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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.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
48,957 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2011 Ford Fiesta electrical problems

electrical problem

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2011 Ford Fiesta Owner Comments (Page 2 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #60

Jul 062019

Fiesta

  • 114,000 miles

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

Upon shifting into neutral and or just engaging the clutch the engine will shut off, usually as I approach a stop light or am in a parking lot. Sometimes it is a rough stop like the transmission was not fully disengaged, but most often it is smooth as if turning of the car with the key. The silent shut down occurs both while the vehicle is in motion, any where from 1-70 mph, and when a complete stop has been reached. I have had this happen at least two dozen times in the 2.5 years I have driven this car. Approximately, 80% of the time it is the 'silent shut down', where I do not even notice the car is not running until I put the car back into gear and try to accelerate. I have almost been rear ended at stop lights in traffic several times because of this issue. This issue has occurred at all times of the year with the air conditioner both on and off, but it is much more prevalent in the warm weather with the air conditioner running. In the past week it has happened 3 times all of which were with the air on, and the engine silently shut down.

- Muskegon, MI, USA

problem #59

May 232019

Fiesta

  • 158,000 miles
The vehicles transmission abruptly down shifted while driving at a high speed. I almost was rear ended had I not moved aside. This has happened twice. There have been numerous reports of faulty transmission and electrical problems where it stems from. I was a die hard Ford owner until Ford refuses to repair the issue. Maintenance has always been on time, and not just oil changes.

- Corona, CA, USA

problem #58

May 012019

Fiesta

  • miles
1) door latches are faulty. Any door can open while car is in motion. Also, door latch sensors are faulty and cause all interior lights to come on if it thinks a door is open. Happens within 1st mile driven every time since 80K miles. 2) in snow, the piece of body plastic in front of the front tires can get caught and dragged underneath the front tires. 3) electrical problems: Fuse box rusts, prongs break off in fuse box. Sometimes pushing clutch in would cause lights to dim or speaker static (manual transmission). Problematic 12V (always hot) routinely broke 12V devices. Dealership was unable to fix this at last warranty maintenance. 4) several dealerships were unable to solve or find the cause of any of the following: Brake rotor usually causes howling sound under 30mph after a few miles, (started around 50,000 miles) and car sometimes shut off while stopped & idling (rare, started around 70,000 miles). Also, manual transmission lever gets too sticky to move without extreme force unpredictably, (started around 25,0000 miles). Every time was told transmission fluid looks fine. 5) high pitched whirring sound and loss of power with ac or defroster, worse as time went on 6) car was sold because cost to repair faulty door sensors leading to headlights never turning off, thereby causing battery to drain below 12V regularly, exceeded the car's value. Car would not pass inspection with this issue & needed frequent jump starts. 7) extreme distraction: "sync" interface will cut off stereo audio without warning to try and connect to mobile phone for a vehicle health report in the middle of driving. 8) air flow sensor goes off frequently starting around 50,000 miles, only solution is spraying in lots of air flow sensor cleaner. 9) drivers side windshield wiper fell off about a dozen times, even dealership installed. Very unsafe car in my opinion.

- Cambridge, MA, USA

problem #57

Apr 052019

Fiesta

  • 112,000 miles

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

Head lights all of a sudden stopped working, had been using car earlier in the night then had to run out again & no head lights, had fuse checked states fuse box corroded, shorting out fuses, while checking them car would no longer start, finally did get to work after checking all fuses. Seen article from Canada about same problem but unites states doesn't seem to acknowledge there is a problem. This is definately a hazard if it can affect the car actually starting or shutting off

