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CarComplaints.com Notes: Welcome to North America, Ford Fiesta. Thanks for bringing your herky-jerky transmission, numerous interior quality complaints, and an engine that dies while driving.

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
10 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
13 / 0
Average Mileage:
49,591 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

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.

2011 Ford Fiesta drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2011 Ford Fiesta Owner Comments (Page 13 of 17)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #93

Jul 182014

Fiesta

  • 75,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle suddenly decelerated and failed to accelerate. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

- Grovetown, GA, USA

problem #92

Oct 162010

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 20,599 miles
2011 Ford Fiesta automatic transmission shifts erratically and intermittently whenever upshifting from 1st to 2nd gear. Engine/transmission shakes and sometimes makes clanking noises. Engine also seems to stay engaged to clutch (or whatever transmission mechanism engages engine to drive train) at all times, because sudden hard braking can stop engine. Dealership has tried to fix transmission problem(s) at least three times, and computer firmware 'upgrades' have been downloaded to transmission controller(s) at least twice by dealership. Problems have not been resolved.

- Martinez, CA, USA

problem #91

Oct 032013

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 42,221 miles
I was parked in a friends driveway and the car wouldn't start. The radio and lights and dashboard all worked but when turn the key there was all kinds of clicking noise and flashing lights. Even after the key was removed you could hear all kinds of mechanical noise going on under the hood. The car started after roadside assistance jumped it, so I thought I was good to go. I put the car in reverse and thought I was backing out of the driveway when in all reality I was just coasting because when I got down the incline part and applied the gas pedal the rpms would go up but the car didn't move. I tried to go forward and could not. I could physically shift the car into gear but it would not move, even if I floored the gas pedal it just revved the engine. I had to then call a tow truck and had it towed to the nearest Ford dealership. They were unable to replicate the problem therefore there was no repair made nor did they try to figure it out bc they said it ran to specifications. I am concerned with being stranded traffic and not being able to move and being a sitting duck just waiting to get hit. This has happened on several occasions. Thankfully non have put me in a dangerous situation, but I do not deem this vehicle reliable, I do not deem Ford capable of fixing it and I am extremely frustrated having a car that cant be fixed.

- Highland Twp, MI, USA

problem #90

Mar 032014

Fiesta

  • 8,293 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the vehicle lost acceleration and started jerking violently without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for a diagnostic testing. The contact was unaware of the exact repairs, but was informed that the transmission had been replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 8,293.

- Melbourne, FL, USA

problem #89

Jun 022014

Fiesta

  • 52,000 miles
As the car is being driven the transmission is automatically put into neutral. There is no warning and the car does not continue to go since it is in neutral. We had this "fixed" when it first happened. The dealer reported it needed a new battery and the computer didn't have enough power and put the car in neutral. But, the new battery did not fix the issue. It happened again 3 weeks later as we were driving 70 mph on a highway. Luckily, we were able to steer the car to the shoulder and wait for a tow. We still have no report on what the issue is after 3 days. The first time in the shop after the car sat over night it ran normally the next morning and they could drive it in the garage.

- Concord, CA, USA

problem #88

Jun 192014

Fiesta

  • 104,128 miles
I was driving home at around 55 mph when the car shifted out of drive and into neutral. I was able to pull over on the side of the road. I tried putting the car in park but it would not go, kept going back and forth into different gears. Finally got the car in park and turned the engine off. When I turned engine back on, and tried to put it in gear, made a clicking noise and would not engage into a gear. Finally after about 10 minutes of waiting, car finally clicked into gear. Two days later my wife was driving the car. She was only going about 25 mph when it did the same thing, however she wasn't able to pull over to the side of the road and was almost rear ended with 2 kids in the car. I had to go pick her up. The car was doing the same thing it had to me 2 days prior, however this time it took much longer for a gear to engage. I took the car down to autozone to see if any codes appeared on their computer, but there were none. I had done some research on this transmission and read multiple posts on tranny problems but no recall or fixes. The following day I took it for a drive to see if I could figure out when the problem happens so that I could get it into the shop. The car did the same thing 3 different times within a 10 mile span, each time taking longer to engage in a gear. Finally the check engine light came on and once again I took it to autozone and the code read: P06B8 indicating a PCM problem. I am now currently waiting to get it into the shop to have this fixed, however I feel this is a huge safety factor. My wife and kids could have been seriously injured had they been driving at faster speeds and were not able to pull over. The car literally goes out of gear while you are driving it and all different speeds. Serious safety hazard!!!

- Fallon, NV, USA

problem #87

Jun 042014

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 22,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Albuquerque, NM, USA

problem #86

Jan 012014

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • miles
My 2011 Ford Fiesta transmission has been an issue for awhile now. I have had them reset the system and also replace the clutch. However, my car still has issues the transmission sticks and does not always accelerate when I press on the guess. You can hear and feel the engine stick and shutter. The car is more and more failing to accelerate which has caused to me to almost get into several accidents. The solution I was told by Ford was that there is no true fix and it is just something they can not fix. My car is brand new and still under warranty. That type of answer is not acceptable, especially when I have almost been in several accidents because of my car malfunctioning. I want this issue resolved for good, I am extremely concerned for my safety in my car and fear of getting in an accident or seriously injured due to this issue.

- Aurora, CO, USA

problem #85

Mar 052014

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 63,000 miles
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.

- Alameda, CA, USA

problem #84

Jun 202014

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 106,857 miles
From the beginning it has never shifted right or so I think. I even purchased the extended warranty and when I complained about it the shop said that they couldn't find anything wrong with the car. Well the other day it was making crunching noises shifting gears and it took several hundred rpms to get the car going. Went to parts store in it running like this 10 miles away and when I came back and pulled into driveway it died and hasn't started since.

