NHTSA Complaint #11291165 — 2010 FORD FUSION

I PURCHASED A NEW 2010 FORD FUSION HYBRID SE FROM A FORD DEALERSHIP IN FAIRFAX, VA. AFTER OWNING THE VEHICLE FOR APPROXIMATELY 9 YEARS, THE VEHICLE NO LONGER OPERATES IN ELECTRIC MODE (IT ONLY OPERATES IN GAS MODE). MY AVERAGE MPG HAS DROPPED FROM 37-40 MPG TO 25-27 MPG. I TOOK IT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP SERVICE CENTER MANASSAS, VA IN NOV 2019 WHO INDICATED THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT THEY HAVE NO SOLUTION TO FIX IT (THEY INITIALLY WERE GOING TO CHARGE ME $150 DIAGNOSTIC FEE BUT WAIVED THE FEE AND SENT ME HOME). THERE ARE NUMEROUS REPORTS IN FORD VEHICLE FORUMS WITH THE SAME COMPLAINT. CONSENSUS IS THAT FORD PROGRAMMED THE ELECTRONIC MODE TO STOP WORKING AFTER 9 YEARS. WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, THERE WAS NO DISCLOSURE THAT I WOULD NO LONGER HAVE A PROPERLY WORKING HYBRID AFTER 9 YEARS. THIS END-OF-LIFE DECISION WOULD HAVE TO BE PROGRAMMED INTO THE VEHICLE'S ECU AT THE TIME OF MANUFACTURING AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCLOSED BY FORD AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. HAD FORD DISCLOSED THIS, IT WOULD HAVE DIRECTLY IMPACTED MY DECISION TO PURCHASE THE VEHICLE. THE FIX APPEARS TO BE REPROGRAMMING THE VEHICLE TO MAKE IT THINK IT IS LESS THAN 9 YEARS OLD WHICH RETURNS THE HYBRID FUNCTIONS TO NORMAL. ACCORDING TO SEVERAL FORUMS, SOME FORD SERVICE CENTERS HAVE CONDUCT THIS FIX, BUT THE MAJORITY OF FORD SERVICE CENTERS ARE NOT WILLING/ABLE TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED IN FORD'S OASIS DATABASE WITH NO SOLUTION. TSB #SSM 48238 NHTSA ID #10167224 WAS ANNOUNCED IN OCT 2019. REFER TO FORUMS WITH IDENTICAL ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS: (HTTPS://WWW.CARGURUS.COM/CARS/DISCUSSION-C28475_DS1000144), (HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/FORD/FUSION_HYBRID/2010/TSBS/), (HTTPS://WWW.FORDFUSIONFORUM.COM/TOPIC/19361-MY-INSTRUCTIONS-ON-RESTORING-THE-HYBRID-EV-FUNCTION-ON-THE-FORD-FUSION-HYBRID-APPROACHING-THE-89-YEARS-MARK/).