- Liverpool, NY, USA

problem #56

Oct 262018

Fiesta

  • 130,000 miles
For the past few months I've been trying to figure out what's been happening with my vehicle. I have a 2011 Ford Fiesta. It is a manual. I'm not stalling it, but when I'm driving- whether I'm stopped or actually moving (even at 45 + mph) it will completely shut off. The rpms sometimes fall 2-300 below randomly but will come back and keep going. However, when they fall and for whatever reason the vehicle can't figure out that the rpms should be higher, it shuts off completely. When it actually shuts off I have no warning. Here is the link I found on information about the Ford Focus recalls: Https://www.wftv.com/news/national-news/ap-top-news/Ford-recalls-nearly-15M-focuses-because-engines-can-stall/859721918 luckily I have a manual and I can shift into neutral and restart the car even when I'm going down city streets or busy intersections. This is an incredibly dangerous situation, and I've been trying to diagnose it for months. In a 10 minute drive this can happen as many as 3-4 times. There's no link to why it happens sometimes and not others. Shifting into another gear doesn't effect it. I have noticed after I get fuel it tends to happen more often, but I'm unsure if that's correlation or causation. Sometimes after I get fuel I can't even get back onto the main road with out the car dying completely. When it shuts off it will almost always turn back on just fine. I recently got my battery replaced thinking that that would have possibly solved the issue but it has persisted. Oil changes/tune ups don't fix it either. I'm unsure of what the exact issue is, but I did see that Ford is recalling their Focus models from 2012-2018 for an issue that sounds exactly what I'm experiencing. I would really like to see them open up their investigation to possibly include Fiesta's like mine because it seems to be a related issue.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #55

Apr 022018

Fiesta

  • 120 miles
Tails lights, dome lights inside of the car dash lights, radiator ( thermostat) failure causing over heating.and car shutting off while driving the fuse box is corroded, the box was not properly made as there is a vent hole on it allowing salt from the winter streets dirt water etc to enter the box and now we have to replace the box, fuses and several electrical cord issues. My phone is not allowing me to up load my photos

- Parma, OH, USA

problem #54

Feb 062018

Fiesta

  • miles

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

I purchased my vehicle in January of 2018. 3 or so weeks after purchasing the vehicle, my check engine light came on. It was the catalytic converter that needed to be replaced(fortunately this fell under warranty so it was no cost to me) at the time of purchase, I did not check to see if the ac was in working order since it was winter. Now that it's gotten warmer, I find that it does not work. The unit was charged and the compressor was not defective. After 3 hours of diagnostics, I was informed that the problem was water in the fuse box. The entirety of the fuse box was heavily corroded. All of the fuses had to be replaced, as well as foam seals placed, and dielectric grease placed on all the fuses to protect them from future damage. This fixed the problem with the ac, as well as a problem I was having with the vehicle jerking upon acceleration. I suspect that this may have been the reason for the catalytic converter failure as well. The issue has been recognized by Ford but a recall has not been placed yet, so all of these issues are expected to be paid for by me. If the repair had been delayed any longer, I believe that more electrical/fuse issues would have surfaced.

- Belleville, IL, USA

problem #53

Apr 132018

Fiesta

  • 102,170 miles
I've only owned my Fiesta for 2 years and now my car won't move when I am in drive or reverse as I step on the gas peddle to accelerate. Before this, my car would jerk forward when I would go to accelerate and act as if it was going to stall out in the middle of traffic. I've taken it to Ford before to get the recalls fixed because my passenger door swung open while I was driving and they fixed the transmission and clutch recall but now I'm having problems again.

- Lakeland, FL, USA

problem #52

Oct 252017

Fiesta

  • 200 miles
My 2011 Ford Fiesta with only 94K on it has a automatic transmission failure and starting issues. There are recalls on where Ford extended the tcm warranty to 10 years 150,000 miles which I believe may have lead to the failure of my transmission. The Ford dealership in ankeny Iowa says they will not do anything for me to fix this problem..

- Des Moines, IA, USA

problem #51

Jul 012017

Fiesta

  • 39,000 miles
There was a transmission failure, electrical problems, and brake problems. The engine dies while driving. Although seven years old, it has less than 40,000 miles on it from it being worked on constantly. It is useless as a vehicle.

- Toluca Lake, CA, USA

problem #50

Jun 212017

Fiesta

  • 10 miles

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

Radio stops working intermittently and loud static sounds persist even when the radio appears to be off. The sound is distracting and can get really loud to the point that it is unbearable. Only solution is to pull over and stop the car. The sound continues for a few seconds even after turning the car off.

