FORD Fiesta Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used FORD Fiesta options? We analyzed 9 model years (2011–2019) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
Free VIN check
Found a FORD Fiesta? Check that exact car.
Model-year trends show patterns — they can't tell you whether this car was crashed, flooded, or rolled back. A VIN check can.
- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the FORD Fiesta has 3,158 owner complaints and 23 safety recalls across model years 2011–2019. The most reported issue area is POWER TRAIN. 2019 drew the most complaints; 2018 drew the fewest.
- Make
- FORD
- Model
- Fiesta
- Model years analyzed
- 2011–2019 (9 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 3,158
- Safety recall campaigns
- 23
- Crash-related complaints
- 129
- Fire-related complaints
- 25
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2019 (99 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2018 (35 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- POWER TRAIN
- Reliability signal
- Poor
By model year
FORD Fiesta: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings
What the complaint data suggests
PoorThe FORD FIESTA has 3,158 NHTSA complaints and 23 recalls on record. 129 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 3,158 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 23 federal recall campaigns
- 129 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Sep 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
23 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE
AIR BAGS
AIR BAGS
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2011–2019. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 3,158 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
3,158 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
The back up camera quit working. The back seats are taller and it has made it very difficult to see if there are children behind my vehicle. I reported it to the dealership and now I have to pay $200.00 to have them check it.
Back-up camera goes in and out intermittently, sometimes the image is very faint and then totally disappears into a black screen, or says it is not available at this time, then goes black. This started about 4 months ago and I have not been able to identify a triggering factor, rain nor heat does not appear to be the factor that causes it. My car was purchased 2018 with 13 miles and I now have only 21,897 miles never been in an accident or anything to cause this issue. The dealer said my vehicle is not under the recall guidelines although it completely mimics the recalled issues listed under NHTSA#23S48/25V273 also the dealer says the issue has to be present for the mechanic to see. When I took it to the dealer today 10/14/2025 the camera was functioning and I have no idea when it will go back out again to show them. This can definitely become a safety issue and a cost I should not have to be responsible for because there is an indication this could be a production issue. Please assist me with this issue.
Purchased vehicle at the end of 2018 and this is the third time I have had to replace the horn. It's not a fuse, it's not wiring, it is the actual horn that either shorts or dies with no notice.
Hello, I have zero idea why I am emailing, I may be secretly hoping for...anything. I drive a 2018 Ford Fiesta SE, I have owned it since 2019 as that is when I purchased it used. Over the weekend I experienced transmission issues and an auto shop informed me that I am in need of a transmission rebuild due to the clutch going out. The estimated cost is 3.4k. I came across this article from 2019: [XXX] Within the article Ford notes: "The transmissions (dual-clutch automatic transmissions known as DPS6 designed for fuel efficiency) were introduced in the 2011 model year Fiesta and 2012 Focus. They were used until the Focus was discontinued with the 2018 model year and until the 2019 Fiesta". The article then goes onto state: "technical analysis, warranty data and customer feedback show that the DPS6 transmission in Focus and Fiesta vehicles from 2016 (model year) through 2019 MY are improved from prior model years. They perform well and have competitive levels of customer satisfaction.” But I don't believe that to be true given the clutch issues that have just happened with my 2019 Ford Fiesta. It gets a bit more odd because I think Ford is lying about the 2019 model year being 'improved'. The mechanic I am going through put a pause on rebuilding my transmission because Ford reached out to them with potential fixes per an 'internal bulletin'. Those potential fixes include a redesigned clutch kit for the transmission...why would that be a thing if my model year was 'improved'. Also, they are not covering any repairs. I don't even know if I have the right to demand that they do? Given my model year wasn't included in the lawsuit, despite it being the last year Ford made the Fiesta. I also did find this update [XXX] I just want help or something done. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My engine has been malfuctioning over the following year. I've gotten repairs and it continues to do so. I'm asking for a recall.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger’s side door independently opened. The door ajar warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages) however, neither the VIN nor the model year was included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 97,260.
Read 14 more owner reports
I bought my Ford Fiesta new in 2018. I have less than 35k miles on my car. My car recently started bucking while I stop at stop signs or red lights. My car revs up and tries to go forward. I took my car to the dealership hours later. They did a diagnosis and asked me what kind of gas I use. They said I shouldn't buy my gas from there. I was then told my valve is sticking from the gas and the valve is trying to open and it can't so it bucks and lurches. The part they need is on back order. The part is not available any where in the country. So does that mean the whole country side uses the same gas I do? That is why that part is on back order?
My fuel canister purge valve needs replacement less than 70,000 on car. The cap less gas cap defective as well. Why did they make these cuz everyone is having problems with the purge valve and cap less. It all on YouTube. Where is the recall,.
My engine is acting up. According to the Auto Repair Shop they say that my car is suffering from Carbon Build Up which is affecting my engine. As well as the throttle body in the car. My car just keeps stopping to the point my engine refuses to start. So I decided to clean it myself only to no avail.
