Total Complaints
1039 filings
FORD FIESTA · model year
1039 NHTSA complaints, 52 crash reports, and 3 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
4 / 5 ★
New Car Assessment Program
The 2011FORDFIESTA carries 1039 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 52 crashes, 7 fires, 59 injuries, and 6 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2011 FIESTA is power train with 336 filings, followed by engine (107) and electrical system (89). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 3 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 2 investigation files overlapping the 2011 FIESTA, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
1039 filings
Crashes Reported
52 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 336 |
| ENGINE | 107 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 89 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 89 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 58 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 55 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR | 34 |
| STEERING | 26 |
| AIR BAGS | 23 |
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 23 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH | 21 |
| LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 20 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 18 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 15 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 14 |
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified the agency on April 23, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured July 1, 2012, to May 31, 2013, and 2012-2014 Fiesta vehicles manufactured February 1, 2012, to May 31, 2013. On April 30, 2015, For
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643
AIR BAGS
Ford is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Fiesta vehicles, manufactured from November 3, 2009 through September 21, 2012. The vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection." The passenger side curtain air bag will not deploy in t
While driving my car with my two little nieces in the backseat, I heard a sound that made me think a wheel was coming off. As long as I was driving straight, the vehicle seemed to be okay. But when I made a turn onto the next road, something broke underneath the car and we began to spin around. It felt like the wheels were rubbing under the floor of the car and we were in the middle of the street. When I got out, I saw the rear wheels were cocked at an angle to the rest of the car. I thank God we weren't on a busy highway where we could have all been killed.
While driving my car with my two little nieces in the backseat, I heard a sound that made me think a wheel was coming off. As long as I was driving straight, the vehicle seemed to be okay. But when I made a turn onto the next road, something broke underneath the car and we began to spin around. It felt like the wheels were rubbing under the floor of the car and we were in the middle of the street. When I got out, I saw the rear wheels were cocked at an angle to the rest of the car. I thank God we weren't on a busy highway where we could have all been killed.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the road on several occasions. The vehicle was able to restart after 10 minutes; however, the failure recurred upon resuming driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed. The mechanic related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 15B22 (Transmission Control Module Reprogramming for Overt TCM Failure Warning). The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled for the vehicle to be repaired under Ford Campaign Number: 15B22. The contact stated that upon towing the vehicle to the dealer, the dealer refused to service the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 106,902.
Mileage: 106,902
I am having issues with the fuse box under the hood. I keep shorting out on my headlights ans AC clutch relay. I've purchased new head lights (bulbs), replaced them and they still didn't work. I checked the fuses after investigation online and they have blown. I had my AC completely fixed and it ran fine for a while, then stopped working. I had it checked and was told the AC relay clutch fuse was loose. I replaced it. Three weeks later it shorted out, again.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving on a main road at 30 MPH, the transmission shifted independently to neutral(N). The contact pulled over and restarted the vehicle. The contact shifted to drive(D) and drove to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Mileage: 130,000
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to accelerate. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure was not duplicated. Additionally, the contact received notification of Customer Satisfaction Program 14M02; however, the dealer informed the contact that there was no indication of transmission failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the repair could not be covered under an unknown special program or recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the safety failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.
Mileage: 144,000
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to accelerate. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure was not duplicated. Additionally, the contact received notification of Customer Satisfaction Program 14M02; however, the dealer informed the contact that there was no indication of transmission failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the repair could not be covered under an unknown special program or recall. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the safety failure. The failure mileage was approximately 144,000.
