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CarComplaints.com Notes: Welcome to North America, Ford Fiesta. Thanks for bringing your herky-jerky transmission, numerous interior quality complaints, and an engine that dies while driving.

8.0

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$590
Average Mileage:
55,750 miles
Total Complaints:
46 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (26 reports)
  2. replaced some part in the transmission (11 reports)
  3. replace transmission (8 reports)
  4. ford says "wait until it gets worse" (1 reports)
2011 Ford Fiesta transmission problems

transmission problem

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2011 Ford Fiesta Owner Comments (Page 1 of 3)

problem #46

Apr 082014

Fiesta

  • CVT transmission
  • 11,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On 04/08/14, my car was losing acceleration as I was driving 45 mph on a major road. The acceleration slowed and eventually completely stopped in the middle of the road. The gear display was flashing from p to d, over and over. I towed my car to Cal Worthington Ford in Anchorage. They called me on 04/11/14- verified cel. Self test =p06b8, p0884, ran oasis=found tsb 13-11-2. And they reprogrammed pcm, tcm and performed transmission clutch adaptive learn, clear codes and retest=pass.

I picked up my car and 3 days later 04/14/14, my car experienced the same symptoms on 04/08/14. My car could not accelerate and stalled in traffic on a major highway. The gear display was flashing again P to D, over and over. I towed my car back to Cal Worthington Ford. After having my car over a month, on 05/09/14 it was ready. They replaced the clutch supposedly but I did not receive any paperwork saying so.

On 05/13/14, the acceleration slowed and the gear display switching from d, p, r, l over and over. I towed it back to Cal Worthington and they had my car until 05/21/14. Self test=p06b8, tested charging system and batt= batt pass end charges at 14.3v constant, no updates available. Cleared code and retest =p06b8 comes back. Replace pcm, programmed pcm, keys and performed trans clutch adaptive strategy. Clear code and retest=pass. Test drive = run and drives fine, no light. Next day, my engine stopped on my street, gear display flashing d,p,r,l over and over. Towed back to Cal Worthington and they had my car until 06/05/14. I do not have the paperwork for that repair.

- Lisa T., Anchorage, US

problem #45

Oct 102016

Fiesta

  • CVT transmission
  • 62,387 miles

On 10/10/16, my car was shuddering once it hit 10 mph and when shifting from D to P. I brought it into Cal Worthington Alaska and they tested trans operation and found trans clutch shudder, checked oasis for 15b22 , tsb 16-0109, pp test n, checked for dtc's in the tcm none found, reflashed pcm/tcm, performed adaptive clutch learn.

I test drove vehicle , recorded shudder event and uploaded data to Ford, and acquired the rvc code rpfhfpc8nry5f ordered clutch. Tsb 16-0109 performed, 160198b 0.6 raised vehicle and removed trans assembly, inspected for trans leaks none found. Replaced clutch, throw/out bearing, and the small snap/ring. Performed clutch adaptive learn again, test drove finding operation normal.

- Lisa T., Anchorage, US

problem #44

Apr 012016

Fiesta

  • CVT transmission
  • 57,790 miles

On 04/01/2016, my car was shuddering when I was driving as 10 mph, rpm not working correctly and gears shifting incorrectly. I brought my car into Cal Worthington Ford in Alaska. Their diagnosis- see15b22, reprogrammed pcm and tcm. Performed shift drum and clutch relearn, cleared codes - ok.

- Lisa T., Anchorage, US

problem #43

Aug 272020

Fiesta

  • CVT transmission
  • 97,555 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

While driving my car on a city highway, it started changing gears aggressively. The rpm went very high while driving between 20-30 mph, then dropped when reaching 40 mph. I had to pull over to the far right lane and put on my flashers because I could not safely drive the speed limit of 65. I pulled off of the highway and pulled my car into a parking lot to check on it. It would not go into reverse and it would not restart. We jumped my car and pushed it out of the parking spot and drove it to Kendall ford dealership service dept to get it looked at. They diagnosed the clutch needed to be replaced for $3,000. Parts needed:

FA6Z-7B546-B CLUTCH ASY 660.77

CA6Z-7515-J LEVER ASY 214.99

CA6Z-7515-K LEVER ASY 220.71

EV6Z-7052-D SEAL ASY 53.61

W705448S441 NUT 5.38 X6

AE8Z-7007-A PLATE-CYLIND 17.98

FL910S KIT-ELEMENT 6.82

W709618S442 BOLT 5.38 X2

W520203S442 NUT-HEX 1.64 X2

W520102S442 NUT-LOCKING 1.32 X2

YS4Z-3N324-AA RETAINER 3.61

AE8Z-1177-A SEAL 25.10 X2

I did not think it was fair to charge me $3,000 for a defective clutch. I have been bringing my car to the Ford dealership for 8 years to repair my transmission and clutch. I towed my car home and it is sitting in my garage with the faulty transmission / clutch.

