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.
Fiesta went into neutral while moving. It would not return to 'drive' or reverse or 'low' until stopped ( in traffic ), killed engine, and restarted. Brake peddle felt 'locked' when re-starting. It ran ok until later in day when it failed to drive at all and was towed to dealer. Failure was always when moving in traffic.
I purchased this vehicle in May 2013 as a used vehicle from the Ford store in san leandro, ca. I have had nothing but trouble with this car since I purchased it. The first thing that broke was my passenger side visor. Even though "visors and front seat SRS warning" is checked off on the 172 point inspection form I was given, the visor had a crack in the piece of the visor that held it to the roof of the car. I had no idea anything was wrong with it until a passenger tried to use it and it fell into their lap. After a few months of driving the vehicle I started noticing that there is a delay when you press the gas peddle (about a 3-4 seconds), it was like the car didn't want to respond to the peddle being pushed down. I also noticed that the car would roll backwards when on a hill, I always thought I had all of the worst parts of a manual transmission, but the car is an "automatic". besides rolling backwards, the delay in the peddle would make it tough to stop at the top of a steep hill and start again, I would give it gas and it would be very sluggish. The worst part of the car has to be that when I was "crawling" in traffic, the car would shut off. It seems that it is idling too low when the car is moving slow. This also happened to me when I was pulling into a parking spot. After having this car for a year I had to replace the cooling fan after its motor burned out, I think it was a result of too much acceleration, too fast... cause you just don't know when the thing will die on you.
On April 8, 2014, my 2011 Ford Fiesta was losing acceleration. As I was pressing on the gas and going about 45 mph, the acceleration slowed and eventually completely stopped. Thank goodness I was not on the highway! also, the gear display was flashing fro P to D, over and over. I brought my car into cal worthington Ford of anchorage on April 9, 2014 and explained everything. My car was ready for pick up on April 11, 2014. They reprogrammed or replaced the electrical components dealing with the transmission. That is what I was told but I never received any paperwork or a detailed explanation on the repairs. On April 14, 2014 my car experienced the same symptoms as on April 8. the car could not accelerate and stalled in traffic. I videotaped all of it. I can email it to you, if you would like. The gear display was flashing again from D to P over and over. I brought my car back to cal worthington on April 15, 2014. They got me a rental car until 05/09/14, then I was moved to one of their loaner cars. On 05/12/14, my car was ready again. Supposedly they replaced the clutch. On May 13, 2014, the next day, the same thing happened again! the acceleration slowed and the gear display was switching from D, P, R, L, over and over. I brought the car back to cal worthington on May 14, 2014 and I had another loaner car. They had my car until May 21, 2014. The next morning, the engine stopped at the stop sign, which is about 100 feet away from my house. My car would not start, the gear display was flashing D, P, R, L, over and over while the car was making a humming sound. We had to push my car back to my drive way and have it towed back to cal worthington Ford.
I had just started accelerating after stopping at a street light. My car began shifting back and forth as I pressed on the accelerator. I noticed my engine was running but my car wasn't moving. It seemed as though the power was there but it wasn't going to the wheels. My car was struggling to do what it was supposed to do. My car jumped and shifted back and forth trying to move. Finally it caught up with the problem and moved a little. I was able to let it roll downhill far enough for me to get out of the road into safety. Later when on the side of the road, I turned on my engine and it worked. I put my car into reverse and moved it back. When I put my car into drive the gear lever moved but the gear did not shift into drive. I pressed on the accelerator but my car didn't move at all. I did hear the engine revving up but the car didn't move. I put my car in neutral and was able to roll it forwards.
Engine mil turned on after car was started, driving was fine at speeds under 45mph. Once over 45mph the vehicle started to shake violently. The engine code indicated that it was the natural vacuum leak detection (nvld) service kit, that had failed or a fuse in the fuse box. The vehicle was turned into a dealership and the part replaced, the engine mil turned back on before I claimed the vehicle and has been sitting with the dealer for 4 days, as they have no idea how to fix the car. This sensor failing is a known issue on this vehicle as there is a technical service bulletin dated Feb 13, 2013, this replaced a previous bulletin dated May 21, 2011. This sensor failing is dangerous and has been an issue since 2011. And it seems that there is no real fix, at least with my vehicle. The wording in the tsb states "some 2011 Fiesta vehicles may exhibit a malfunction indicator lamp (mil) with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) U029F set in the powertrain control module (PCM) and/or a no crank condition with no communication with the PCM." This leads me to believe that the engine could fail at anytime with this code, creating a hazardous condition especially if traveling on the freeway when the mil comes on and the part fails. This is a wide spread issue based on the abundance of forums and internet posts discussing this exact engine code, and the various symptoms associated with it.
- Canton, MI, USA
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Driving in traffic normal speed about 40-45 mph, vehicle stopped accelerating completely. Normal commute & almost got rear ended since the car started to decelerate quickly. Once we were able to pull off to the side of the road we tried switching the gears and restarting the car. After this, the car would not restart at all. Taken the car to Ford multiple times and they have ran all sorts of diagnostics and we find ourselves at the dealership at least every 2-3 months with issues. Ford corporate did nothing but provide extended warranty. What would they have done if we were actually rear ended & severely hurt because of the faulty car? unfortunately an extended warranty does not correct he problem & this vehicle is still jeopardizing my family's safety and we'll being.
