Ask The Guide

Ford's Fusion range is available in front wheel drive and all wheel drive. The only rear wheel drive Ford Fusions are NASCAR racing cars, not legal for road use, and there are no 4 wheel drive Fusions as there are no models featuring diff locks or low-range transmission options.

We haven’t been getting reports of problems once the DSG has been replaced under the recall, as yours has, so I doubt you have any claim against VW for this latest problem.

If it is the well-known transmission issue then you could have a claim against Holden to repair or replace it, but if it isn’t you have no claim. You need to establish what the problem is, and you can then contact Holden, but until you actually know what the problem is you are in limbo.

If you have lost your keys, unfortunately you are stuck waiting for a locksmith as it is next to impossible to break into a car and hotwire it like they do in the movies.

However, if the battery in your Ford Fusion's key fob dies, there is a neat trick to get into your car and drive away without having to spend the King's ransom on a locksmith or a tow-truck. First, flip the smart key over and look for the small button on the back of the key. Pop it out, then remove the small metal key inside. Looking under the driver's door-handle there is a small hole you can insert the key into, then twist and pull off the plastic housing on the end of the door handle. This shows the manual key barrel to open the car.

Put the key in, turn the key and open the door. Then, pull the small tab on the rubber liner in the cupholder, and remove that liner. Place the key face up in the indent in the bottom of the rear cupholder, with the unlock button facing forward. You can now start your car like normal.

Ford's Fusion is 4869mm, or 191.7in.

The cost including a new alternator should be $1000 to $1200.

This question is entirely dependent on how you drive. If your friends refer to your driving style as "Miss Daisy" rather than "Lewis Hamilton", and you get your car serviced regularly, then there's no reason a Ford Fusion shouldn't last at least a decade before needing major maintenance work.

However, if you prefer to model your driving style on a mix of New York cabbie or teenage Grand Theft Auto-player, then you'll probably end up visiting your service department quite a lot to fix broken parts.

I wouldn’t go on a trip without fixing the issue. I'm surprised to hear that there is no stock in Australia, but I would reach out to Isuzu Ute Australia head office if you've only tried dealers so far.

UPDATE 12/2/19: Greg advises that this part was replaced under warranty shortly after this response was published. 

No, it doesn’t.

Properly maintained with regular servicing, and driven sympathetically, there is no reason a Ford Fusion won't be a picture of reliability.

Ford's announcement they're moving away from building sedans like the Fusion caused a huge revolt from Americans and even Ford dealers, which tells me there is a very large fanbase for the Fusion, which has been something of a hit for Ford since it was introduced in 2006.