Power Fold mirrors

[lrymal]

I sooooo enjoy my Ford Fusion Hybrid. The feature set is rich, comfort is marvelous, and driveability is beyond anything I ever expected. Just the little stuff bugs me....

 

The car came without break-away mirrors, aka folding mirrors. If someone in a parking lot walks into them, the mirror housing could potentially, maybe, become damaged. Nearly every vehicle I know today has folding mirrors. My are as stationary as they can be.

 

My GM truck (bless its bankrupt heart) has not only folding mirrors, but by a touch of a button, they are electrically folded inwards. This is handy for car washes or when parking the big truck in a tight parking lot.

 

I would setting for just "standard" folding mirror housings. I have dug through the accessory listings and haven't found anything from Ford. Does anyone know of a replacement?

[bbf2530]

I sooooo enjoy my Ford Fusion Hybrid. The feature set is rich, comfort is marvelous, and driveability is beyond anything I ever expected. Just the little stuff bugs me....

 

The car came without break-away mirrors, aka folding mirrors. If someone in a parking lot walks into them, the mirror housing could potentially, maybe, become damaged. Nearly every vehicle I know today has folding mirrors. My are as stationary as they can be.

 

My GM truck (bless its bankrupt heart) has not only folding mirrors, but by a touch of a button, they are electrically folded inwards. This is handy for car washes or when parking the big truck in a tight parking lot.

 

I would setting for just "standard" folding mirror housings. I have dug through the accessory listings and haven't found anything from Ford. Does anyone know of a replacement?

 

 

Hi lrymal. :D There are no Genuine Ford Accessory kits (for the Fusion/Milan/MKZ) available for that type of conversion. And to my knowledge, there are no aftermarket kits available (either power or manual).

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

[lrymal]

Hi lrymal. :D There are no Genuine Ford Accessory kits (for the Fusion/Milan/MKZ) available for that type of conversion. And to my knowledge, there are no aftermarket kits available (either power or manual).

 

Good luck. :beerchug:

Yeah.... I was sorta hoping :hysterical2: that someone would say, "...just go to such-n-such URL and you'll find mirror accessories that will work!" Gosh, this car... economy reading slowly is creeping up as I drive it. So impressed with it.

[rfruth]

I asked a salesmen a few weeks ago about the lack of folding mirrors & he said something about it disrupting the aerodynamics - I wanted to say to him (but didn't) if your going to lie to me at least make it a good one (the gas only Fusions & the Escape hybrids have folding mirrors, not sure what happened with the Fusion hybrid) could be money (trying to keep costs down) ?

[Grey]

Your GM truck with power fold mirrors was about 80" wide. The Fusion is 72.2". When the mirrors were folded in on the truck, I'm guessing it was still wider than the Fusion.

[lrymal]

Your GM truck with power fold mirrors was about 80" wide. The Fusion is 72.2". When the mirrors were folded in on the truck, I'm guessing it was still wider than the Fusion.

Sure the truck is wider, but nearly any vehicle's outside mirrors can fold inward, if anything, to keep them from being damaged if you bump into something with the mirror. The power fold idea is just a cool option, but folding mirrors---I thought was standard for just about any vehicle.

 

Anyway, it is just a surprising feature that is left out of an otherwise very elegant car.

[lrymal]

I asked a salesmen a few weeks ago about the lack of folding mirrors & he said something about it disrupting the aerodynamics - I wanted to say to him (but didn't) if your going to lie to me at least make it a good one (the gas only Fusions & the Escape hybrids have folding mirrors, not sure what happened with the Fusion hybrid) could be money (trying to keep costs down) ?

Yeah, that was a very lame excuse. About 15 years ago, I had a Honda Civic hatchback and it had folding mirrors. Now, why would I remember that? Well, went to a Jack-in-the-Box carryout and bumped into the pipe that protects the carryout window. The mirror housing folded in. Whew! Other than scratched paint on the mirror's housing, nothing was damaged.

[rfruth]

Your GM truck with power fold mirrors was about 80" wide. The Fusion is 72.2". When the mirrors were folded in on the truck, I'm guessing it was still wider than the Fusion.

 

Tnx Grey but why do all the Fusions have folding mirrors except the hybrid ?

[robm15]

Tnx Grey but why do all the Fusions have folding mirrors except the hybrid ?