Trunk randomly pops open during driving. Or when you put it in gear.
12/4/2023 while attempting to pull into a parking spot in a parking garage car suddenly accelerated forward at a very fast rate, just prior to acceleration felt like it shuddered. Afraid that it would keep going and go over edge so I pulled to the right while trying to brake and hit a concrete barrier. Terrifying! October 23, 2019 another couple had this happen in another parking garage downtown Indianapolis and they were killed. Car went over the edge. Must have been on my mind! Have owned this car since 02/23/2022, no problems whatsoever, checked out in September of this 2023, all maintenance up to date. Weather was dry and floor pads were not in way (bringing this up because I was asked this by a friend). Been driving 50+ years and never had a car do this. Hit the front drivers side of the car, air bags did NOT deploy, but the insurance company totaled my car. The Capitol Police happened to be in the garage at the time making rounds and were on the scene in seconds from when it happened. Luckily that morning I decided to park on the upper level of the garage and no one else had their car damaged and nobody was hurt including myself. Just prior to trying to turn into the parking space the car had been traveling uphill to the 5th floor - going very slow. A lot of people walking and other cars around trying to park. Don't know if this has anything to do with it but on Tuesday, December 19th, another employee had the same thing happen in the same garage. Her car was a different make and model and was not damaged hardly at all but her airbags deployed! The only thing in common is same garage and there has been extensive construction going on in the garage for months now. Not trying to get anything out of this but this could have had far more serious consequences if this had happened at one of the half dozen intersections I went through that morning before arriving in the garage. Lucky no one was hurt or killed. Apparently this happens a lot!
The contact’s grandmother owns a 2018 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving up a hill, the vehicle started sputtering, vibrating, and jerking. The sputtering was severe, causing the front driver's side seat belt to be activated. The vehicle was immediately driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 64,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and the "Transmission Malfunction Service Now” message was displayed. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. The contact stated that the RPM's increased rapidly, but the vehicle did not respond. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a persistent failure. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but did not assist. The failure mileage was 74,000.
Since around 20,000 miles, my 2018 Ford Fiesta SE has had a grinding noise after shifting at certain gears. I got the car serviced at that time. Now I'm at 70,000 miles and the noise has persisted, and has gotten worse. My transmission slipped at 0mph when I was accelerating, almost causing me to lose control of my car.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that the backup camera displayed a distorted image. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Fan stopped working out of no where causing car to over heat happened multiple times even after being replaced. Airbag lights say airbag on passenger side is off even when someone is in the seat this happens alot. Back driver side turn signal will not work and everything has been changed and looked at by several mechanics. When driving it sometimes does not want to shift wants to just stay at one rpm and jerk
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while shifting gears after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated before returning to normal operation. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal sometimes had to be depressed multiple times before the vehicle accelerated properly. The vehicle also displayed several electrical shortages. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with a defective canister purge valve. The canister purge valve was replaced and several unknown repairs were performed; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated after refueling the vehicle, the vehicle would stall while at a complete stop. The contact would restart the vehicle and continue to drive. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring increasingly and had worsened. The contact stated that the vehicle would only start after several attempts and would only gain motive power after depressing the accelerator pedal several times. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times where it was diagnosed that the canister purge valve needed to be replaced. The canister purge valve was replaced three times. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000. The VIN was invalid.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 MPH, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The engine failure message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. No further information was available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 37,000.
The component that failed was the clutch pedal assembly. The part is currently still installed in the vehicle. The clutch pedal randomly will stay full depressed, and requires manually reaching and grabbing the pedal to pull it out. The operator being distracted because they cant get the car into the correct gear and have to pull off the road to reset/pull the clutch pedal back into position. The component has not be inspected. There were no warning signs or symptoms before the failure happened.
Showing 20 of 3,158 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact FORD Fiesta
These pages show model-year patterns across 9 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used FORD Fiesta, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The FORD Fiesta has 3,158 complaints on record across 9 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The FORD Fiesta has 23 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 129 of the FORD Fiesta's 3,158 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Poor) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all FORD Fiesta vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two FORD Fiesta vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The FORD Fiesta has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
Compare
Buyers also compare
How does the FORD Fiesta stack up? Compare complaint history with similar vehicles.
Explore
Other FORD models
By state
Check a FORD Fiesta by state
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used FORD Fiesta.
Research more
Keep researching before you buy
Compare brands and categories, then check the exact car's history by VIN.
FORD Fiesta reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the FORD Fiesta reliable?
Poor. The FORD Fiesta has 3,158 NHTSA owner complaints and 23 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is POWER TRAIN. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which FORD Fiesta years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2019 (99 complaints), 2017 (73 complaints), 2018 (35 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common FORD Fiesta problems?
Top reported issues: POWER TRAIN (1,497 complaints); ENGINE (504 complaints); STRUCTURE (409 complaints).
Does the FORD Fiesta have recalls?
Yes — 23 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the FORD Fiesta. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.