Driving on the freeway going normal speeds the "transmission failure" message popped up on my dash and the car started viscously jerking. The car had trouble stopping as if the brakes couldn't function properly cause the transmission was out. My car would fiercely jerk forward when I was coming to a stop that I then noticed I had to stop further back than normal in fear of the car jerking forward to hard and hitting the car in front of me. When I finally parked and was ready to go to a well lit area the car started up perfectly normal and the transmission failure message was gone. Took it to Ford and they couldn't understand the severity of the issue due to the fact that the car basically "fixed itself." I then asked them if it is going to take someone getting into an accident for them to recall the transmission on this car and they only told me "there's nothing they can do about it". they saw an issue and told me it would be approx. 3 thousand dollars to fix the car is only 2 years old. Ford also told me the car isn't safe for me to drive on the road. Yet they don't see that as a reason to not recall the cars to get it fixed since I'm positive my car isn't the only one that has done this. I guess myself almost getting into and accident and causing injury to myself and others is not a good enough reason for them.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that she depressed the accelerator pedal and the engine shuttered. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the computer needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 300.
My boyfriend went out to start my car up and warm it up for me... it would turn over...then after trying again it started. I went out to go to work and went to back out of the drive way and my car would not go in reverse. I then put it in drive and moved up a little and then proceeded to back out and then when I went to put it in drive again it would go any where.it was like the gear go stuck. I had to have my boyfriend push my car back into the driveway.I then called jones junction where I purchased the car and had it towed into their shop because I had coverage on it for repair for them to call me and say there is nothing wrong with my car. I did some research myself and found that this has been an issue with the 2011 Ford Fiesta transmission electronic controls. I'm furious that any dealer would inform me that there is nothing wrong with the car and because no repairs were being done I had a towing bill of $185. I was stuck out in the middle of the road on a icy day and could have been easily hit by another vehicle. The gears locked up and would not go in drive.I hope and wish that Ford will resolve this matter on these cars before it causes a injury or a someone's life. I will be contacting the Ford dealership this morning.thank you
Referring to previous complaint #10546964, vehicle was towed to a Ford dealership for examination and repair after opening case # with Ford Motor Company and referencing research that points to a systemic problem with Fiestas. Shop had vehicle for three days and reported a repair had been completed, a computer "update." Car was retrieved and after 30 miles of driving +/- same problem returned when transmission stopped working and no gear could be found. Turning the car on and off was not easily done and on more than one occasion there was no response when trying to start the car. On at least two occasions, the problem occurred on a two lane road with no emergency lane so vehicle was stopped on us 321 with no immediate way to move it to a safe area. Since it was after 8:00 P.M. traffic was minimal. When the car was started finally, we were able to get it home by not going over 30 mph. This is a dangerous situation that does not seem isolated to this one car. This is the same problem that was not diagnosed when the car was in my possession for less than one month. The recommended fix, at over $100, did not result in any resolution of the problem. There appears to be a problem with the Fiesta transmission and the communication it receives from the computer rendering the vehicle completely immobilized and unable to function.
This problem first occurred after having car for less than 6 months. Towed to dealer for warranty work and the said they could not find a problem. Yesterday, was traveling and, as before, engine light came on, car went into neutral (gear indicator on dashboard looked like a slot machine) and when I coasted to a stop (more than once on a two lane road with no emergency lane), it would not go into gear. After turning engine off, it then had trouble starting, and when it did re-engage into gear, it would randomly go out of gear and we "limped" home going less than 25 miles an hour having to stop a half dozen times hoping the car's transmission would re-engage long enough for us to get home. It was a very dangerous situation because it would disengage at any rate of speed and would not go back into gear even once I stopped for a period of time, getting progressively worse. In the rural area where we reside, there was more than one time when it disengaged, would not go back into gear, on a curve of a two-lane road with no emergency lane. I have learned that the Fiesta has had these problems since 2011 when my problems first began. It is a dangerous situation that appears to be systemic to the vehicle in many cases. At this point, it is not safe to drive.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated the air conditioning unit malfunctioned and was blowing hot air into the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer, who stated that a new fan box needed was needed to remedy the defective air conditioner. The contact did not replace the fan. The contact did not speak to the manufacturer regarding the air conditioner. The failure mileage was 48,000. The VIN was not available.
The wire harness had to be replaced. (fuse box and all connected wires) they are considered all one part. Car would not start at first. Then when it did, it had no gears. Could not move forward or backward. Then could not start altogether. Repairs cost $1500 my feeling is that a car that is only three years old with only 100,000 miles should not have this problem. Please find out if it is a factory defect.
