Ford has had a long known issue with 2011-2015-FIESTA ( Cuautitlan ) they issued a Customer Satisfaction Program that ended June 2025. I purchased the car July 2026 used w/o none issues. Checked VIN for recall and Maryland Inspected. Driving it one week and the check engine light comes on. Apparently the TCM recognized a change in driving pattern but FORD will not honor the replacement. How is it not a safety issue with the vehicle can decide not to engage risking a collision? I am willing to pay for the labor of the part but would like the part covered as it should.
NHTSA complaint #11758235 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving for couple hours then my oil light came on check engine light came on. Vehicle started to shake very badly. I had to pull over and see what happened. I started the vehicle up again and the oil light and check engine light are still on. I know that these vehicles have the wet belt system on the automatics. But they don't have one for the manual transmission. There should be a recall for these just like the automatics.
NHTSA complaint #11734102 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The brakes stick and then when i hit the gas its sluggish and just takes off full force. Causing 50% gas loss. The breaks are getting stuck. Calipers sticking. This is a fire hazard
NHTSA complaint #11729893 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact continued to drive the vehicle, and the sound was coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer, where it was diagnosed with a synchronization failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced, and two motor mounts also needed to be replaced. The motor mounts were replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 67,000.
NHTSA complaint #11729774 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Low pressure oil light came on and I stopped driving it 18 miles later drove about 25-30 mph hoping it wouldn’t seize on me before I got home. because I figure the oil pump is clogged with timing belt fragments and I can’t afford to replace the timing belt right now. Afraid to drive it because I have read it could seize up the engine. 1.0 eco boost manual transmission. Car ran great and I had no issues with it until the low pressure oil light came on. Been sitting since March. I have started it 4 times since then and it has been moved around the yard but never ran longer than a few minutes. Still starts just afraid with the low pressure oil light on that it could seize up if I drive it again.
NHTSA complaint #11707044 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, the contact attempted to start the vehicle, but the vehicle jerked and was difficult to start. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions but was moderate whenever a lower amount of fuel was added to the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, where the check engine warning light was turned off, but the failure persisted. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was unknown.
NHTSA complaint #11701165 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This vehicle has experienced the exact issue of a Ford recall for other model year fiestas. The oil pump belt has experienced premature wear and failure, leading to a sudden loss of power. My local Ford dealer says that this vehicle should have been included in Ford recall #23S64 and that I should report this to NHTSA to document and hopefully expand the recall to all years that result in this issue.
NHTSA complaint #11695600 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11677361 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECU/ECM)
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked, and an abnormal sound was coming from the engine. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated, and unknown messages were displayed. The contact's wife continued driving at slower speeds. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission control module (TCM) and engine control module (ECM) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 69,000.
NHTSA complaint #11675845 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle was losing motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and it was determined that the spark plugs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the ignition coils needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
NHTSA complaint #11675917 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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 “Transmission Malfunction – Service Now” messages. A diagnostic scan revealed multiple DTCs related to the Transmission Control Module (TCM), Input/Output Shaft Speed Sensors, and Clutch A disengagement (P286F) — which I understand are linked to known issues with this model’s transmission. These failures make the car dangerous to drive. The vehicle has lost power unexpectedly, putting me at risk of an accident. I’ve 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 impacted my ability to travel safely. I am requesting an investigation into the Ford Fiesta’s transmission problems and to confirm whether this should have been covered by a recall or warranty extension. I want to also add that my transmission clutch was repaired by Ford only 2 years ago. Please advise if this falls under known manufacturer defects or safety bulletins, and whether Ford Motor Company can be held responsible for the faulty transmission and associated safety risks.
NHTSA complaint #11675540 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In 2020, Documents were subpoened proving that Ford falsified doors and used a dangerous faulty transmission in Ford Fiesta and Focus Moodels from 2011-2015. There were so many lawsuits, they settled through arbitration. The judicial system only required an extended waranty- no recall or redesign. These vehicles are dangerous, and when transmission overheats, the cars stop in the middle of the road. Many will not go in Reverse. Ford is recouping their arbitration settlement money by continuing to sell these cars on the Used Car Market with the same DPS6 Transmissions which they knew were faulty and dangerous, and falsified documents about, with Clean Car Faxes, often low mileage- because heat starts transmission failure, and that is not fair. The pledge does not say...."WitH liberty and justice for ALL WHO CAN AFFORD IT!" I HAVE AMOST BEEN REAR-ENDED TWICE, because car stops when Trans gets hot. One driver of a 4'4 truck, speeding around a blind spot, swerved into oncoming lane, rolled down his window, pointed a pistol at me, cursing because I ALMOST made HIM WRECK! although my safety flashers were on. There are no shoulders on these rural roads. This car is DANGEROUS! WHY WAS FORD ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH THIS? Falsification of documents about a cars safety is fraud. There are tens of thousands with Clean Car Faxes still being sold unfairly to unknowing victims with modest incomes who TRUST CAR FAX DOCUMENTATION.