 

 

I don't know the real answer, but I bet it was a cost savings decision. We have some awesome technology in the FFH, but to get it at the price we did, they probably cut a number of things that they thought we wouldn't miss. As time goes on, I bet folks will find more things different than only the absence of folding mirrors.

[lrymal]

I don't know the real answer, but I bet it was a cost savings decision. We have some awesome technology in the FFH, but to get it at the price we did, they probably cut a number of things that they thought we wouldn't miss. As time goes on, I bet folks will find more things different than only the absence of folding mirrors.

Oh, I'll agree with part of that---just that my package has all the "luxury stuff" (501A), plus leather. Seems foldable mirrors, if anything, could be an option or even an add-on purchase.

 

I tried to check to see if the "lesser" Fusions had foldable mirrors, but the Ford website is so hung up on Flash this, Flash that, for even the basic interface, I couldn't find a real list of features, other than the brochures in .pdf format. In short, I didn't really see any mention of foldable mirrors, yay or nay.

 

So, this means if you bump into a pole (carelessness!) with your mirror, you have taken out the mirror housing and maybe the mirror itself. Kinda expensive bump. Whereas on the GM, you'd just be out on a re-paint of the housing.

 

SIGH.... I think the reason I keep ragging on this is because for the most part, this car has everything done absolutely right. Usually, I'll find a major issue that will bug me for years. It is rare to find just this little salt-in-the-wound thang. This is such a great car.

[rfruth]

At my local Ford dealer there were several gas only Fusions (SE, SEL etc.) all had folding mirrors ((yea I checked)) Honda does the same thing, the gas only Civics have folding mirrors & rear disk brakes - not the Civic hybrid (ford.com & fordvehicles.com too busy for my taste too much flash etc...)

[lrymal]

At my local Ford dealer there were several gas only Fusions (SE, SEL etc.) all had folding mirrors ((yea I checked)) Honda does the same thing, the gas only Civics have folding mirrors & rear disk brakes - not the Civic hybrid (ford.com & fordvehicles.com too busy for my taste too much flash etc...)

Weird that Honda is doing the same thing with the mirrors. I'll have to check at my Ford dealer, late at night so I won't be shadowed by a sales droid.

 

If the Fusion folding mirror can he had with the same peripheral object alert, etc., might be purchaseable from parts. But, that surely would be expensive. GM charges about $300 per folding mirror with all the bells and whistles.

[Chris1LE]

Just went out and checked. My 2009 Gas SEL does NOT have folding mirrors.

[smr2112]

Do the FFH mirrors at least have a "tension wire/cable" on them so they have just a little

give like older mirrors did? If they got a bump.

 

I remember pulling through a security gate in my old Honda in bad weather -

whack the mirror came right off. Just have to be ultra careful I guess in

any such situation.

[jtonkin]

Guess what boys and girls, power folding mirrors do exist but they are for export only. I'm the engineer that designed the module for Ford. If you really wanted them you could try a Lincoln dealer. The problem is that you might not have the proper wiring harness for it to work. When we ship stuff to Ford export, we send them the harness and a module. The MKZ's mirrors should work on a fusion. They are chrome though which might be a downer.

 

I'm guessing the cost of two replacement mirrors ( with motors), module and wire harness will cost a lot more than it's worth the trouble. :banghead:

 

The module is pretty cool though. The mirrors automatically open when the car is started and close when you turn it off. :beerchug:

 

The only reason Ford is doing this is that it is a government mandate in South Korea and Japan for vehicles of a certain width. Ford is thinking about bringing this to the domestic market. Wouldn't be until 2012 at the earliest though as a dealer installed accessory.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I sooooo enjoy my Ford Fusion Hybrid. The feature set is rich, comfort is marvelous, and driveability is beyond anything I ever expected. Just the little stuff bugs me....

 

The car came without break-away mirrors, aka folding mirrors. If someone in a parking lot walks into them, the mirror housing could potentially, maybe, become damaged. Nearly every vehicle I know today has folding mirrors. My are as stationary as they can be.

 

My GM truck (bless its bankrupt heart) has not only folding mirrors, but by a touch of a button, they are electrically folded inwards. This is handy for car washes or when parking the big truck in a tight parking lot.

