FordFusion Hybrid2012Overview/ford/fusion-hybrid/2012/base/

2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2012 Fusion Hybrid.

Body PASSENGER CARTransmission Automatic (variable gear ratios)

The 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid is a passenger car utilizing an automatic transmission with variable gear ratios to achieve an EPA rating of 41/35/38 mpg. In the context of the 2010-2013 model history, this year recorded 2,557 total owner complaints, positioning it between the 2010 low of 791 and the 2011 peak of 2,869. This reliability profile is further defined by six recalls and steering identified as the top complaint area.

Model year20172016201520142013201220112010

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity5.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-20 APIOEM · verified
Lug nut torque100 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy41/35/38 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 96r · 500 CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 96r · 500 CCAOEM · verified
Tire sizeP205-60R16OEM · verified
Wheel / rim6.5 inOEM · verified

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (variable gear ratios)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length190.2 in
Overall width72 in
Overall height57.1 in
Wheelbase107.5 in
Curb weight3285 lb
Track (front / rear)61.4 / 61 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)60/40

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined41 / 35 / 38 mpg
DrivetrainFront-Wheel Drive
Passenger volume101 cu ft
Cargo volume16 cu ft
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 5.0 qt of 5W-20 API engine oil, DOT 3 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 100 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to 20.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-4-2-5-3-6. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidFord Mercon LV
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity5.0-6.0
Brake FluidDOT 4
Brake FluidDOT 3
Engine CoolantUSE FORD PREMIUM GOLD COOLANT
Engine Oil5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity5.0 qt
Engine Oil5W-20 · API

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs7.4 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts59 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts13.3 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts15 ft-lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts7.4 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain Plug20.0 ft-lbs
Oil Pump to Cylinder BLock Bolts/Studs7 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Lug Nuts100 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill Plug14.75 ft-lbs
Front Wheel Hub189 ft-lbs
Rear Wheel Hub189 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-4-2
Cylinder Firing Order1-4-2-5-3-6
Spark Plug ManufacturerMotorcraft

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.38 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46
Oil Capacity6.00 oz
RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant Capacity1.25-1.38 lbs
Oil TypeYN-32

Service checks

Pressure Test18 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief13-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature176-183 °F
Pressure Test18 psi
Radiator Cap Pressure Relief13-18 psi
Thermostat Opening Temperature171-181 °F
RPM55-58 @ Idle rpm
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)55.0-58.0

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket20 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle66 ft-lbs
Torque Caliper to Bracket19 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle52 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.118; Rear: 0.118 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in
Rotor Discard at or Under0.905 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.002 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
117 ft. lbs., Step 2: 3217 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
174 ft. lbs., step 2: 9074 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
189 ft. lbs., step 2: loosen 1 turn, step 3: 37 ft. lbs., step 4: 9089 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
189 ft. lbs., step 2: 360 degrees, step 3: 37 ft. lbs., step 4: 9089 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 6 stages

Prep Do not reuse old bolts. Coat new bolts with the specified engine oil.

130.0 ft. lbs.30 ft. lbs
290 degrees90 degrees
3Loosen bolts 360 degrees360 degrees
430 ft. lbs.30 ft. lbs
590 degrees90 degrees
690 degrees90 degrees
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
135 ft. lbs., Step 2: 3535 ft. lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
17.4 ft. lbs., step 2: turn 457.4 ft. lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
1install 6 new exhaust manifold stud9 ft. lbs
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
1Bolts 1-818 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 10,000 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant every 10,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 10,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 10,000 miEngine Coolant System Hoses (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace)
Every 20,000 miCabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Temperature Controlled Seat Air Filter (replace)
Every 50,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
At 100,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 100,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 150,000 miDrive Belt (replace) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2012 Ford Fusion Hybrid sits in the middle of a downward complaint trend: federal complaints peaked at 2,869 in 2011, then fell to 2,557 in 2012 and 1,861 in 2013, while recalls were lower than the surrounding years at 6, compared with 9 in 2011 and 19 in 2013. However, the 2012 model still carries the generation's highest-volume complaint category, with 1,221 steering complaints—nearly half of its total complaint volume—along with 379 air-bag complaints, 109 crash complaints, and 9 fire complaints. Investigations held steady at 5, near the generation's average, and TSBs remained modest at 54, well below the 212 issued for 2013. Because the data does not specify root causes, I cannot attribute the steering reports to a single defect, but the concentration is notable. Relative to 2011 and 2013, 2012 shows lower recalls and a declining complaint count, suggesting it may be a comparatively safer bet within this generation, though prospective buyers should have the steering system inspected carefully before purchase.

6
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
54
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
5
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
2,557
Owner complaints
109 involved a crash · 9 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 2,557 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Steering1221
Air Bags379
Power Train86
Unknown Or Other84
Service Brakes76
Structure63
Steering,Electronic Stability Control (Esc)43
Steering,Electrical System42

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

No recall campaigns on record with NHTSA for this vehicle as of the last data refresh.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 54 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
SSM 524762024-04-24EquipmentAll accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the…
SSM 522432024-02-08Engine And Engine CoolingWhen performing any transmission fluid change or topoff involving Motorcraft® Premium…
22B05 S12023-07-27Air BagsCertain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2005-2006 GT, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion and…
SSM 516662023-05-26SteeringSome 2010-2012 Fusion/Milan and 2011-2012 MKZ vehicles equipped with a 2.5L or 3.0L…
TSB 23-20982023-04-07Power TrainSome 2010-2012 Fusion hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), 2010-2011 Milan HEV and 2011-2012…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Fusion Hybrid. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2012 Fusion Hybrid take?

5.0 qt of 5W-20 API MEETING FORD SPECIFICATION WSS-M2C945-A, per the factory manual.

Does the 2012 Fusion Hybrid have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Fusion Hybrid get?

EPA figures are 41 city / 35 highway / 38 combined mpg.