2012 Ford Fusion SEL

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stricklybojack

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4 cylinder auto, very low miles (35k), beautiful color (imo), good price.

I am wary of Fords in general, but they seem to have improved in the last decade or two.
This car is supposed to be in perfect condition, I have yet to see it in person. Reviews online for the model seem favorable, though a little negative on the tranny, and “numerous” recalls.

Should I jump on it?

stricklybojack-2018072821094708136_1.jpg
 
After the way Ford corporate treated me on a new vehicle with major problems, even though it was bought new at my great uncles dealership, I will NEVER own another Ford after what I went thru with a too bad, so sad constant replies, even though my family drove Fords or walked. Ford can pound sand now. I will never buy another. Since '85 I went to GM and never turned back.
 
Not a car guy here.  Usually buy used Corollas from private parties.  With the roads in Iowa being what they are (snow, ice, salt, sand, potholes, tar, deer, various dead animals) I've never seen the sense in buying anything too nice.

 

Anyway, our local library has the CR ratings on line, and 2012 Fusion has an overall reliability rating of 4/5.

 

Of the various rated subsystems, only these got a less than a 4 rating.

Climate System 3
Suspension 3
Brakes 3

 

Again, not sure what the value of the CR rating are.  My boring Corollas have an overall 5/5 reliability rating back to 2003, except for 2009 which was a redesign year and has a 4/5.
 
I'm of the mindset that most cars today really aren't all that different, esp American ones, but I'm no expert.

It is a great color though and SEL is a pretty high level I think? I drive an older car (2001 GM) and it's done well. But it's nearly a base model and I've pretty much decided if I'm getting a used car it's going to be well equipped at least. Which can lead to issues though, since there's more to go wrong. But I don't ever plan on buying a brand new car, regardless if I can afford it or not.

I'm a bit of a penny pincher here, I'd like something newer but at the same time want to see how many years I can get out of what I have now.

If it's been kept up it should probably be fine. Sometimes though low miles means it spent a lot of time sitting which sometimes is bad thing once you start driving it more. My car was already 9 years old when I bought it and had just over 20,000 miles and I didn't have any issues out of the ordinary at all.
 
Low miles is good.

However, that generation has some issues. The door locks/latches can fall apart.
Window lifts, possibly fail.
Ford, and other makers have discontinued most of their dual clutch automatics due to problems, engine stalling caused by them, etc.
With the current generation Fusion, the door locks have no pull up buttons, are all electric. only a red led light on top of the door.
As it is being discontinued for now, I expect they will be sought after cars.
Even the pre 2013's aren't bad cars. Mechanically reliable.
A neighbor has a 2010 since new and doesn't hate it.
If or when Ford brings back a mid size sedan, it will likely be the Chinese version of the Taurus, which is essentially a tweaked Fusion, built on the same CD4 platform. The larger CD5 Taurus is history. I may have the nomenclature confused. It may be CD3, and CD4.
As most of us support family in their occupation's when it is practical, we will lease Fords as long as family is employed by Ford.
No car, company, or person is perfect. If we ever incur a service or quality issue, internal corporate people will be on it. Our family lineage is long with Ford. A departed uncle was a quality control person, and used to tell off his bosses all the time when they were producing junk.
Having many choices in the market is good. Choices are freedoms by all means and ways. It also provides competition which can be incentive to produce a better product. So buy or lease what you like. You can always change, at least in the non personifiction area's. Wait, nope, it's also possible today to change that. Do what ever works best for the individual.
If you get a lemon, and or poor service satisfaction, I think that should be grounds for eliminating the lease disposal fee if toy decide not to lease another product from that manufacturer. It may already be part of the lemon law.
Buy what you prefer.
 
Proceed with caution... I've never known anyone that has owned a Ford and not had problems. Some minor, others major. Here in Michigan, Fords are the first to rust out, that should say something for the quality. I own a Toyota (Prius) and absolutely love it. Most trouble free and reliable car I've ever owned, and that's with 220,000+ miles.
 