On 29 may, 2013 my family and I were driving on the highway when the car stalled. The rpms went up and the car just kept losing speed until it would no longer go with no trouble lights, which it gave the impression the car had slipped into neutral. A tow truck came and brought the car to the nearest Ford dealership. The dealership service representative started the car as soon as it arrived and it started up right away and stated since there were no trouble lights that they could not properly diagnose the car so they returned the car to us. On 5 June, 2013 my family and I were driving on the highway when it stalled again, but we turned off the car and let it sit, then restarted it and it was able to make it to another Ford dealership where they did an inspection. They drove the vehicle for 27 miles and could not recreate the issue and no trouble codes were present so they could not diagnose it. They gave us back our car and on our way home it stalled four more times nearly causing accidents with a semi-truck. It was brought back to the first Ford dealership where it was kept from the 7th-11th. The problem could not be created and the car was released back. On the way home it stalled again. On the 14th it stalled again while waiting at the right turn lane at an intersection and I brought it to the dealership where it was kept from the 14th-19th for further diagnosis. They were finally able to get a code that required the powertrain control module (PCM) to be updated and recalibrated. On the 20th it would not start and a tow truck was called and they gave it a jump start. I then took it to auto zone and the battery tested fine and the dealership later had the same results. A pen light tester showed power was being drained from the battery. The car stalled again on the 22nd requiring it to be pushed off the road twice. Now the dealership says the battery is bad. Recall?
Car sputters to start, then won't engage any gear. Battery won't hold a charge. Today (01 Jan 2013) marks the third incident. The dealer put in a new battery the first 2 times and told me the battery was defective (twice). This car eats batteries. It always happens during cold weather. After the car started, I rolled in neutral out of my driveway onto the street. Then the car would not engage in any gear. I was a sitting duck in the middle of the road. I couldn't go forward or backwards. I had to turn off and restart engine 4 times until it engaged a gear. Then I drove to autozone where they tested the battery. They said the battery was good (1- year old battery had a 3-year warranty) and the alternator engaged, but the battery lost its charge rapidly upon turning off the engine.
The positive battery cable completely sheared off preventing the car from starting. The circular lug used to connect the cable to the positive battery post is too thin for the size of the cable and extra safety fuses and circuitry. To make matters worse such a poorly designed part has a lead time from Ford's oem in Mexico of 4-6 weeks. The car has been at North central Ford in richardson, Texas, since 15 August. After missing the part delivery deadline three times the dealership finally provided a rental car. As of the writing of this issue the Ford Fiesta has been in the shop for 26 days, still waiting for the original part from the oem.
I have a various problems with the transmission. It keeps having a grinding noise like it has a hard time going into gear. I have noticed that the problem is worse when trying to quickly stop as well as accelerating right after. The transmission problem is currently keeping the Fiesta in the shop right now but the dealership is saying that this problem is normal and there is no repair is available at this time. I have also had problems with the window not rolling up right. This was fixed but I think that over time it will start to be a problem again. The final problem is the sound system not being properly wired as I plugged my phone to charge and the radio stopped getting reception.
At crossroads Ford, prince george, Virginia: This 2011 Ford Fiesta...service engine soon light came on..dealership checked car tsb(power train central module-for transmission) only re-set/re-programmed transmission computer.(April 25,2011. On November 4,2011...I took vehicle back to morganton N.C.Ford dealership.. my Fiesta would not start and after 4 attempts to start the car it hesitated and started it jerked and sounded like it was badly missing....when driven to dealership the vehicle service engine light came on...it would not shift gears properly and the rpms went to 3000rpms before shifting into any gear. Dealership stated vehicle didn't have a problem and again re-programmed and up-dated the transmission computer. I was very upset. In December 22,2011: Transmission gears not shifting properly. I took vehicle to local morganton, N.C. Ford dealership...they tested the PCM..it passed.tested tcm passed all controls. Then tried to tell me...it was only a low-battery problem...but had to re-set the transmission computer a third time.then on February 25,2012...Fiesta hatch-back lock would not lock to stay shut. I promptly took vehicle to morganton, N.C. Ford dealership and the car is still there to be repaired and a part is on order. To fix this lock. I was given a rental vehicle. I intend to sue Ford Motor Corp via N.Carolina lemon law I am a very-dissatisfied customer>..my car is a piece of crap.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that he was experiencing a recurring failure with the electrical system. The fuel sensor failed a total of three times and was replaced upon each failure, but continued to recur. The navigational system would malfunction sporadically but the dealer was unable to correct the failure. The contact stated that every electrical component of the vehicle exhibited some type of intermittent failure. The vehicle was taken to a local repair shop where it was determined that the master program calibration was off. The vehicle was unable to be repaired so the manufacturer repurchased the vehicle. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 8,000.
2011 Ford Fiesta. Attorney writes on behalf of clients in regards to vehicle catching fire while driving the driver of the vehicle stated he was driving with the cruise control activated, when suddenly the vehicle began to lose power and the heater stopped working. The driver stopped the vehicle, after seeing a glare at the driver's side window. He turned the vehicle off and removed the key. The fire started in the front of the vehicle under the dashboard. According to the fire report, the fire was due to an electrical problem.
- Orlando, FL, USA
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- Albuquerque, NM, USA