What breaks most · 1991 to 2019 model years
Ford Fiesta problems by year
Owners have filed 3,162 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ford Fiesta across model years 1991 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2011 for powertrain and transmission complaints, 2013 for powertrain and transmission complaints and 2012 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2001, 2002 and 1991.
- Years to check closely: 2011, 2013, 2012
- Fewest complaints: 2001, 2002, 1991
- Complaints on file
- 31621991 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2011730 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 12925 fires · 132 injuries · 6 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 48kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 23Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 0 | 0 | Engine and cooling (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Latches and locks (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (1) | |
| 730 | 32 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (366) | |
| 616 | 12 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (274) | |
| 667 | 12 | 3 | Powertrain and transmission (391) | |
| 502 | 23 | 7 | Powertrain and transmission (208) | |
| 258 | 16 | 4 | Powertrain and transmission (104) | |
| 178 | 10 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (101) | |
| 73 | 7 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (22) | |
| 35 | 4 | 0 | Powertrain and transmission (10) | |
| 99 | 13 | 3 | Backup camera and sensors (29) |
What fails on the 2011 Ford Fiesta
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 50% |
366 | 10 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 17% |
125 | 4 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2011 Ford Fiesta |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 15% |
108 | 4 | Shop engine parts for the 2011 Ford Fiesta |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 13% |
96 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2011 Ford Fiesta |
| Unknown or other | 8% |
58 | 0 | — |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 8% |
57 | 4 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Latches and locksDoor latches and actuators | 6% |
41 | 0 | Shop latches and locks parts for the 2011 Ford Fiesta |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 4% |
26 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 2011 Ford Fiesta |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
The car lurches, and hops during acceleration. I came to a stop one morning, and it would NOT move at first. I just bought this car a week ago. I had a test done and the solenoids in the transmission are stuck on.
-
My car has 74,000 actual miles and the transmission is acting up kicking out of gear and loosing coummcation with the tcm and a sensor comes on about bad clutch pack
-
Driving down the street and car started bucking and shifting improperly. I took it in to the dealership and the said the tcm might be under warranty. Then they just said the transmission is bad
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Ford Fiesta years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2011, 2013, 2012 carry the most filings on the Ford Fiesta. The 2011 alone has 730 complaints, led by powertrain and transmission.
What is the most common Ford Fiesta problem?
On the 2011 model year, the most-reported component is powertrain and transmission with 366 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Ford Fiesta problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Ford Fiesta complaints that include mileage is about 48,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.