- Lisa T., Anchorage, US

problem #42

Jun 152016

Fiesta SE 4 cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 100,000 miles

I've had problems with this transmission the first day I bought it. The transmission didn't want to shift properly so Ford did fix that problem, but now it jerks really bad not all the time but when it happens you almost get whip lash. The gas mileage is terrible also, i don't know if its because of the transmission or what it is. All I know is it's getting very very annoying.

It happens when your at a stop and when you start going it jerks and sometimes its too the point you don't know if it will die on you.

- Sandra M., Marion, US

problem #41

Jul 202016

Fiesta DB

  • Automatic transmission
  • 165,000 miles

I took my car into for the transmission repair and they replaced the clutch part the first time. The second time, a few months later, they said it was not warrantied anymore. They told me it would cost over $2000 to fix at $165,000 miles with no guarantees that it was the problem, and I would need a new transmission. My car would have been paid off in 18 months. Instead I was told to buy another car. It would not shift, It would not go over 30 miles per hour, It rattles and hesitated pulling out into traffic from a stop sign or light. Very Scary with a car full of kids. I am 51 years old and did not want to buy another car at this point. I felt I was put into the position with no choice. I have to have a reliable vehicle to get back and forth to school and work. The quality of cars and the expected life span should be like the old days. We would buy a vehicle and it would last for 20 years. Now, they do not last for 3-5 years, and they cost more. I am still very upset that I was sold a lemon. I called an attorney and never received a call back. So, I bought another car.

- Cammie D., Howard City, US

problem #40

Feb 062017

Fiesta SES 120-Hp,1.6L-Liter1-4 Regu

  • Manual transmission
  • 126,748 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My car sometimes when I am driving jerks and sometimes it stalls and has a knocking sound. I have taken it to transmission mechanic to check it out but they say I got a bad deal. I am still making car payments and it is hurting me badly. Sometimes the engine light comes on has well. The left window on the passenger side does not go up and down.

I had a recall for Ford to fix the clutch and the left front window on the passenger side and they did. repair it. Currently I am having problems with the left window on the passenger side going up and down again. I have kept the maintenance up on the car, but last week when I got a oil change and came home all of the oil came out of the car, since I had the car that never happened.

I contacted the car mechanic immediately to fix it they came out and took my car and flush the engine and gave me another oil and fluid change. I need Ford to check out my engine and transmission. I owe $5000.00 more on my car and I do like my car because it is good on gas. But I cannot afford the high maintenance and car payment at the same time. I feel my car can put me down at anytime. I feel I got a raw deal.

Roland Deigh, Garner, NC

- deigh, Garner, US

problem #39

May 072017

Fiesta SE V6

  • Automatic transmission
  • 88,235 miles

My car is NOT a manual, however it seems to want to be!! If I depress the brake pedal, it rolls backwards!! While driving, it jerks and sputters and only on occasion!! It is very nerve racking to turn left through a busy intersection as it feels like it is going to stall. I'm so disappointed in this cute little car :(

- Cathy R., Newmarket, ON, Canada

problem #38

May 312013

Fiesta Powershift 1.6L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 24,855 miles

Ford sold recalled Fiestas in South Africa and now does not want to own up. I reported the issue of the transmission at its second service and still they are unwilling to fix this at their cost. All that was done was software updates as a temporary fix. The car is fitted with a DSP transmission which is irreparable. They want me to pay for a repair so that they can test. After all the back and forth with the various departments from the Head Office to the Dealerships, do yourself a favour and do not buy a Ford. They bury their head in the sand when the problem arises and find every excuse not to fix the junk they sell.

- mellow, Gauteng, South Africa

problem #37

Jan 172017

Fiesta

  • Automatic transmission
  • 72,000 miles

This is my sons car and a problem that needs fixing. I have a 2012 Titanium Ford Focus and Ford had to replace my transmission as it shuddered and flat stopped working. I am hoping Ford will fix this too,

- Kelly W., Everett, WA, US

problem #36

Sep 302016

Fiesta SE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 56,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

So a couple weeks back, I run the vehicle health report in my 2011 Ford Fiesta SE - hatch, if anyone cares. just for the sake of playing with the features and because i'm almost at 57k, and figured I should be getting ready for a checkup. Everything checked out wonderfully.

