2013 Fusion Hybrid poor Fuel Economy issue

[expresspotato]

Hey all sorry for the delay it took me a whopping 5 hours to install my HID kit... Ford is nuts! It was so hard to get off the front end its not even funny - a new bolt on both sides of the wheel well's took me literally an hour to figure out hot to get them out.

 

It was 4am so I just passed out and wasn't able to check the plugs. But today I noticed my Air Flaps were half open when the engine was freezing cold warming up in my driveway... Hmmm seems like a software update is in order. Freezing engine should = flaps closed...

[wazzul]

I was thinking today, there's got to be a way to get the flaps to close manually like all the time. From what I've been reading there are a few people who have used other methods for blocking the front intake all the time and have reported MPG increases. I'm sure a little air gets through the flaps and enough to cool the ICE unless you live in climate that's constantly over 90 or 100. But then again if there were a way to wire it so it happens manually, you could just hit a button to open it if the engine gets too hot!

[Fordrje]

I too am getting no where near the 47 mpg that Ford uses in their advertisements.

 

I have 7000 miles on my 2013 Ford Fusion. I am lucky to get 37 mpg. I took it into the dealer who did a fuel economy test of their own. They got 34.7 mpg, the dealer, not me. And they told me that the car test normal and there is nothing they can do. So, running normally, I am told that I can expect 34.7.

 

Called Ford Customer Service to express my dissatisfaction with the gas mileage. Was told that the gas mileage varies due to the way the car is driven. When I told Ford it was the dealer that got 34.7 not me, they just said there was nothing they could do. They said that it is the EPA that says the car gets 47 mpg not them. What a cop out. They use it to sell the car and hide behind it when their cars underperform.

 

To me this car is a lemon. 20% less gas mileage than advertised. My family has been buying Ford products for over 50 years. It is a shame that Ford does not stand behind their products anymore.

[inco]

Sorry that you are upset about your numbers, but to expect that your car, or any car, will produce numbers that match the EPA ones, is not realistic.

Their testing methods are so far removed from our everyday drives that it is impossible for us mere mortals to duplicate. A better, more relevant test would be to compare your numbers to others here and see how you fare.

 

And don't forget, weather conditions and the types of gas used around the country will also affect your mileage. Being much colder up here, I know my figures won't be as good as many folks south of us. ;)

[jeff_h]

I too am getting no where near the 47 mpg that Ford uses in their advertisements.

 

I have 7000 miles on my 2013 Ford Fusion. I am lucky to get 37 mpg. I took it into the dealer who did a fuel economy test of their own. They got 34.7 mpg, the dealer, not me. And they told me that the car test normal and there is nothing they can do. So, running normally, I am told that I can expect 34.7.

 

Called Ford Customer Service to express my dissatisfaction with the gas mileage. Was told that the gas mileage varies due to the way the car is driven. When I told Ford it was the dealer that got 34.7 not me, they just said there was nothing they could do. They said that it is the EPA that says the car gets 47 mpg not them. What a cop out. They use it to sell the car and hide behind it when their cars underperform.

 

To me this car is a lemon. 20% less gas mileage than advertised. My family has been buying Ford products for over 50 years. It is a shame that Ford does not stand behind their products anymore.

 

Is this your first hybrid? It definitely takes a change in driving habits to get the best MPG, and if you have a lot of short trips when the car is cold that really makes it tough. One would *think* that the dealer's would know how to get good MPG when driving but I'm not so sure.

 

Where are you located in VA? I am in Stafford County but work near Dulles.

[Sleddog]

jeff_h is right. The dealer may not know how to drive a hybrid. I knew more about the FFH then did the sales staff when I purchased mine. By using the techniques I learned here, my tank average is usually over 52mpg and have had a couple of tanks over 54mpg. My life time average is 50.8 with 5600 miles. I haven't gained much the last month because of the cooler weather. Short trips kill mileage, as does a lot of stop and go. On cold days the warm up cycle kills your mileage. For instance, I drove my usually route the other day, 28 miles one way. I had to make a stop. It was a cold day for florida, 56 degrees. I made a stop 18 miles into my trip and had a mpg of 46. I finished the trip home with a mpg of 80.7

 

The first part of the trip the mpg include the ICE warm up cycle on a cold florida day. The second part of the trip, the ICE was already warm, so the mileage calculation did not include a warm up cycle. My FFH gets it's best mileage when the outside air temperature is between 76 and 84.

[md13ffhguy]

The first part of the trip the mpg include the ICE warm up cycle on a cold florida day.

 

Haha! I long for a cold Florida day! My numbers have dropped dramatically since the past few weeks of cold came upon us in MD - mid 40s down to high 30s (MPGs, not temps) - which is psychologically unnerving! However, I do know that I've changed how I drive, and I have no doubt that these numbers will drastically improve with the weather. Understanding the mechanics and the programming of this vehicle is important. I also have no doubt that drivers who are less savvy about this will NOT achieve the advertised results. I honestly believe I'll hit 50 with some regularity come spring. We'll see!

