2009 Ford Fusion

midsize car / 4-door sedan

2009 Ford Fusion 4-door sedan

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Key

  • G
    Good
  • A
    Acceptable
  • M
    Marginal
  • P
    Poor
  • Superior
  • Advanced
  • Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2007-12 models built after January 2007

Tested vehicle: 2007 Ford Fusion SE 4-door

The Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, and Lincoln Zephyr were introduced in the 2006 model year. The Zephyr was renamed the MKZ beginning with 2007 models. All three cars were restyled beginning with the 2010 model year, and the Mercury Milan was discontinued after the 2010 model year.

Beginning with 2007 models manufactured after January 2007, structural reinforcements were added to the floor ahead of the front seats, and the hard plastic "ramp" bolted underneath the carpeting near the base of the accelerator pedal was modified to improve occupant protection in frontal offset crashes. In addition, the standard side airbags were changed so that they would deploy in severe frontal offset crashes. (Note: information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on or near the driver door.)

The tested car was manufactured after all modifications had been made.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the frontal offset crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the steering wheel and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained well.

Smeared greasepaint indicates where the dummy's head brushed across the side curtain airbag and hit the roof rail during rebound, producing high forces on the neck.

Postcrash photo with carpeting removed indicating the modified "ramp" intended to reduce loading on the right leg and ankle in frontal offset crashes.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CEF0702
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm) 7
Left (cm) 11
Center (cm) 10
Right (cm) 11
Brake pedal (cm) 6
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm) 3
Right (cm) 2
Steering column movement
Upward (cm) 2
Rearward (cm) -3
A-pillar rearward movement (cm) 1

Driver injury measures

Test ID CEF0702
Head
HIC-15 209
Peak gs at hard contact 69
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.4
Extension bending moment (Nm) 36
Maximum Nij 0.72
Chest maximum compression (mm) 36
Legs
Femur force - left (kN) 1.1
Femur force - right (kN) 4.8
Knee displacement - left (mm) 0
Knee displacement - right (mm) 3
Maximum tibia index - left 0.47
Maximum tibia index - right 0.96
Tibia axial force - left (kN) 1.9
Tibia axial force - right (kN) 3.1
Foot acceleration (g)
Left 139
Right 158

How the moderate overlap front test is conducted

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2007-12 models built after January 2007

Tested vehicle: 2007 Ford Fusion SE 4-door with standard front and rear head curtain airbags and standard front seat-mounted torso airbags

The Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan were introduced in the 2006 model year. Beginning with 2007 models, design changes were made to the side curtain airbags and door structure and trim to improve occupant protection in side impact crashes. Also, side airbags became standard beginning with 2007 models (optional in 2006 models).

Further modifications were made to the front door trim starting with 2007 models manufactured after January 2007 (note: information about when a specific vehicle was manufactured is on the certification label typically affixed to the car on or near the driver door). Both cars were restyled beginning with the 2010 model year.

Two tests of the Fusion were conducted, one manufactured before the January 2007 front door trim changes were made, and one manufactured afterward. These vehicles are rated separately, except that the structural ratings and rear passenger injury and head protection ratings for both vehicles are based on both tests.

The Mercury Milan was discontinued after the 2010 model year.

Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection

View of the vehicle and barrier just after the crash test.

View of the vehicle after the crash with doors removed, showing the side airbags and damage to the occupant compartment.

Smeared greasepaint shows where the driver dummy's head was protected from being hit by hard structures by the side airbags.

Smeared red greasepaint shows where the rear passenger dummy’s head was protected by the side airbag.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID CES0632 CES0701
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm) -8.0 -8.5
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Driver injury measures

Test ID CES0701
Head HIC-15 136
Neck
Tension (kN) 1.3
Compression (kN) 0.7
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 40
Lateral force (kN) 2.0
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 26
Average deflection (mm) 21
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 4.03
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.39
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.9
Acetabulum force (kN) 3.4
Combined force (kN) 4.8
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 0.3
L-M moment (Nm) 41
A-P moment (Nm) 19

Passenger injury measures

Test ID CES0632 CES0701
Head HIC-15 99 136
Neck
Tension (kN) 0.4 0.3
Compression (kN) 0.4 0.6
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm) 40 43
Lateral force (kN) 2.2 1.7
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm) 34 38
Average deflection (mm) 30 32
Maximum deflection rate (m/s) 3.46 4.29
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s) 0.53 0.61
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN) 1.8 2.1
Acetabulum force (kN) 3.2 2.9
Combined force (kN) 4.5 4.6
Left femur
L-M force (kN) 1.0 1.0
L-M moment (Nm) 97 132
A-P moment (Nm) -46 27

How the side crash test is conducted

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2006-10 models built before May 2010

Tested vehicle: 2010 Ford Fusion SE 4-door

Overall evaluation
Curb weight 3,394 lbs
Peak force 11,300 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio 3.33

How the roof strength test is conducted

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Manual - power cloth seats

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry
Technical measurements for this test
Seat type Manual - power cloth seats
Geometry
Backset (mm) 18
Distance below top of head (mm) 24
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g) 11.8
Head contact time (ms) 58
Force rating 1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N) 1
Max neck tension (N) 429

How the head restraint & seat test is conducted
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.