Older Fusions

[Engineer_Guy]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Anyway, my daughter is now looking a focus and fusion. She has narrowed it to those models because she said if she keeps looking at everything, she will never make a selection and just keeep looking and looking. "I need to focus on a focus or a fusion" She still wants a Fiesta most of all, but that is not going to happen. They are too new and therefore outside her price range.

If she wants a hatchback I don't know why the Fusion is still in consideration. She wants an economical Ford hatch for 7k. A used Focus should be her choice.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

After carefully rejecting my many suggestions, my daughter seems to have set her heart on a Fusion. She has looked as everything from about 2002 through 2010.

I know Fusions are now very good cars. I do not know when they became very good cars. I have heard prior to 2005 you may have engine issues and prior to 2002 Ford had transmission issues with many of their cars (not sure when they started making Fusions). I do not know whether this is accurate. Some years the touch screen computer system had major issues, I think that was more recent than she is looking at, but i am not sure.

Anyone know Fusions inside out? Best years? Common problems?

With the newer Fusions (2009-2010) she is looking at cars with 90 - 100K miles. Anything in particular we need to watch for with that kind of mileage other than what you normally watch for in any high mileage car?

Thank you.

BTW - I almost sold her on the idea of a VW TDI, but the fact that anything in her price range is well over 150K miles and that she could mess up and put gas in it in a tired moment or a blonde moment, made her reject that idea.

I have a 2004 Mazda6 which is the 1st-gen Fusion's corporate cousin. It has a Ford V6 coupled to a Mazda manual transmission. 63K miles, the last 15K of them under our ownership. No complaints so far and no major issues, owing to the fact that it has been meticulously maintained by both us and the previous owner. It's a solid driver's car and a comfortable highway cruiser. I'm disappointed with the interior quality, but the Fusions I've seen look to have nicer interiors than the 6's did.

[Drover]

BTW, since it seems to matter in your neck of the woods... My 6 has a pretty conspicuous UAW/Flat Rock assembly decal in the rear passenger window.