3 Common Ford Fiesta Problems

A list of some of the most common issues Fiesta owners have to deal with.

  1. PowerShift Transmission Problems

    PowerShift promised the fuel efficiency of a manual with the ease of an automatic transmission. What owners got instead was a lurching, surging, and shuddering ride that has been the focus of multiple lawsuits and one settlement to date.

    Continue reading article "PowerShift Transmission Problems"
  2. Door Latch Failure

    Ford is having a tough time with its door latches. The seemingly simple devices keep finding new ways to fail allowing doors to fly open while driving, or rebound and hit you when you go to close them. The issues have been investigated and …

    Continue reading article "Door Latch Failure" Side view of a gray Ford sedan
  3. MyFord Touch Complaints

    Ford's customer satisfaction has been in steady decline since 2010. MyFord Touch was also released in 2010. This is not a coincidence. The system was Ford's attempt at an all-in-one, in-dash communication and entertainment system. What owne…

    Continue reading article "MyFord Touch Complaints"

What Fiesta Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

Fiesta Generations

Generations are groups of model years where few, if any, changes were made to the vehicle which means their model years tend to break in similar ways. The Fiesta has 1 generation available in North American markets.

Fiesta Key Numbers

  1. 642 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  2. 177 service bulletins

    Documenting the process of troubleshooting common problems.

  3. 8 recall campaigns

    Time-sensitive, free repairs for widespread safety problems.

Fiesta Class-Action Lawsuits

The Fiesta has been named as a class vehicle in the following lawsuits.

  • Dismissed

    Wozniak et al., v. Ford Motor Company et al.

    1. Dismissed

      A Ford swollen lug nuts lawsuit has been dismissed in its entirety because the judge ruled the plaintiffs presented no legally viable claims in the 120-count complaint.

    2. Case Filed

      Ford swollen lug nuts have caused a proposed class-action lawsuit that alleges the lug nuts swell, crack and delaminate to the point special tools are needed to remove the lug nuts.

  • Settlement

    Vargas et. al. vs. Ford Motor Company.

    1. Settlement

      A Ford transmission lawsuit settlement is on the way as the automaker agreed to settle the class-action lawsuit concerning Ford Focus and Fiesta dual-clutch PowerShift transmissions that jerk, hesitate and shudder.

    2. Consolidated

      A Ford DPS6 PowerShift transmission lawsuit consolidated from multiple class-action lawsuits will be heard in a California courtroom after the U.S. Judicial Panel for Multidistrict Litigation granted Ford’s motion to centralize the lawsuits.

    3. Case Filed

      A Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus transmission lawsuit has been filed after numerous reports of transmissions that slip, jerk, shudder and perform a host of other unwanted problems.

  • Settlement

    Benjamin Ascensio et. al. vs. Ford Motor Company.

    1. Settlement

      The settlement, once approved by a federal judge, will include about 1.5 million model year 2011-2016 Ford Fiesta and 2012-2016 Ford Focus cars with automatic transmissions that caused Ford to issue two customer satisfaction programs.

    2. Case Filed

      A Ford dual-clutch transmission lawsuit alleges PowerShift transmissions installed in 2011-present Ford Fiesta, Focus and EcoSport models are defective and prone to premature failures.

  • Settlement

    Danielle Anderson v, Ford Motor Company.

    1. Settlement

      A Ford transmission lawsuit settlement is on the way as the automaker agreed to settle the class-action lawsuit concerning Ford Focus and Fiesta dual-clutch PowerShift transmissions that jerk, hesitate and shudder.

    2. Case Filed

      Ford PowerShift transmission problems are the focus of a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in Illinois.

Recent Fiesta News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. After a series of PowerShift class-actions and years of complaints, a lawsuit settlement is on the horizon.

    The settlement, once approved by a federal judge, will include about 1.5 million model year 2011-2016 Ford Fiesta and 2012-2016 Ford Focus cars with automatic transmissions that caused Ford to issue two customer satisfaction programs.

    The full settlement details are complex, but will provide owners with options such as cash payments, reimbursements, or credits towards the purchase of a new car with a arbitration-monitored buyback from Ford.…

    keep reading article "PowerShift Lawsuit Settlement Waiting on a Judge's Approval"
  2. Ford's "best of both worlds" PowerShift transmission is facing more leagl heat, this time by 28 named plaintiffs in Texas.

    The dual-clutch lawsuit alleges the vehicles suffer from a long list of problems including shuddering, slipping, bucking, jerking, hesitation while changing gears, premature internal wear, delays in downshifting and sudden or delayed acceleration.

    Where have we heard that before? Oh that's right, California and Illinois have similar class-action lawsuits on the docket.

    This case, however, is the first to add the EcoSport to the list of affected models.

    keep reading article "Another PowerShift Transmission Lawsuit, This Time in Texas"
  3. MyFord Touch intended to bring sophisticated technological control to your vehicle’s center console.

    Emphasis on intended because the system is well-known for failures. While a glitchy navigation system is an inconvenience, a proposed class-action lawsuit says the system can be dangerous in how it limits access to basic vehicle functions.

    Ford is on the receiving end of a proposed class-action lawsuit filed in a California court. The lawsuit claims the system is a safety hazard because it often fails and can cause serious problems with the defroster and rear-view camera.

    Common complaints about MyFord Touch include a terrible navigation experience, rear-view camera failure, issues controlling the temperature, no way to turn on the defroster, and more.

    keep reading article "MyFord Touch Complaints May Finally Get Their Day in Court"
  4. A proposed class-action lawsuit has been filed in Illinois on behalf on all US consumers that purchased or leased a 2011-2015 Ford Fiesta or 2012-2015 Ford Focus and have had to endure the terrible driving experience of the PowerShift dual-clutch transmission.

    The plaintiffs list similar complaints to another class-action filed last year, namely that the transmission "slips, bucks, kicks, jerks, gets hot, stutters, harshly engages, has premature internal wear, sudden acceleration, delay in downshifts, delayed acceleration, and difficulty stopping the vehicle." Other than that, how is it though?…

    keep reading article "Dual-Clutch PowerShift Transmission Lawsuit Filed in Illinois"
  5. The pawl spring problem continues to grow, as Ford has announced an expansion of their previous door latch recall.

    That recall is now expanded by 156,000 cars bringing the total to almost 546,000 cars recalled for door latch problems. The expanded recall includes the 2011-14 Ford Fiesta, 2013-14 Ford Fusion and 2013-14 Lincoln MKZ vehicles.

    The question becomes, how many other Ford vehicles use the same defective pawl springs?

    keep reading article "Ford's Door Latch Recall Expands by Another 156,000 Cars"
  6. Following an investigation into door latch failures in Ford Fiesta small cars and later expanded to include the Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, Ford is recalling about 390,000 of those cars to replace the door latches.

    Ford says the affected model years are the 2012-2014 Ford Fiesta, 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ.

    The expanded investigation found issues with the pawl spring tabs, which can break and allow the doors to open while driving. Needless to say, that's a safety no-no and led to the recall.

    keep reading article "390,000 Ford and Lincoln Cars Recalled for Doors That Fly Open While Driving"
  7. Add the 2013 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ to the list of vehicles being investigated for door latch issues.

    Complaints have kept pouring in since the original investigation was opened, and now the government says 207 reports have been filed with NHTSA and another 451 reports were filed directly with Ford. NHTSA says 65 of its complaints claim the doors opened while the cars were in motion.

    The original investigation was opened late last year.

    keep reading article "Fiesta Door Latch Investigation Expanded to Include the Fusion and Lincoln MKZ"

See All Fiesta News