin pilots and it rides better than the stock 16"s do. granted i spent for some quality rubber but still i was rather impressed as i didn;t lose any comfort in the ride

[Hat Eater]

Here's my beefs:

 

1. No indicator lamp in the instrument cluster for when the fog lights are on. Yeah, there's a light at the switch, but you have to look deep down to see that. While they're at it, how about an indicator for the headlights themselves, so if you use the auto headlamp feature you'd know when they are on. That's a little thing. It would also be cool if they would light up the headlight switch when the ignition is on, so that you can find it easier in the dark. Of course, with auto headlamps why do this? Ford can't win on this one.

 

2. I can change the channels on Sirius from the up/down button on the steering wheel; but only the first six presets. I'd like to be able to go across the three ranges of presets, to be able to go across all 18 preset channels from the steering wheel.

 

3. Sure wish they made a station wagon version. I have the hybrid Fusion and losing the trunk space is the biggest "loss" for me relative to the Cherokee I gave up for it. The non-hybrids have an enormous trunk, more so when you fold the back seat down, that is cool. Sure, the Edge and the Escape and the Flex are nice, but I want a station wagon "car". I realize that I'm probably the only person in America who wants this though.

 

4. I sure wish the 10-way power heated seats could have had a lumbar support for the lower back. Even my 17 year old F-250 has an inflatable lumbar support in it's seats.

 

5. On my car the rain-sensing wipers don't clear the window until I've pulled out of the parking lot and driven down the street. Would be cool if it would sense the water/dew/moisture and sweep within about 5 seconds of starting up. This could quite easily be a settable feature within the vehicle's preset menu.

 

6. A light in the glove compartment, how hard could that be? The car has lights under the non-folding side rear view mirrors for crying out loud.

 

7. When the gas pump clicks off, I can still get more than a gallon in the tank, but if you overdo it gas somehow finds a way to pour out some orifice behind the left rear tire.

 

Joe

Edited April 8, 2011 by Hat Eater

[2011se25]

Here's my beefs:

 

1. No indicator lamp in the instrument cluster for when the fog lights are on. Yeah, there's a light at the switch, but you have to look deep down to see that. While they're at it, how about an indicator for the headlights themselves, so if you use the auto headlamp feature you'd know when they are on. That's a little thing. It would also be cool if they would light up the headlight switch when the ignition is on, so that you can find it easier in the dark. Of course, with auto headlamps why do this? Ford can't win on this one.

 

2. I can change the channels on Sirius from the up/down button on the steering wheel; but only the first six presets. I'd like to be able to go across the three ranges of presets, to be able to go across all 18 preset channels from the steering wheel.

 

3. Sure wish they made a station wagon version. I have the hybrid Fusion and losing the trunk space is the biggest "loss" for me relative to the Cherokee I gave up for it. The non-hybrids have an enormous trunk, more so when you fold the back seat down, that is cool. Sure, the Edge and the Escape and the Flex are nice, but I want a station wagon "car". I realize that I'm probably the only person in America who wants this though.

 

4. I sure wish the 10-way power heated seats could have had a lumbar support for the lower back. Even my 17 year old F-250 has an inflatable lumbar support in it's seats.

 

5. On my car the rain-sensing wipers don't clear the window until I've pulled out of the parking lot and driven down the street. Would be cool if it would sense the water/dew/moisture and sweep within about 5 seconds of starting up. This could quite easily be a settable feature within the vehicle's preset menu.

 

6. A light in the glove compartment, how hard could that be? The car has lights under the non-folding side rear view mirrors for crying out loud.

 

7. When the gas pump clicks off, I can still get more than a gallon in the tank, but if you overdo it gas somehow finds a way to pour out some orifice behind the left rear tire.

 

Joe

 

1. I find foglights useless so I won't comment on that, but as far as the headlight indicator, this is a problem with the instrument cluster design. Being backlit, even during the day, it isn't obvious if the headlights aren't turned on (especially in Canada with DRLs). There's a rampant problem of people driving around without headlights in cars with similar dash designs.

 

On 2. You can press the media button to switch between sets of presets

[Hat Eater]

1. I find foglights useless so I won't comment on that, but as far as the headlight indicator, this is a problem with the instrument cluster design. Being backlit, even during the day, it isn't obvious if the headlights aren't turned on (especially in Canada with DRLs). There's a rampant problem of people driving around without headlights in cars with similar dash designs.

 

On 2. You can press the media button to switch between sets of presets

 

I live in a rural area so I need all the help I can get, considering the poor headlights, which ought to be another beef.

 

The media button does allow you to sequence *up* to 2, and then 3, but after that you go to the jukebox, then the iPod, then AM, FM, etc. I'd like to go from 2 down to 1 for example; I should have explained that better.

 

Joe

[Gr8Cents2]

I love my Fusion but of course there are a few things I'm not a fan of:

 

1. The engine sounds a little rough on cool mornings. It seems to be well insulated though so the sound doesn't really travel into the cabin.

 

2. The high beams seem a little weak. I live on a street with not street lights and hi beams area a must in my area.

 

3. I wish the heated seats supplied heat up to the shoulders.

 

4. My leather seats, after 1k miles, already seem to be wrinkling on the left side which means its gonna look really worn after just a few months.

 

5. I have BLIS which makes changing lanes a whole lot easier because turning your head and looking back, especially to the right, doesn't give you a good view with the high beltline and high backseat headrests.

 

6. I wish the hvac controls were tilted up a little. I'm 6ft tall and it seems like those lower buttons are facing the shifter and not me.

 

7. This one really bugs me. I can't stand the dot matrix style font on the radio display. It screams old head unit. If ford had used bar style letters, like you'd see at a gas station for example, it would look way more slick and inline with the rest of the awesome interior.