However, right after, the "seemingly normal" rattle that my car used to give off while driving started to become significantly worse and way louder and noticeable immediately after this. Not sure if the health report is to blame, but it was the last thing I had done before things got crazy. The car at low speeds sounds ridiculous (loud, grinding, shuddering), it revs super high (like 3-5k just barely going 15-20mph), idles high and shakes the whole car. The gears slip when upshifting and they jerk REALLY HARD when downshifting. It feels dangerous driving in the city, because I'll try to slow down behind someone and it jerks forward and revs really hard and forces me to apply the brakes very hard to stop it from slamming into them. Upshifting is weird too, because it's unpredictable. If I try to merge into a highway or switch lanes, I need to wait for a HUGE gap before I trust that I can make it because sometimes it picks up, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes I can't go more than 25mph then it suddenly slips and jerks into gear and goes faster. Needless to say the mechanic found nothing wrong with the car and zero fault codes. Then he replaced my alternator belt because it was pretty cooked.

This went on for a week or so. I then ran the vehicle health report in the car again to see if it found any issues... nothing. Within 24 hours warning lights started to pop up. Not sure if the health report identified the issues or created the issues. I went ahead and googled a bunch of stuff after all my lights started going crazy and found these things to be linked to an FSA that Ford put out for the TCM. I went to my nearest dealer and they said they'd fix it and that it was covered. Lo and behold, I get a call saying it can't be fixed. The woman I spoke to tells me now that my alternator isn't charging the vehicle enough and the MAF sensor and throttle body are faulty and she can't update the TCM until those are fixed. They quoted me $1650 + tax (about $1800 with NY tax) - and I bet they'd expect a tip after that. They also said that this might not actually fix the problem. That it's just what they "think is going to help." So if I spend $1800 fixing the car and the problem recurs (like I've seen in a lot of complaints on here and other sites) - then what? I'm down a ton of money for no reason. This thing feels like a burden and I'm scared to really use it. I found a possible fix online for the alternator issue which involves buffing down the painted slab of metal that is grounding the battery, but I haven't tried it. I also revved the engine very hard on the highway like another fix said (which actually seemed to have helped a lot with upshifting, it still jerks and hesitates to pick up, but it seems a tiny bit better). If I can fix the alternator issue without having to replace it (I don't think it's bad, my mechanic didn't find any issues) then I can hopefully have the software reprogrammed and temporarily fix this problem. And why won't ford put out an FSA for the throttle body like they did with the Fusion? They know their stuff is faulty and they let these cars sit on the road... a hazard to everyone else.

- Justin M., Bronx, NY, US

problem #35

Nov 032016

Fiesta

  • Automatic transmission
  • 69,345 miles

I just replaced it less than one year and it came back again. Unbelivable!

- Wei G., Whitby, ON, Canada

problem #34

Jun 202016

Fiesta SE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 80,000 miles

I HATE this car. It is a LEMON and I was the tart sucker. This issue is all over the Internet and Ford will not do anything. The transmission was replaced once, the clutch was replaced once, and then the transmission was replaced AGAIN in an attempt to fix this repeated issue while it was under warranty and extended warranty. It went away for a little bit but now it is happening again just as soon as my warranty expired and they did not give the option to renew it any longer.

The dealer just said "Oh its normal" and gave me some long spiel about the type of transmission the car is using that that is why it does this and its "normal". Well I'm sorry it is NOT normal to sputter around on a straightaway and then be jerked into oblivion as the car switches gears internally.

Stuttering/hesitation when accelerating and then jerks that almost send you through the windshield for no apparent reason at all. Grinding sounds when first accelerating and puttering sounds when automatic switching gears driving.

I will never buy another Ford car ever again and recommend nobody ever does.

I bought this car right out of school to be my first car, brand new, and feel like I made the biggest mistake ever. For $26,000 then and now I am trying to dump it for less than $3,000 according to KBB because nobody wants this POS

Do NOT buy this year (2011) and I hear the same issues with the 2013 ones as well. No matter what I will never buy another FORD. My neighbor joked about what "F.O.R.D" stands for when I got it and after my experience with this car I believe it is the truth! FOUND ON ROAD DEAD!

- C M., Buffalo, NY, US

problem #33

Aug 042016

Fiesta

  • Automatic transmission
  • 107,000 miles

The 2011 Fiesta lurches forward, experiences delayed acceleration, delayed downshifting and has trouble stopping.. Ford replaced the TCM but problem continued. Now Ford doesn't care if vehicle is unsafe to drive and can cause accident or hurt someone. Going back to the Ford Service Department and see what they going to say.