- Waxahachie, TX, USA

problem #83

Jun 062014

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 44,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Upon accelerating at a light, the transmission disengaged and the motor would no long propel the car forward. The car was in drive and the motor was running, but no power was being distributed to the automatic transmission to engage the wheels. I was left coasting in the middle of a six lane road during rush hour and could not move as the car coasted to a halt. I put the car in park and then the car was stuck in park and the shift lever would not move out of park. I then turned off the car to see if restarting it would do anything, but then the car would not start at all. Now I was in the middle lane, during rush hour, with a car that won't start, and won't come out of park. Because of this I could not even roll the car to a place of safety on the shoulder of the road. I was in the middle lane for one hour narrowly escaping crashing many times until the tow truck finally showed up. The tow truck driver also could not get the car out of park and had to drag it up the tow ramp as the front wheels would not roll.

- North Highlands, CA, USA

problem #82

May 142014

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 71,000 miles
Car did not move could not find the gears had to push it off the road, I was not the first time but this time was in heavy traffic and I almost got rear ended and while pushing out of the way almost got hit. I would not move in any gear. I appears there is a bulletin out for a fix it is a bad ground bold and a defective module. I feel there may be other cars that had the same issue and may have even been accidents that resulted from this. There is nothing scarier then sitting in the middle of the road and not be able to move and getting out of the car to get it out of the way is suicidal.I am grateful to rochester Ford for getting this problem fixed and at no cost.

- Sanford, ME, USA

problem #81

Apr 082014

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 36,500 miles
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.

- Anchorage, AK, USA

problem #80

Apr 282014

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 45,000 miles
Car was stalling out / dying repeatedly in heavy stop and go traffic. The car would lurch forward when I pushed the gas from a dead stop and then would stall out completely. I would have to put the car in park, turn the key to start the car, and then put it in gear to get the car to drive again. If I were in traffic, and then decided to turn left to cross over the other side of the street, my car could have stalled and I could have been hit by oncoming traffic. Very scary to drive a car with this defect. I took it in to get repaired and was told that it was the throttle body. It's not covered under the warranty and right now there is no recall on the vehicle for this part.

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #79

May 192014

Fiesta

  • 72,700 miles
Car felt like it was stalling when I stepped on the gas it would not move waited a few second's and it started to go drove about 100 yards same thing again, came out of it again drove towards home about 3 miles it lost all power transmission could not find the gear looking at dash saw it searching, finally it went into drive, drove another 5 miles and same thing again this time it was shifting on its own from forward to reverse and high low ranges, sat there waiting on it finally went into drive drove it home and. Called rochester Ford dropped it of they said it shifted better then any Fiesta they ever tried wife drove it home and on the way home it did same thing, contemplating next step.

- Sanford, ME, USA

problem #78

May 072014

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 57,999 miles
When going from a stop to a start the car acts as it pops out of gear and shakes, sputters and the rpms rapidly rise...though it is in gear and not going anywhere. This is causing great concern had other traffic been coming...I would have been hit.

- Lake Stevens, WA, USA

problem #77

Jun 152011

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 500 miles
Harsh shifting of transmission, or other transmission shifting complaints/problems. Loss of power on initial take-off from a stop or from low speeds. The feeling of the transmission "slipping". harsh or delayed engagement of transmission "jerking" or "shuddering" upon take-off from a stop. Vehicle rolls backwards when on an incline. Vehicle loses power when on the interstate and you try and accelerate to pass another vehicle.

- Weslaco, TX, USA

problem #76

Jul 172012

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 30,000 miles
I had a 2011 Ford Fiesta, I have been experiencing a jerking/lunging motion when the transmission downshifts from time to time. I have almost been in an accident twice because of this with my 8 year old daughter and girl scouts in the car. I took the vehicle in for service and have informed their service dept. /mechanic of the issue. They assured me that nothing was wrong and the vehicles computer is adjusting to how I drive the car and that is why it is doing this. They replaced the clutch and reprogrammed my car over four times" I have done a little research and found this websites after website with people with other complaints similar to mine. I called Ford Motor Company and filed a formal complaint. It took a week for someone to call be back and I was told the car was fine. I tried to call back, but you only get to the call center and no further. I was refused to be transferred to a manager and was told that was that"S the way the car was designed to drive. I was offered a discount the X plan to trade in my car for another but that would not help. When dealing with the dealership the service manager said I am sorry I can't help you anymore. We get at least 6 calls a day about the same problem but until Ford does something there is nothing we can do. I work with three other women that also have had the same problem with their cars. Two of us had to trade our cars because we felt so un-safe in the cars.

- Saint Cloud, FL, USA

problem #75

Apr 142014

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 45,669 miles
Driving to work stopping at a red light, I saw the engine light come on and the transmission selector display flickering through the gears. On green I tried to go but, even though the car was in drive, it did not go but the engine revved. I waited for the next red, turned the car off and on, put it in drive and it went. It was parked all day. When I started it up again, the engine light was off, thinking it might have only been a glitch. I drove home onto I-295 at 65mph speed and all of sudden it started again, engine light on, transmission selector going through all gears, and I lost power to the wheel. Luckily I coasted to an off ramp, before I was flattened by semitractors. I turned the engine off and on, the engine light went off, and the car drove again. This happened 2 more times before I finally got it to the dealership. Now I am just waiting to hear from them.

- Mickleton, NJ, USA

problem #74

Apr 022014

Fiesta

  • 65,000 miles
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.

- Tallahassee, FL, USA

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