NHTSA complaint #11675245 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
In May, my 2015 Ford Fiesta SE went into "limp mode" before reaching the speed limit of 25mph. Immediately afterwards it was taken into a local shop, Mobile Mechanic, where no codes were active and coolant level was between min and max level. Next day, car experienced misfiring check engine light and overheating before being looked at by a mechanic. Mechanic replaced spark plugs due to code reading misfiring in cylinder 3. Car still continued to misfire and due to slight lower level of coolant, Engine overheated and cracked a cylinder block in the 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine. This car is used to travel with two children under [XXX] and [XXX]. The beginning of June the car overheated on a hot day traveling home with the two kids and myself. We had to sit in the heat for close to an hour before temperature gauge returned to normal, I checked the coolant and it was still between min and max levels. On the same trip, it was on the verge of overheating again due to climbing the hill before our house. After finding out the cylinder block was cracked by my mechanic we discovered there has been a recall issue with the same engine, Recall 17S09, that began in January 2018, a month before I purchased my car from Redwood Ford in Ukiah California ([XXX]). I called W. C. Sanderson Ford in Healdsburg, California on July, 15th, 2025 to see if it would be possible to see if this recall was actually fixed on my vehicle, which they responded that the recall has nothing to do with my car and they can't do anything about my car. The representative specifically said that due to my car being 10 years old it has been disqualified of the recall and is no longer attached to my VIN. I have taken this car to the same local mechanic 4 times since the ending of May, 2025 for the same issues before we discovered the cracked cylinder block, mechanic took pictures of fluid and water inside cylinder 3. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11675419 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There is a recall (Recall no. 17V209000) that my VIN should have been included in but is not. My vehicle was not equipped with a coolant level sensor from the factory and does not alert to low coolant levels in the vehicle, which can lead to overheating, engine damage, and potential engine fire. The recall fix is a new updated coolant tank design, the inclusion of a coolant level sensor, and a software update for the function of said sensor.
NHTSA complaint #11671521 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Customer satisfaction program 16B11 covers a faulty high speed cooling fan relay. This bulletin was issued on April 5, 2016. I purchased the vehicle on [XXX]. An incorrect relay was installed at the factory, and the program should have replaced the relay with the correct part. This was not performed on my vehicle before I purchased it from Sheehy Ford of Ashland. The faulty relay failed, melting the fuse box in the process and causing the vehicle to overheat and cause permanent severe engine damage. Remnants of the melted relay show the part number, which matches the obsolete part number. Visual comparison of the faulty relay matches the obsolete part as well, and differs from the correct superseded part number relay outlined in the 16B11 bulletin. Ford Motor Company insists my vehicle was not a part of this program and any repairs will not be covered. The build date, make/model/engine, assembly plant and most importantly, part number of the relay and mode of failure exactly match the 16B11 CSP bulletin. Ford denies that there is any issue with my vehicle. Local Ford dealers refer me to Ford Motor Company to escalate this problem, but Ford refuses to investigate. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11670906 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a continuous swishing sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the water pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The water pump was replaced. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 74,000.
NHTSA complaint #11661252 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
•Make: Ford •Model: Fiesta ST •Model Year: 2019 •Engine: 1.6L EcoBoost •Mileage at Incident: 95000 Component Affected: Engine / Cooling System Summary of Problem: Coolant is leaking into the combustion chamber of my 1.6L EcoBoost engine due to a suspected internal engine defect. This issue caused noticeable white smoke from the exhaust, engine misfires, and a loss of power while driving. The coolant loss was not visible externally, indicating internal leakage. After diagnostic testing at a Ford dealership, I was informed the engine block or cylinder head is compromised, allowing coolant intrusion into the cylinders. The dealer quoted approximately $12,000 for a full engine replacement and confirmed that this is a known issue with Ford EcoBoost engines. Safety Concerns: The vehicle became unreliable and unsafe to drive, especially at highway speeds, due to the misfiring and sudden power loss. If this failure had occurred during certain driving conditions, it could have led to an accident. Furthermore, the cost of repair is unreasonably high for a systemic engine defect not caused by consumer neglect. Request for Investigation: This appears to be part of a broader, well-documented problem with various EcoBoost engines across Ford’s lineup ( TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN 19-2346 2.0L EcoBoost - Coolant In Cylinders, White Exhaust Smoke And/Or Illuminated MIL). I am submitting this complaint in hopes that NHTSA will investigate the safety implications of this engine defect and push for accountability from Ford through recalls or reimbursement programs.
NHTSA complaint #11660208 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.