howardbc

Thank you for an excellent report. I like hearing how owners do on long road trips. Mine in 2013 was only 550 miles. I think I averaged around 46MPG (not MPGe). It was mostly highway but not all. I too wasn't able to charge up anywhere. It's such a shame that there aren't chargers at every Rest Area or in places where there are restaurants, although the situation has improved a little in the 2 years I've had the car. Thanks again for sharing.

Hi, everyone. Thanks to murphy's help, I hope I can put a couple photos in this post. In addition to a shot of my car with its blacked-out grill, I thought I'd also put a shot of my charge port with the electric outlet stick-on. Unfortunately the photo of the electric plug sticker is too large. Don't know why. It was also taken using my cell phone's camera.

I keep trying but cannot get the photos to show up here. Sorry. Very frustrating. I took them on my Samsung cell phone, sent them to my Gmail, saved them in My Pictures, but can't get them in here. My car looks great - just like Platinum15Ti's. I was also trying to put a photo of the electrical outlet sticker on my charge port. I would welcome any direction on getting a photo put into a reply. I've tried dragging them from the My Pictures folder, and nothing is working. I have Windows 8.

Hi, Platinum15Ti - just wanted to FYI you that a friend and EV owner did the Plastidip job for me! I showed him your step-by-step photos and he followed that. We couldn't figure out how to put anything in between the grill and the engine area, so he inserted 3 or 4 pieces of stiff paper down in that area and it covered everything behind the grill - I hope. I think you wrote something about "pull garbage bag through the grill," so maybe you were saying to do basically what my friend did except he used paper instead. The grill looks awesome. I've driven it once since he did the Plastidip job and no problems so far with overheating or anything. This wonderful man and his wife are friends of mine. He is the President of the local Electric Auto Assn. They have an older Prius plus a Ford Focus EV. He wants to do the Plastidip on the Focus but he is leasing it - although I can tell he is tempted since he can peel the Plastidip off before he returns the car. But thank you again for the great photos! And encouragement.

Thanks so much. I'll check some other places in hopes of finding someone to black-out the grill on my 2013 for less money.

Hi, Platinum15Ti, you've done 2 of the Fusions, right? What year was the first one? I took my 2013 to a body shop and they said the bumper would have to be removed before they could install the Plastidip. And the cost would be $318! I am so disappointed. They also said it would take 2 full days so I would have to either rent a car or get a taxi to home and back. This is a full-service body shop who has done a minor job for me. They have good reviews. But I think I will shop around and see if I can find another decent place to darken the grille for me. But does the bumper of the 2013 have to be removed to get to the grille? It doesn't make sense to me - looking at your photos, which I printed up and showed to the body shop but I wasn't sure which year Fusions you had done this on. Thanks.

Platimun15Ti, your car looks fabulous! Mine is white too. Do you have any concerns about the plastic coming off while being washed at a commercial car wash? I go to one that advertises to be a "hand" wash, but it still goes through some spray areas. Sorry but I'm not going to wash my car myself. I take it to a car "spa" maybe 3-4 times a year. I just sent an email inquiring about darkening the grille at a local body shop who has done other minor work for me and who was very reasonable and has good reviews. I haven't heard back from them yet. If you have any advice for me, it would be much appreciated. Thanks.

The blacked-out grille looks awesome. Now, if I could just find someone or a reputable shop in the Phoenix area to do it for me.

Thanks so much, openair. Phew - glad I didn't try it! What is the difference between plugging into a 240v outlet and "wired directly"? Thanks.

Okay, I'm sure this is a dumb question, but ... I can plug the OEM charging cord that came with my 2013 FFE into either a 120v or a 220/240v outlet, right? Right now I just plug the charging cord into a plain 120v wall outlet in my garage and it takes around 6 hours, which is fine for me. But I was wondering if I had a 220/240v outlet installed (but not the fast charger), how much faster would my car charge? Also, could a new 220/240v outlet be "piggy-backed" off an existing 240v outlet in my nearby laundry room? Rather than having a new dedicated 220/240v outlet installed? Wouldn't that be okay as long as I didn't run the clothes dryer at the same time as charging my car? Thanks.

Questions about the extended warranty: 1) Can someone give us a dollar amount? What is "really cheap"? 2) Can they be transferred to the 2nd owner of my car? I know I can call/email Flood Ford but I don't want to be hassled with unwanted phone calls and/or emails. I love my 2013 FFET but was hoping to get one of the proposed 200+mile EVs in maybe 3-5 years. Or maybe I'll win the Lottery and get a Tesla. Thanks.

'Looks wonderful! Send photos after you do the plastidip, plus any info on how/where you have it done. Thanks!