- Long Beach, CA, USA

problem #49

Apr 142017

Fiesta

  • miles
There was an active recall on my 2011 Ford Fiesta hatchback ses that I aquired from an auto dealer but not from Ford. Took it to Ford when I later found out about the recall on door latches and went to have the latches fixed and later that day the front passenger window pops off track and my window on the drivers side has issues with going up and down. The Ford place said that in order to fix the windows it would cost $100 dollars to fix and they swear up and down thst they didn't work in the doors but the had to replace the latches. The windos wasworking fine until I took it to shaffer Ford.they said in the shop that there was a recall on the transmission clutch and the control module but it seemed to shift fine and I now have a wrench light and not the oil light beside the wrench one but another one and the transmission malfunction alert comes on in the display. My girlfriend is pregnant and when it jerks when I come to a complete stop it pulls the car seat tight on her belly and everytime it hurts her. I believe it's a safety issue and my only means of transportation. If I knew about this car before I stated the finance, I would of purchased something else. Just wanted to say thank from all us folks who got the Ford Fiesta. They are junk. I hope

- Oakland, MD, USA

problem #48

Dec 122016

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 180,000 miles
The vehicle was purchased brand new. We have already taken it to Ford repair shops a number of times for replacement parts, repairs, recalls, etc. Recently, the vehicle would not start (among other continuing problems with shaking while braking, jerking when shifting gears--both of which we've already had worked on several times) so we had it taken to a Ford dealer near where we live. We found out the problem is with the transmission control module. It turns out that Ford has a csp for this problem. However, we did not know about it and by the time we started having problems, we were past the mileage for the warranty coverage. I am extremely displeased with this vehicle and the customer service we have received. I believe it is bias and discriminatory to repair problems you know about only if they are on vehicles with mileage under 150,000. If there is a known problem. Ford should fix it and fix it for everyone, not just people who do not drive their vehicle frequently. This car has had known transmission problems and numerous recalls already. The problem is, every time we have it worked on, it never fixes it completely.

- Columbia, SC, USA

problem #47

Oct 082016

Fiesta

  • 71,200 miles
"takata recall had the vehicle approximately one week purchased from a private. I stopped at a stop sign and car died on me and left me stranded at a 4 way stop. I tried to get vehicle started and it started briefly and died on me. I was frantic as I am an older lady with my grandchild that was scared to death. I was pushed off the road by a concerned citizen who helped us push 2011 Ford Fiesta off the road. I had the unit towed and had motor replaced. The car still will not run and I have gone through all my saving on this piece of junk. It is now at a Ford dealership and they still are scratching their head and cannot fix unit. It is located at halliday Ford Lincoln incorporated, 1700 columbus ave, Washington court house, Ohio, 43160, telephone 800-358-3673.

- Greenfield, OH, USA

problem #46

Jul 312016

Fiesta

  • 60,000 miles
Unable to get car out of park, when I did, coming out of a parking lot, it stalled in middle of a busy street, had no power, transmission, stability and check engine light came on, after pushing on the gas peddle a few times, it finally, had enough power to drive it home.

- Tulsa, OK, USA

problem #45

Jun 272016

Fiesta

  • miles
Vehicle has been one of many thousands to experience severe transmission issues, which have now become serious safety concerns due to Ford's inability to provide a solution. This 2011 Fiesta with automatic transmission was purchased new and had the sluggish feeling early on. Dealer said it was a "smart engine" and would have to learn driver's driving habits. The problem persisted and got considerably worse around 9K miles....took it in, failed transmissions test...new clutch put it. Thought it was fine until it started doing the same thing...failed test...no parts available- had to wait on parts. This is about the 5th or 6th time going through this process, except that now the problem is the most severe it's ever been (even with the a new clutch put in last week and being told it was "fixed'). car won't start at times, then when it does, it drives very sluggish - or won't come out of low gear (revs very high)....of if you get it into higher gear, it will suddenly slip out of it back down to low - very high rpms and very loud. It is hard to accelarate and know that it's going to go - this is especially troubling at an intersection making a left turn, on the highway with higher speed traffic etc. Many others have experienced this same problem very severely. Class action suit in ca now-- and one just started in australia. Same problems. Ford has continued to sell these cars for years, knowing that this problem is there- their only solution being to wait for parts and then get it "repaired" - except it is being repaired with parts that are no better and seem to be far worse than early on. It is scary to drive and feel safe - yet one has to get to work, etc. Ford is digging their heels in and still offering no remedy, knowing about these very unsafe situations that drivers are being put in. Please scan the internet regarding the many people who have had serious problems.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #44