- Gil M., Spring Branch, TX, US

problem #32

Jun 212016

Fiesta SE 4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 42,500 miles

My Fiesta is 2011 only 42500 miles and has had transmission worked on. changed transmission parts today is the third time. Helps for about 75-100 miles and the right back to same way or worse. has now started not engaging in gear when pulling out of red light. Ford is smart at the way they do this it takes 2-3 weeks to get it looked at again. Then again takes 2 -3 weeks to get parts, then when they do get parts then you have to wait another 3 weeks to take it back . So to get the worked o n you have been at it for 6-8 weeks. It makes it look like their band-aide is helping and not. FORD MOTOR COMPANY ARE GOING TO BECOME THE NEXT GM WHEN PEOPLE ARE GETTING KILLED. I purchased the extended warranty and have been waiting today for 10 hours for a rental

I will be taking a beating on this car but plan on trading it off. There is no way I would sell this piece of junk to anyone especially for young driver

- Tammy J., Geenup, KY, US

problem #31

Dec 062013

Fiesta SFE 1.6L

  • CVT transmission
  • 113,284 miles

Having shift issues, I don't think Ford was aware of the transmission clutch issues at this time.

- Grace M., Tehachapi, CA, US

problem #30

Jan 012015

Fiesta SE

  • Automatic transmission
  • 12,400 miles

WE PURCHASED THIS CAR IN OCTOBER 2014 FROM OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER BECAUSE OF MY JOB LOSS AND FUTURE JOB IN HOME HEALTH, I KNEW I WOULD BE DRIVING A LOT AND WANTED A CAR WITH GOOD GAS MILEAGE. THE DEALER SAID NOTHING OF THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THE FORD FIESTA MODEL WAS HAVING. ABOUT 3 MONTHS LATER IT BEGAN SHUDDERING AND SLIPPING AND SEEMED LIKE IT WAS SKIPPING THE 2ND GEAR ALTOGETHER. FORD PUT A NEW CLUTCH IN THE TRANSMISSION, THEY HAD MY CAR FOR A WEEK. LESS THAN 6 MONTHS LATER SAME PROBLEM, THEY ASSURED US THE 2ND FIX WOULD FIX IT FOREVER. NOW IT IS ABOUT 4 MONTHS LATER AND IT IS DOING IT AGAIN. WHEN YOU START TO ACCELERATE IT SHUDDERS AROUND AND IS SLOW TO GO IN GEAR, ACTS LIKE IT IS GOING TO STALL. I AM AFRAID TO PULL OUT INTO FAST MOVING TRAFFIC BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT CAN GET UP TO SPEED VERY FAST SO I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THERE IS A BIG BREAK IN TRAFFIC BEFORE I FEEL I CAN SAFELY PULL OUT WITHOUT GETTING HIT. I CANNOT AFFORD A NEW CAR AND I NOW HAVE 2 GRANDCHILDREN TO HAUL AROUND IN THIS CAR. 1 IS A BABY!!!! i HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A FORD CUSTOMER BUT AM VERRRRRY DISAPPOINTED WITH THERE LACK OF CARING!!! I WILL PROBABLY JOIN A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT THAT I JUST HEARD ABOUT BECAUSE OF THERE FAILURE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND BE HONEST ABOUT THE PERFORMANCE ISSUES OF THIS CAR!!!! YOU CAN GET 40 MILES A GALLON ALL DAY LONG BUT IF THE CAR IS NOT DRIVEABLE AND HAS LITTLE RESALE VALUE WHAT GOOD IS IT?

- Levita L., Aurora, MO, US

problem #29

Jun 012012

Fiesta SES

  • Automatic transmission
  • 18,641 miles

Had this problem fixed several time and now at 200,000kms it need to be done again but Ford claims it is now my responsibility! Can't sell a car with this many issues and still sleep at night!

- angkerr, Tusket, NS, Canada

problem #28

Sep 012013

Fiesta

  • Automatic transmission
  • 110,000 miles

After about a year of buying this car, it began hesitating when I would accelerate, though not terrible. Eventually it began jerking when accelerating. In 2015 I received a recall fro Ford stating the computer needed updated. So, Ford updated the computer and seemed to be "OK" for a little while before the hesitation began again. I usually have cars for 10 years but I have never had issues like this. Makes me wish I had never bought this car.

- Jeff J., Indianapolis, IN, US

problem #27

Apr 042014

Fiesta

  • Automatic transmission
  • 20,000 miles

I got this vehicle in September 2011. I noticed the shuddering, but it was intermittent. With time you get used to it. I got the recall notice in 2015 for the transmission. I got the new transmission put in, of course I had to take it back two times in two days because first they forgot to reconnect the clutch, then forgot to reconnect the brake plate. It drove better for a few months, and now it is worse that it was before. Of course you can never recreate it for the shop. I have people who will not ride in my car. They do not feel safe with the shuddering, the stalling and the surging when we drive.

- Antessa W., Garland, TX, US

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