Mileage: 144,000
I am reporting a serious mechanical and safety issue involving my 2011 Ford Fiesta. After receiving a partially state-funded engine replacement in June 2025, my vehicle began experiencing serious transmission problems shortly after. Within a month, it went into limp mode multiple times, and warning lights appeared: the wrench light, incline warning, and âTransmission Malfunction â Service Nowâ messages. A diagnostic scan revealed multiple DTCs related to the Transmission Control Module (TCM), Input/Output Shaft Speed Sensors, and Clutch A disengagement (P286F) â which I understand are linked to known issues with this modelâs transmission. These failures make the car dangerous to drive. The vehicle has lost power unexpectedly, putting me at risk of an accident. Iâve also been told by the repair shop that I may now need a new transmission and/or TCM, despite just receiving a major engine repair. I am unable to afford another large repair and this situation has severely imp
I am reporting a serious mechanical and safety issue involving my 2011 Ford Fiesta. After receiving a partially state-funded engine replacement in June 2025, my vehicle began experiencing serious transmission problems shortly after. Within a month, it went into limp mode multiple times, and warning lights appeared: the wrench light, incline warning, and âTransmission Malfunction â Service Nowâ messages. A diagnostic scan revealed multiple DTCs related to the Transmission Control Module (TCM), Input/Output Shaft Speed Sensors, and Clutch A disengagement (P286F) â which I understand are linked to known issues with this modelâs transmission. These failures make the car dangerous to drive. The vehicle has lost power unexpectedly, putting me at risk of an accident. Iâve also been told by the repair shop that I may now need a new transmission and/or TCM, despite just receiving a major engine repair. I am unable to afford another large repair and this situation has severely imp
I am reporting a serious mechanical and safety issue involving my 2011 Ford Fiesta. After receiving a partially state-funded engine replacement in June 2025, my vehicle began experiencing serious transmission problems shortly after. Within a month, it went into limp mode multiple times, and warning lights appeared: the wrench light, incline warning, and âTransmission Malfunction â Service Nowâ messages. A diagnostic scan revealed multiple DTCs related to the Transmission Control Module (TCM), Input/Output Shaft Speed Sensors, and Clutch A disengagement (P286F) â which I understand are linked to known issues with this modelâs transmission. These failures make the car dangerous to drive. The vehicle has lost power unexpectedly, putting me at risk of an accident. Iâve also been told by the repair shop that I may now need a new transmission and/or TCM, despite just receiving a major engine repair. I am unable to afford another large repair and this situation has severely imp
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked, and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle stalled while driving. The contact waited for a short while and was able to restart the vehicle. The contact was able to move over to the side of the road. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while attempting to reverse out of a parking space, the vehicle failed to function while in reverse(R). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission PTU had failed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that recently while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact was able to pull into a parking lot. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact turned off the vehicle and waited for a while and was able to re
Mileage: 123,000
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated or jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal with the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the shift motor was defective. The contact was informed that the part was covered under warranty and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that after the repair, the check engine warning light returned while leaving the dealer parking lot. The contact continued driving the vehicle and the vehicle entered LIMP Mode while driving to the residence. The vehicle was returned to the dealer the next day and the contact was informed that the transmission control module was defective and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the repair was not covered under warranty and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair; the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failu
Mileage: 196,489
Door locks keep unlocking and locking as I'm driving. It is very loud. 4 or 5 times as I'm going 35 and 60 mph
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the engine malfunction, ABS, and Hill Assist warning lights were illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed; however, the contact was unaware of the diagnostic result. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same mechanic who again diagnosed the vehicle and informed the contact that the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was taken to a local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the throttle body, engine electrical harness, and engine mounts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred, and the vehicle stalled with white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The contact had not taken the vehicle back to the dealer. Th
Mileage: 144,000
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the engine malfunction, ABS, and Hill Assist warning lights were illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed; however, the contact was unaware of the diagnostic result. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same mechanic who again diagnosed the vehicle and informed the contact that the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was taken to a local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the throttle body, engine electrical harness, and engine mounts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred, and the vehicle stalled with white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The contact had not taken the vehicle back to the dealer. Th
Mileage: 144,000
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the engine malfunction, ABS, and Hill Assist warning lights were illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed; however, the contact was unaware of the diagnostic result. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same mechanic who again diagnosed the vehicle and informed the contact that the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was taken to a local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the throttle body, engine electrical harness, and engine mounts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred, and the vehicle stalled with white smoke coming from the exhaust pipes. The contact had not taken the vehicle back to the dealer. Th
Mileage: 144,000
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the battery was replaced. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond and sputtered. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle the following day, the vehicle failed to start and was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic related the failure to the transmission. The contact was referred to the dealer for an unknown recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for the TCM to be replaced under Ford Campaign Number: 14M02. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the TCM was replaced; however, the dealer informed the contact that the TCM could not be programmed to the transmission clutch. The dealer determined that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The
Mileage: 82,000
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the battery was replaced. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to respond and sputtered. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle the following day, the vehicle failed to start and was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The mechanic related the failure to the transmission. The contact was referred to the dealer for an unknown recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for the TCM to be replaced under Ford Campaign Number: 14M02. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the TCM was replaced; however, the dealer informed the contact that the TCM could not be programmed to the transmission clutch. The dealer determined that the transmission clutch needed to be replaced. The
Mileage: 82,000
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that there was abnormal corrosion around the wiring harness, causing an electrical fault. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 22N11. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 105,000.
Mileage: 105,000
The car hasnât been sold since 2021 and I was told there where no issues with the car but it was sold as is it doesnât start needs a new modem head gaskets maybe and itâs a lot that needs repairing
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.