2006 FORD Fusion

NO MAJOR ISSUES - 10yr original owner

Comfort Rating: 4 Performance Rating: 4 Interior Rating: 4 Reliability Rating: 5 Safety Rating: 4 Technology Rating: 4 Value Rating: 4

I purchased this car new in 2006 when I needed to trade in my mustang that was not so affordable while in college. This was not my choice vehicle, but the decent power was an acceptable transition from the GT power I was used to indulging in. I pushed the oil changes beyond to ~5k mi but regularly went with a synthetic oil option. I did maintenance at 80k mi and have it inspected periodically. It now has 140k mi and the recent full inspection from the dealership reported all areas in the green, including belts and hoses. That's the good. Here's the bad. Shortly after purchase, one of the rear inner door handles completely broke. They're made of plastic that isn't so durable. I should have taken it for repair under warranty, but didn't. Then, at ~80k mi, the front control arms needed to be replaced. This was a bit expensive... on the order of $1800. It wasn't a safety concern, but they were noisy. It was due to the rubber in the ends of each arm, which breaks down so it sounded like rubber rubbing together whenever the wheels were turned. That was a bummer, but I suppose the bad could have been much worse. The headliner has started to fall at the rear recently, so that will need repair next. Other than that, I've only needed to replace the brakes - which lasted >100k mi and tires. Overall it's been a great, reliable vehicle for the past decade!