Apr 262016

Fiesta

  • 96,500 miles
My 2011 Ford Fiesta SE will not start. Electrical issues, PCM possibly. When you try to start the car all lights flicker, battery is fine and continues to attempt to start even after the key is turned back in non-starting position. The radio and usb/charging ports don't work either. This potential repair is going to cost me more than this thing is worth. Ford shouldn't sell crap. I bought this car because I needed reliable safe transportation not to have a money pit with no transportation and a loan. I literally just spent $1000 at a garage for maintenance and it wouldn't start when I went to pick it up yesterday. Now the Ford dealership is guessing pm! I shouldn't have to pay for this, Ford should recall the PCM and fix the electrical or stop ripping people off with garbage.

- Johnstown, NY, USA

problem #43

Apr 222012

Fiesta

  • 15,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. While putting out of a parking space, the vehicle jerked and lost power. The contact had to wait until the traffic died down to pull out of the space. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the computer needed to be reset and the clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 15,000.

- Norfolk, VA, USA

problem #42

Nov 142015

Fiesta

  • 70,000 miles
This is an update to a previous complaint with my car. Previously the car gave out in the hills of a sf. The car said it had a problem with the transmission and would not give any propulsion risking going backward on a hill. The dealer updated the software. They said this was the fix. They said after 1000 miles it should fix itself. Since then the car has been running much more sluggish. It forces itself on accelerating. It jerks much more excessively when I take off the gas. It jerks much more when I brake and I hear the metal grinding and clanking together. It was a really bad software update. 1000 passed and we ran into another problem. I had the car parked in the house. Tried to turn car back on and would not turn on. I heard clicking noise as if the battery was dead. I had dome lights on for a few minutes but nothing excessive. Shouldn't die out like that. Tried several times to turn it on and nothing. Started to call roadside assistance for backup. I then removed the car charger I had plugged in and tried again. The car sputtered on and starting giving me notifications. A service and check engine light. Also the display said that there was a "transmission malfunction" and to service it now. The engine was really forcing itself as I heard it. RPM was high even going slow. Car still sputters on after a few tries. Checked the codes through obd2. Car was throwing P0606. Said that it was ECM/PCM processor problem. I have no idea what is wrong with this car. I feel like its completely falling apart all around. Horrible car with too many issues!!!! this car needs a massive recall on it!!! it is unequivocally unsafe and unfit for the road!

- Stockton, CA, USA

problem #41

Dec 312014

Fiesta

  • 35,050 miles
Got my car new 2012 it is a 2011 had service work mostly oil change tire rotation ect in 12-31-14 had to take it in sounded like it was flying apart when you drive jerked when you tried to take off felt like you were driving on rocky road speed bumps they installed seals for leak clean clutch and perf test drive upload shudder to hotline for clutch appv installed new clutch and seals/repro PCM/tcm and perf trans adaptive relearn perf test drive vec hotline appv paaxr this done ok for a bit took back in Oct 2015 same problem jerking and sounds like it falling apart also had recall on door lock went back to get it I am very unhappy with car still have the problem they have to order parts as of today Nov 6 2015 had to be towed wont even crank and wont come out of gear dont buy one not sure what can be done but I feel like they should have to buy car back thats a lot of money and its hardley over the 36 000 miles. Not a happy buyer the dealership has been very nice but says that they dont know how to fix the problem but the makers wont tell you that so sorry car Ford buy them back.

- Hudson, NC, USA

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