2017 Ford Fusion vs 2017 Hyundai Sonata
Two midsize cars, compared on what actually matters when you're buying used:
what breaks, when it breaks, and what it costs you.
2017 Ford
Fusion
5/10
Great chassis and styling wrapped around EcoBoost engines that eat themselves via coolant intrusion — know which engine you're getting before you sign anything.
VS
2017 Hyundai
Sonata
5/10
A comfortable, well-equipped mid-size sedan crippled by a well-documented engine that can spontaneously knock, burn oil, or catch fire — buy only with a clean engine inspection and ideally the 1.6T instead.
Dead heat: both score 5/10. The tiebreaker is which specific car you find.
By the numbers
Green is the better number — higher on every score, lower on failures, complaints and recalls.
| Ford Fusion |
Hyundai Sonata |
| Known failure points | 5 | 6 |
| NHTSA complaints | 1102 | 761 |
| Safety recalls | 4 | 3 |
| Service bulletins | 12 | 12 |
| Reliability | 48 | 42 |
| Cheap to own | 45 | 38 |
| Fun factor | 58 | 38 |
| Holds value | 38 | 40 |
| Enthusiast cred | 30 | 22 |
The most expensive thing that goes wrong
2017 Ford Fusion
1.5L/2.0L EcoBoost coolant intrusion — cracked cylinder head/block or degraded degas bottle allows coolant into cylinders, causing hydrolock, overheating, and often full engine replacement
$4,000–$8,00030k–70k mi
2017 Hyundai Sonata
Theta II 2.4L GDI rod bearing knock / catastrophic oil consumption (the class-action engine)
$4,000–$7,00040k–90k mi
If you buy one, buy this one
✅ 2017 Ford Fusion
2017 Fusion SE or Titanium with the base 2.5L I4, or if you want performance, the Fusion Sport 2.7L V6 AWD — both sidestep the 1.5T/2.0T coolant intrusion nightmare.
✅ 2017 Hyundai Sonata
2017 Sonata Eco with the 1.6T Gamma engine and 7-speed dual-clutch — sidesteps the worst Theta II drama, gets ~32+ mpg combined, and still has a mid-level tech package.
Narrowed it down? Get the full report
This comparison is model-level.
Milo's report goes car-level — the one you're actually looking at:
- A line-by-line negotiation script
- The pre-purchase inspection checklist
- VIN-specific open recalls
- What it's really worth right now
- Your next 15,000 miles, forecast
- Hidden features & money-savers
Run my free report →
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Scores and findings blend documented NHTSA recalls and complaints with
patterns synthesized from owner communities. Always inspect the specific vehicle and
verify open recalls by VIN before buying.