I have a 2013 FFE Titanium and would definitely buy again, although I paid a premium for getting one of the first ones. Now, 2 years later, after 11.200 miles, it has been wonderful. I had a sun-visor fall out of its socket but that's the only problem! Got 1395 miles out of the last tank after 2 months and I still had 2+ gallons in the tank. Lifetime Average right now is over 101MPG. That will go down once it gets hot and I'm using the A/C full blast. Had first oil change at 10k+ but could have waited longer. I average 35 miles every time I drive it. 85% of those miles are using no gas. Since you are already familiar with getting the best mileage out of a hybrid, you will do very well with the FFE. It still rides very comfortably.

That looks awesome, Platinum15Ti!

I don't flag strangers down and tackle them and force them to listen to me talk about my car. In the beginning I assumed that friends and family would at least be interested in the fuel-savings and the new technology of a plugin hybrid. There's more going on here than just people acting like they're not interested. Like I said in my last post, I don't even mention my car to anyone unless they ask me about it and appear to be genuinely interested.

Hi, hankanddara. Welcome to the forum! Congratulations on buying a very special car. You will find great information here on this forum from other very enthusiastic FFE owners. I was glad to see your post, but at the same time very sad to be reminded that the general public still acts so strangely towards the FFE and its great technology. I hate to tell you, but the reaction you saw from your co-workers is not uncommon. You are being kind to describe them as just being uninterested. I will have owned my 2013 FFE for 2 years in about 1 month and unfortunately the snide remarks and sometimes downright hostility have not changed one bit. Like you, I was so excited about my car that I couldn't imagine anyone else NOT being at least slightly interested. But that has been the case. Even my own brother-in-law, who knows cars very well, has to this day refused to even sit in my car – far less let me show him some of the neat things it does. My daughter and her husband also act as if they are just not interested – when I know they're very interested in other cars. I think the amount of feigned disinterest and/or hostility depends on what part of the country you live in and the political climate there. I live in a very conservative city, but I would expect California to be more open-minded. Plus many folks just don't accept the reality of climate change, so I try to “sell” them on the money-saving side of the FFE. The level of ignorance among the general public about plug-in cars (hybrids and EVS) is really quite appalling. Sadly that includes many car sales people. Fortunately there is a car club (the Electric Auto Assn) in my area and they have been a wonderful go-to source. One of the members told me that I am taking people out of their comfort zone when I tell them about my car. After almost 2 years, I just don't even bring it up anymore unless the person acts REALLY interested. And sometimes that does happen. I'll never forget the blue-collar guy in a pickup in a grocery store parking lot who asked me so many great questions. I am really surprised to have never seen an article about what you and I (and many others) have experienced. I would love to hear what a psychiatrist might have to say about people like your co-worker who said “Wait till you see your power bill.” I call people like that the “Yeah, but”-ers. They don't bother to look up the facts. They just want to drop a t*rd in your punchbowl. (Sorry, but these people really make me quite angry.) By the way, depending on your utility company, etc, it might cost around 50-60 cents to recharge your car. About the same as plugging in a refrigerator or space heater for 5-6 hours. (Fellow forum members, please correct me if needed.) You'll continue to hear the same old “Buts” like “Yeah, but what happens when your battery needs replacing.” Hello, my car doesn't run on alkaline batteries. And there are still some 2000 Priuses (with old NiMH batteries) that are still running. I have solar panels on my roof and so they provide most of my power for my house and my FFE. Also, you can buy “green” power from some sources so that you aren't powering your car with dirty coal. Sorry to go on for so long, but just know that you are not alone. We are pioneers as far as plug-in hybrids go, and we know we have something special. If you didn't own a regular hybrid before your FFE, you will learn the amazing way you can create your own “miles” just by braking gently. Your “free” miles are not done once the initial battery charge runs out. Try the trip meter and it will show you how many miles you get even after the first charge runs out. By the way, I always get close to, or over, 1000 miles out of a tank of gas. I drive an average of 32 miles a trip, and almost 85% of those miles are electric. I will need to fill up in a day or so because I have company coming. But hey, I haven't filled up since November! All the best to you.

Thanks, Murphy! It's just a given that the dealer will try to sell the car owner on as much as they can. I don't mind an occasional oil change but was curious what the official Ford position is for the 2013 FFE. Thanks also for clarifying what the percent of oil life means. You picked up your car one day before me! I picked up mine on April 2, 2013. I don't remember how many gallons I used in 2014 but I know that I have spent a total of $385 on gasoline since 4/2/2013. It has 10,500 miles - that includes a fairly long road trip without any charging. I will need to put gas in the car sometime fairly soon. I last filled up in November! Just a great car.