 

8. I find the rear door handles a little cheap. The feel like hollow thing plastic to me.

 

9. I think the positive lead battery cover is made of the same material as dish washing gloves. Its already warped and refuses to stay on.

 

All that being said though, I absolutely love my Fusion and my complaints are super minor compared to all the things I absolutely love about a car i've only had for two weeks.

[cartmanea]

4. My leather seats, after 1k miles, already seem to be wrinkling on the left side which means its gonna look really worn after just a few months.

I noticed this on my passenger seat after a long trip with friends. It appears to me they weren't getting in all the way before sitting down, dragging the seat edge in under them. Make sure you're in all the way before you plop down and trap the seat edge folded under you.

 

 

A few things I don't like, which will probably result in me not keeping the car long:

 

1. First gripe, and a biggie for me, is the seat back is too narrow. I am not overweight, but have wide shoulders and a very broad back. The seat bolsters irritate a rib I cracked last year and hit me in the shoulder blades. After long trips, I have upper back problems from it causing my back to round forward too much. Not a problem in my F-250

 

2. Second, I have the I4 with the 6F35 transmission and I don't trust it. It doesn't slip, but I don't like the irregularity in the shifts, and I have kept up with fluid changes and tried re-learning the shifting several times.

 

3. There is considerable lag in the throttle input, both accelerating and decelerating, as if they are filtering it way too much. This contributes to the shifting irregularities.

 

4. I don't have Sync, and the 6-disk stereo has a phone button which is non-operational. It would be nice if that was active.

 

The comfort issues are the main reason I won't keep it long, I just need a larger vehicle. My back fits the seats in my parent's '08 Taurus great, the Fusion seats are just too narrow from the ribs up.

Edited May 12, 2011 by cartmanea

[mcgsxr]

1 - My 2009 SEL V6 does not have a change container - I just leave the change down in the front of the console, by the power outlet - my 1997 Accord had a change container!

 

2 - The 2009 does not have hood struts - a car as nice as this should not have to use a hood prop.

 

It is a great car, it makes me very happy, but this thread is for the issues.

[cartmanea]

1 - My 2009 SEL V6 does not have a change container - I just leave the change down in the front of the console, by the power outlet - my 1997 Accord had a change container!

 

2 - The 2009 does not have hood struts - a car as nice as this should not have to use a hood prop.

 

It is a great car, it makes me very happy, but this thread is for the issues.

 

The lack of hood struts annoyed me too, but that also means you never have to replace them.

[MikeTempesta]

I kick the hood release handle half the time when I get out.

 

I was reading this thread from the beginning and amazed that no one else said this before now.

 

I just got my Fusion two weeks ago, and day 3 walking by it in my driveway, I noticed the hood was unlocked but still latched. I checked the car door and it too was unlocked (I rarely lock it in the driveway), and immediately a dozen or so conspiracy theories sprang to mind regarding neighborhood kids, bored teenagers, disgruntled neighbors (I didn't know I had any!) and the like all sneaking into the car and popping the hood for sabotalogical purposes, closing but not locking the hood due to the sound it makes. Thoroughly inspecting the engine compartment revealed nothing. After a few days and with great effort, I put it out of my mind.

 

Then one day, after parking, I accidentally banged my foot on the latch release while exiting the car and hear the familiar 'click' of the hood popping. Cue the 'aha!' moment. Unfortunately, the relief of solving the mystery was quickly replaced by concern, as I can see myself doing this quite often.

 

Transmission: This might be all in my head as I have the Sport and so am spared many of the transmission problems plaguing others on this forum, but I don't like the shift points and frequently disagree with the car over what gear I should be in. This is my first automatic transmission in over 18 years. My last 3 cars were manual transmissions, and I only reluctantly bought a car with automatic transmission for logistic reasons due to my fiance's absolute refusal to learn now to drive stick, so this might just be orientation with the new vehicle.

 

Shifter: I don't know what Ford calls it, but the semi-manual shifting, which I've only tried once or twice, didn't really feel organic or natural to me. After thinking about it, I think it has to do with pushing the shifter out away from me to engage vs. pulling it towards me, which would have felt more natural and more like a manual shifter.

 

Under the hood: I don't mind not having hoot struts, but locking down the hood prop before you close the hood is elaborate and can be a challenge.

 

Doors: Door pockets in front doors too small to hold anything useful, like a compact umbrella. The glove box is the only storage area I'm able to store the umbrella.

Edited June 4, 2011 by MikeTempesta

[commishbob]

I was reading this thread from the beginning and amazed that no one else said this before now.

 

I just got my Fusion two weeks ago, and day 3 walking by it in my driveway, I noticed the hood was unlocked but still latched. I checked the car door and it too was unlocked (I rarely lock it in the driveway), and immediately a dozen or so conspiracy theories sprang to mind regarding neighborhood kids, bored teenagers, disgruntled neighbors (I didn't know I had any!) and the like all sneaking into the car and popping the hood for sabotalogical purposes, closing but not locking the hood due to the sound it makes. Thoroughly inspecting the engine compartment revealed nothing. After a few days and with great effort, I put it out of my mind.

 

Then one day, after parking, I accidentally banged my foot on the latch release while exiting the car and hear the familiar 'click' of the hood popping. Cue the 'aha!' moment. Unfortunately, the relief of solving the mystery was quickly replaced by concern, as I can see myself doing this quite often.

 

 

And here I was thinking I was the only one. I've kicked the hood release several times while exiting. I guess size 13W feet will do that. :rolleyes:

 

But I'm aware of it now and can avoid it usually.

 

Other than that I have just a couple of minors complaints. I noticed wear on my seats after only a few months. I got some custom seatcovers to avoid any more wear. And I find the lower switches (heat/ac control, etc) too low and pretty inconvenient.