I don't really understand the concern here. There are clearly two different taillight sets used by Ford. The Titanium style are meant to be an upgrade. The other style is just not as attractive. It's what both of my cars have. Unused bulbs and wires? I doubt it.

 

The original concern I had was that my brand new car's tail lamps were not functioning properly or I had missed a setting. However, additionally, as you said, the other [sE] style is not as attractive IMO. After a small amount of research, it's true that there are no unused bulbs/wires. I just find it very unusual and illogical that this is one of the places that Ford chose as a trim line upgrade. Addl. fog lights, ambient lighting, other luxury features? Sure. But to simply have the SE tail light configuration to flesh out the corners of the car with a dummy empty chamber seems ridiculous to me. Often, car companies shy away from producing two or more versions of a part in a car at this price point. That was all.

Check out these two threads about swapping tail lights.

 

http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/6456-changing-the-tail-lights-on-my-se-hybrid/

 

http://www.blueovalforums.com/forums/index.php?/topic/53724-swapping-se-tail-lights-out-with-titanium-lights/

 

You can check fordparts.com for the needed parts or hit a junkyard to pick up the tail lights.

 

 

THANK YOU, Jeff! This is extremely relevant and useful information. I'll have to think about cost vs. aesthetics, but could definitely do the swap myself, especially with the help of your posted threads.

If you would compare the SE against the Ti you will find many differences.....not just the taillights.

Really? Thanks for enlightening me. But I know you get my point, don't you? Tail lights are not the type of feature that is an "option" or a luxury, or a place to delineate between the men and the boys in the trim lines. Ford thought nothing of including headlamps that illuminate automatically when the wipers go on, or wipers that automatically activate when they sense rain, capless fill tanks, windows that roll down while holding the keyfob unlock button, etc. etc. Nice little perks perhaps but certainly not necessary...or deal-breakers. Are you saying that you really can't see my point about the irony of having the tail lights as they are on the car, but 3/4 of their shape and form is completely non-functional? Or is this now just becoming "forum-banter" that we see so often? Don't reply. The questions are rhetorical. I found out what I needed to know and I'm frustrated by the lack of design logic. Smug comments pointing out the obvious "...are in no way productive. Why don't you...", blah blah blah.

You can send your feedback directly to Ford by sending a Private Message to username Ford Service. Then your feedback can be relayed appropriately. You are not the first to express this sentiment.

Thank you very much. This is helpful. I'll be sure to take your advice.

... and this is where Ford is drawing the line?! That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. It's not like you walk into the dealership shopping and they ask you "Would you like to consider the Titanium version so you can have lit tail lights?" Wanna give me an incentive to buy the Titanium? Lower the sticker price. So far I love this car, but this is the kind of stupid crap only American car companies seem to do. I say give me [functioning]tail lights (that are already there) and penalize me one less cupholder. Their approach at serving the consumer is a joke!

No, this is where Ford maintains some distinction between the SE and the Titanium. If you could get everything on the SE that you could on the TI there would be no incentive to buy the Ti.

Thank you everyone for the responses and shedding some light on this topic (too bad you couldn't shed some on the tail lights). Here's my feeling, and hoping that Ford occasionally reads this forum:

The rear styling of this car is very sleek and distinctive, in large part to the shape/styling of the tail lights. If they're not going to light up, why have them in this configuration? I would gladly have paid a couple hundred more bucks (unbeknownst to me and built into the base price) to have one guy on each side of the assembly line twisting the wires together. Or did Ford "cheap-out" and not equip them with bulbs and/or wiring? Is this where Ford is saving on production costs? I'm bettin' the wires/bulbs are there, which makes it even more ludicrous that they are not hooked up and programmed. And obviously Ford is aware of the value of this feature/styling, because the Titaniums do light up. For a car that has so many other customizable features and conveniences, this seems to me to be a major styling/safety shortcoming. Take note, Ford! Hope you improve the 2017's.

New to the Fusions and new to this forum. But I have to say that on our SE Hybrid, not having the rear tail lights' red outer perimeter illuminate is ridiculous! The rear styling of this car is very sleek and distinctive, in large part to the shape/styling of the tail lights. If they're not going to light, why have them in this configuration? I would gladly have paid a couple hundred more bucks (unbeknownst to me and built in to the base price) to have one guy on each side of the assembly line twisting the wires together. Or did Ford cheap out and not equip them with bulbs and/or wiring? Is this where Ford is saving on production costs? I'm bettin' the wires/bulbs are there, which makes it even more ludicrous that they are not hooked up and programmed. And obviously Ford is aware of the value of this feature/styling, because the Titaniums do light up. For a car that has so many other customizable features and conveniences, this seems to me to be a major styling/safety shortcoming. Take note, Ford! Hope you improve the 2017's.

Just bought a 2015 Fusion SE Hybrid and noticed that the tail lights don't seem to be fully illuminated. The perimeter red portion of the tail lights giving the Fusion its unique style (and visibility, I might add), isnt' lit. I've seen other Fusions driving around, and it seems some are lit and some aren't...which leads me to believe that it is a setting somewhere in the myriad of settings/combinations. Have read the manual where it seems this would be relevant, and can't find anything that indicates why this would be or how to change it. There is only one reference to the settings for the daytime running lights affecting tail light illlumination. Regardless, I turned the daytime running lights feature on and off, and there seems to be no change in the illumination of the tail lights. Presently only the center red tail light illuminates, and it gets brighter when the brake is applied. Anyone?