 

I would setting for just "standard" folding mirror housings. I have dug through the accessory listings and haven't found anything from Ford. Does anyone know of a replacement?

[FFHdriver]

Do the FFH mirrors at least have a "tension wire/cable" on them so they have just a little

give like older mirrors did? If they got a bump.

 

I remember pulling through a security gate in my old Honda in bad weather -

whack the mirror came right off. Just have to be ultra careful I guess in

any such situation.

Cars I've seen with folding mirrors are ones that have been imported by ship. Makes loading easier. A folding mirror is of no value if you walk into or hit the mirror side. If your garage is narrow you probably need it.

[DaveM]

I don't know the real answer, but I bet it was a cost savings decision. We have some awesome technology in the FFH, but to get it at the price we did, they probably cut a number of things that they thought we wouldn't miss. As time goes on, I bet folks will find more things different than only the absence of folding mirrors.

I would bet that a folding mirror wouldn't cost more than a couple of cents more to produce than a non folding one. The way you make it sound like it would cost $50 or more.

[lrymal]

Cars I've seen with folding mirrors are ones that have been imported by ship. Makes loading easier. A folding mirror is of no value if you walk into or hit the mirror side. If your garage is narrow you probably need it.

I think all GM products use folding mirrors, and as mentioned earlier, the folding mirrors on my GM pickup would fold in with the press of a button. Kinda easy to get spoiled on something like that.

 

I was amazed with all the electronic gadgetry in my Ford Fusion Hybrid, that it didn't even have basic folding mirrors. Power fold mirrors would have been sweet, but they aren't even a listed option.

[FtLewis2002]

Just went out and checked. My 2009 Gas SEL does NOT have folding mirrors.

 

Nope, neither does my "lesser" 2009 SEL. (I like the way the 09's look over the 10's, but don't say anything)

[FtLewis2002]

At my local Ford dealer there were several gas only Fusions (SE, SEL etc.) all had folding mirrors ((yea I checked)) Honda does the same thing, the gas only Civics have folding mirrors & rear disk brakes - not the Civic hybrid (ford.com & fordvehicles.com too busy for my taste too much flash etc...)

 

No, NONE of the Fusions, 06-09 had folding mirrors in the United States. Now you're embellishing at the least.

[michaelstark]

I came here with the same curiosity...my now junked 2001 Accord had foldaway mirrors (manual). My totaled 2007 Fusion didn't, and of course not my 2010 Hybrid. And of course, I had to replace mirrors on both. Two on the '07, one on the '10.. ugh.

[Cobra348]

On 6/14/2009 at 9:48 PM, lrymal said:

Sure the truck is wider, but nearly any vehicle's outside mirrors can fold inward, if anything, to keep them from being damaged if you bump into something with the mirror. The power fold idea is just a cool option, but folding mirrors---I thought was standard for just about any vehicle.

 

Anyway, it is just a surprising feature that is left out of an otherwise very elegant car.

I had a '15 hybrid, a '17 hybrid and now a '20.  All had MANUALLY folding mirrors on both sides.  If you are in the car, lower the drivers window, grasp the mirror about where the puddle light is, pull toward you. 

 

I do this all the time when going thru an ATM so I can get close without having to get out of the car to do this or that.  As far as clipping something, if you hit it hard enough to break the mirror then your depth perception is way off.  I've nicked posts and the mirror just folded a bit and usually popped right back out.

 

[Cobra348]

On 6/14/2009 at 10:29 PM, rfruth said:

 

Tnx Grey but why do all the Fusions have folding mirrors except the hybrid ?

see my post to lrymal ... FFH does have folding mirrors.  They're manual.

[Cobra348]

On 7/9/2020 at 9:18 PM, michaelstark said:

I came here with the same curiosity...my now junked 2001 Accord had foldaway mirrors (manual). My totaled 2007 Fusion didn't, and of course not my 2010 Hybrid. And of course, I had to replace mirrors on both. Two on the '07, one on the '10.. ugh.

The mirrors fold MANUALLY on FFH from at least '15 up.  I know as I have used them often.

[mwr]

59 minutes ago, Cobra348 said:

The mirrors fold MANUALLY on FFH from at least '15 up.  I know as I have used them often.

The owners manual for my 2015 FFH says that also. But when I tried to fold them, they wouldn't budge. Is there some trick to it?