The owner's manual for my 2013 FFE says I won't need an oil change for 20k miles or 2 years or when/if I get a message that it is due. From the beginning, the Ford service adviser kept trying to get me to bring the car in for regular oil changes as if it wasn't even a plugin hybrid. I told him what the owners manual said and he looked perplexed. Finally, when my car was approaching 10k miles, I did a Vehicle Maintenance Report. It said the oil life was 14%. It didn't say I needed to come in soon for an oil change. But I assumed that meant I had 14% of oil life left, but now am wondering if it meant I had used only 14%. I only use the gas engine maybe 0-30% of the time. So I took my car in for its first oil change. The Ford service adviser tells me I should come back in every 6k miles or 6 months. I'm wondering what the official Ford maintenance schedule is. I had to laugh reading today's Green Car Reports about EV owners being charged for oil changes - when they don't even have ICEs! One owner got a $50 gas card as a way of apologizing for charging him for oil he didn't need! It's scary how uninformed even the car dealers are about plugin hybrids and EVs. So, again, I'd like to know if Ford changed the maintenance schedule for the 2013 FFE. Thanks. By the way, my car is still driving like a dream.

Hi, everyone. The outcome to that woman backing into me was that I didn't do anything about it. There was no visible damage on the outside, so there could have been no damage internally. Fortunately she was backing up slowly. She must have hit the driver's side mirror because it had been pushed back and that must have been the "clunk" I heard. I am sure that if I'd mentioned it to my Ford service adviser he would have shrugged his shoulders. It was very upsetting but I just couldn't see calling the police or reporting it to my insurance carrier when there was no damage to be seen. The woman was very apologetic and cooperative and I got her name, insurance info, and all that. It was in a public shopping center parking lot. But now I try to remember to keep my hand/palm on the horn area when I am driving through a parking lot. The problem with the location of the Fusion's horn, though, is that it is not where it usually is on most cars. Now that I know where it is, it is somewhat easy to find if one is driving straight but impossible to find quickly if one is turning left or right. That's why I wish Ford had put it smack-dab in the middle of the center of the steering wheel.

Murphy, is the slot you mentioned shown in our owner's manual? Is it inside the storage box? I just cannot picture where it is. I went out to my car but can't find it. I'm not having having problems with the key but just like to know everything about my car. Thanks.

Hi, SamanthaCycles. Unfortunately there doesn't appear to be a way to select a default "Home " screen. I remember being able to do this with my 2008 Prius but evidently you can't with the FFE. I like the screen that shows the outline of the car and which parts of it are running, but it always goes back to the 4 quadrants display every time I turn the car off. If anyone knows how to set a default screen, let me know. Thanks.

I did call the service adviser for my closest Ford dealer and he said they would accept the credit but they didn't when I got to the cashier. I had given my 9-digit Ford Owners Advantage Rewards number. What I owed that day was only $20 so I didn't want to make a big deal out of it. In my case, I am a little irritated because I tried very hard to buy my car from this closer Ford dealer, but they didn't have the car I wanted in stock. I even went down there and they had sold the only Fusion Energi they had overnight before I could even test-drive it. I kept calling this same dealer, begging them to let me know the minute they got an FFE in stock. Finally I had to go with the farther Ford dealer who had an FFE, even if it was only on the train from Mexico. I put a deposit down on the car before it was even on the lot. So it's discouraging to feel like the red-headed stepchild when I did everything I could to give this closer Ford dealer my business. After I bought my car at the farther dealer, I then wanted to have a sunroof and HomeLink installed. I wanted it done at the closer dealer but they would flat-out not touch it. That was another nightmare going back to the farther dealer, especially when the sunroof installer didn't do a good job and I had to make more trips down there to get it fixed. The car is doing great and the closer dealer has been courteous and I will continue to go there for maintenance.

Thanks for the feedback, but the program is called the Ford Owners Advantage Rewards program - not the Smith (or Jones or whoever) Ford dealer program, so I think Ford should step up and make the dealers treat their customers fairly. This leaves me quite angry. It's not the money as much as (once again) feeling like I am being played for the chump while the car manufacturer just lets the dealers use any tactic they want to.

Ford says I have a credit for service, but the cashier at the dealer where I went for recall work and to have my tires rotated today said I had to use the credit in the service department of the dealer I bought my car from. That dealer is an 80-mile round trip from me. That just doesn't make any sense. What if I'd bought my car hundreds or thousands of miles from where I live? I just would like to know what Ford's policy is. Is it correct that the car owner can only use the Ford Owner Advantage Rewards at the same dealer they bought from? I have no quarrel with the nearby Ford dealer I use for service work. They're convenient, courteous, and so far very fair. I don't want to "rock the boat" with them, but I would like to find out what Ford's policy is on where the owner can use the credit. It's almost insulting to receive emails telling me about my credit when I can't use it. Has anyone else had any issues with using the owner's credit at a different dealer? Thanks.

Thanks, oarabi1! You are very welcome here. I think the only question that hasn't been definitively answered is "Is this recall related to the Tanaka airbag problem?" Yes, I read the Ford recall and the related press releases, but they were obviously written by attorneys and/or technical people with no regard for us simple folk understanding what they're saying. The research I've done on my own makes it sound like this Ford recall is NOT related to the Tanaka airbag problem, but it bothers me that no one will just say so.