Edited January 12, 2014 by md13ffhguy

[DeeCee]

Warmed up to mid 60's today and my usual 37 mile round trip yielded 52.8 mpg. Did not try to nurse it and majority of trip made with ECO/ACC on driving at posted speed limits varying between 35 to 55 mph. Same trip earlier in the week with 10 to 15 deg. temps saw about 40 mpg. Come on warm weather! EPA numbers are achievable in time. Right now the car's lifetime reading is 46.8 mpg. Might see 47 this coming summer I hope.

[tbranca]

I have only been getting 32MPG for the past month I have seen 42 in the summer but these are the best my car can do.

[tbranca]

1

Edited January 13, 2014 by tbranca

[acdii]

So 20% under is normal? I can see 10% as normal, but 20%? Looking back at the tests they performed on my other car(mentioned above), they drove the car so much that everything was warmed up, and was equivalent to me driving 4 hours. What is interesting is my normal driving in the replacement exceeds what they got during their long tests in that other car. It is really interesting that there are still some under performers even after the bugs were worked out.

 

I love my Ford, but HATE FORD relations!

[kevink]

 

I have a 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid, and I generally love it. I never expected to get 47MPG - I think everyone knew that wasn't realistic.

From April 2013 until October 2013, I was averaging around 39.x MPG overall (according to the car's computer). I commute 110 miles round trip, three days a week, or around 25K miles per year, mostly on the highway at 75 MPH. So I wasn't too unhappy with 39 overall. On some trips home from work (55 miles), I was getting 42 MPG when I drove conservatively on a slower-speed road. Then in October, I accepted the Ford PCM "fix" that changed the algorithm for when EV mode could kick in. Previously, EV mode went on up to 62 MPH. After the fix, EV mode could go up to something like 80 MPH. In theory, that would give highway drivers like me better gas mileage, if the engine could switch to EV at higher speeds. And it was indeed the case that I saw the engine occasionally switch to EV mode at the higher speeds, so that part worked.

However, after I accepted the PCM "fix", my overall gas mileage started to decrease. I have a very consistent driving route and conditions. Each time when I stopped the car, I looked at the mileage for that trip, and the numbers were lower than before the fix was applied. This continued for the next 5 or 6 weeks. I mentioned it to the Ford dealer shop and they said to keep an eye on it. Well, after the weather started getting really cold in November and beyond, the mileage decreased even further, but that always happens with hybrids (and most cars) in the winter - the battery isn't as efficient in cold weather, you run the defrost and heat more, you let the car warm up, etc. So I couldn't really prove after that what was due to the Ford algorithm "fix" and what was due to the cold weather conditions. This has been a particularly cold, harsh winter, and now my overall gas mileage is down to 36.9 MPG (according to the car's computer).

I haven't tried the manual gas mileage calculations, partly because I think there are so many variables in that process. This Car and Driver article refers to them: how full do you fill your tank each time? how do you know how full it is when different gas pumps are calibrated to cut off with different amounts of back pressure? what about different manufacturers of fuel? differences between summer and winter fuel? heat and cold? The article suggested a particular approach to try to minimize some of the variables, but I'm not usually able to be that consistent, so I end up relying on the car's computer numbers.

I am biding my time until warmer weather an more optimal driving conditions return. Then I plan to consistently measure my MPG again and see if it goes back up closer to what it was before the fix. I do plan to go back to the dealer and keep this issue in front of them. They seemed sympathetic, but they are limited in what they can do. I would like to hear from any other 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid owners who have accepted the EV mode "fix" and to hear the experience of others gas mileage after that. Is there something I can ask the dealer to specifically check again? They claim they have EV trained technicians and fixed it right, but I'm not a mechanic and can only press it so far on technical issues.

 

[Charrua]

I have 15 months of keeping track of fuel economy on my 2013 FFH. My winter MPG are more than 10 MPG worse than my summer MPG. I got the update as soon as it came out and did not see much difference.

 

On the bright side, the MPG this winter are very similar to last winter. But since this winter is so much colder I figure the car has improved (maybe software, maybe break-in, maybe both).

[acdii]

It probably did, however, 39 MPG isnt that bad compared to a few others who cant even break 34. I know for my daily drive, I expected anywhere from 38-43 MPG for the new FFH, and it is doing exactly that. I am also seeing a large difference between winter and summer, just not as large as you, seeing about a 7 MPG difference, 36 and 43. It has been much colder than before, so taking the 36 in stride, after all most mornings have been sub zero and any car has to struggle in that kind of cold.

[hybridbear]

I have 15 months of keeping track of fuel economy on my 2013 FFH. My winter MPG are more than 10 MPG worse than my summer MPG. I got the update as soon as it came out and did not see much difference.

 

On the bright side, the MPG this winter are very similar to last winter. But since this winter is so much colder I figure the car has improved (maybe software, maybe break-in, maybe both).

I see a 15 MPG difference from summer to winter. In the summer our tanks of 100% city driving were 50-55 MPG. In the winter we are seeing 35-40 MPG tanks. Long highway trips have only lost about 7-10 MPG compared to summer driving.