Not throwing caution

to the wind, Aisin makes the Prius drive systems, and also those Fusion automatic transaxles pre 2013.
I don't know why the Aisin 5 or 6 speeds were prone to some failures.
Japanese products have not always been perfect either.
Ford was using some Jatco 3 speed rear drive automatics in the late 70's which were also prone to premature failure.
Later Fusions, etc. have the co designed Ford/GM six speeds. The gear ratios are a bit different. 5th. and 6th. are both over driven, where as the Ford/GM units are 1:1 ratio in 5th., and only 6th. overdrive. 2018 vehicles get an updated 8 speed. There are only 4 actual planetary gear sets. Sequential Sprag clutch actuation doing the rest of the shifting. I expect they will seem less busy, which is one critique of the current 6 speed upon aggressive varying speed driving.
 
make good choices when it comes to purchasing anything, and that goes with knowing who and what to ask, paying close attention to the "who" ....

in any case, your honest opinion comes from the person who works and sees them the most...plus knows all the ins and out....the MECHANIC!

CR is a waste of breathe......1985....I bought a Chrysler Laser XT Turbo coupe.....CR claimed it to be the worst car ever, and especially bad reviews in all the info that was displayed on the dash, not to mention it TALKED!

and yet, this same publication swears by TODAYS cars that talk and give feedback to the driver....well, which is it?, you can't have both.....all it boiled down to is they don't know what the heck their talking about...and you know where their head is at....

I am a AMC/Mopar/Jeep person.....but I have owned Fords, Mustangs--LX, GT and Turbo...and of course the Taurus SHO....which never gave me a bit of trouble...

when Taurus's were first introduced, yes, there were transmission issues.....but that's common for anything built today as a proto-type....common sense tells you not to buy the first ones off the assembly line, give them a few years to work out any bugs, THEN you buy one....

again, like I said...I don't hold a grudge that every single Ford Taurus ever built in history is going to have transmission issues!....

one thing I noticed of people with Fords, the higher end models seemed to have less issues than BOL versions of the same vehicle....

my niece has a Fusion Platinum…...that is one nice vehicle...looks as good as it drives.....

my nephew has the Ford Focus RS Eco-Boost 6speed......that is a powerhouse of vehicle....

if I was in the market for a sports car....I might consider one of these....
 
Well, I have to say I got very good use out of my '95 Ford Explorer - it made it to 400,000 miles. It still ran, but had developed steering problems. I see a LOT of older Ford F-150 trucks on the road. Have seen several late 70's models in just the last couple weeks.
 
Avoid that generation Fusion with the 6F35 transmission like the plague. Vacerator is partially incorrect, the 2010-12 Fusion 2.5 I4 and 3.0 V6 got the 6F35 transmission. The only version to keep the same Aisin that the 06-09 generation 3.0 V6 model had was the 10-12 Fusion Sport with the 3.5 liter V6. I would only ever consider the 10-12 Fusion Sport due to that, the 6F35 in that generation Fusion was awful in almost every way imaginable.
 
Early 6F35 transaxles

had inferior clutch wave plates. Updated wave plates and kits were available from 2011. Most failures were in Edge vehicles, and other V6 applications. The 4 cylinder is less demanding, and that car above has very low miles.
Strictly Bojack has decided to forgo anyhow.
Rust is not an issue so much out west, and if it was driven light on the gas pedal, it would be a good car for someone on a tighter budget.
Maybe drive it a couple years, then sell it. It may remain reliable for someone who doesn't drive a lot also.
As I said earlier, a neighbor has a 2010 with only 70,000 miles on it, and no mechanical issues.
 
If cars had zero defects or recalls,

what would all the technicians do who spent money on their schooling? Not only would the schools be unemployed, so would the technicians.
Everything is quantativley figured into costs. Engineering, production, retailing, servicing.
 
I guess my family has always had fords in one form or another.

I've had a few friends that have been very happy with their fusions, but not happy at all with the dealerships.

I can't say I've heard much negative about the fusions in general.

My lincoln, the only thing I really despise is the panorama sunroof it has. I have had quite a few issues with it, but I am going to say that my issues are dealer caused, not factory caused.

I've got an old ford pickup that won't die as well.
 
We had a Focus

And believe me theres a reason its called Ford.....

F fix
O or
R repair
D daily

A good reason we won't have another one. Ok so thats just my opinion and am sure others have had far better experiences than myself.
 

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