Not All Ford Fiesta Drivers Are Celebrating
Living up to its name, the return of the Ford Fiesta created a great deal of celebration in the automotive industry. A popular car last seen in North America thirty years ago, the Fiesta provides drivers with an extensive list of options, high fuel economy, and a price tag that does not break the bank. And it appears there are quite a few consumers who love their car, as evident by the the four and a half star review on Edmunds.com.
Sadly though, not everyone is enjoying the Fiesta. The National Highway Traffic And Safety Administration has received over 20 consumer complaints so far, with more than 50% of the distressed drivers citing transmission troubles. Those citing the transmission say they have been experiencing shifting, jerking, and lunging forward, as well as loss of power and metallic noises when downshifting.
If your Fiesta has not left you in a celebratory mood, it’s important to look into your State and Federal rights. Often with newly introduced models, there are certain technical glitches that need to be ironed out, but these problems should not be at the drivers’ expense. If you think your Ford Fiesta may be a lemon, fill out our Get Rid of Your Lemon form or give us a call at 1-800 Lemon Law and we will glad to discuss your situation and if/how we can help.
September 14th, 2011 at 9:55 pm
I just leased a new 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. I took the vehicle in for service and have informed their service dept./mechanic of the issue. He 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. I have done a little research and found this website and many other complaints similar to mine. Please enlighten me with some information or advice on what I should do.
September 15th, 2011 at 3:07 pm
Adam: Please call us at 1-800-LEMON LAW.
October 28th, 2011 at 2:43 pm
My Fiesta is a LEMON!
Transmission already replaced once, back several times for faulty shift patterns. failures to start etc. Last time it was some controller for the security. TOOK TEN DAYS to get fixed!
Great mileage if you ever get to drive it! Unbelievable. I dont know why there isnt a class action suit against Ford for this false representation of an automatic transmission. It is a standard transmission that is shifted automatically. It lacks the driveability found ina TRUE automatics that has wet clutches etcs. At low speeds its horrible. Slow accelerations feel horrible and you can hear gear clank and shit fork noise coming from trans. The computer has been “flash upgraded” more than once.
This car has been the worst investment I ever made. Unfortunately when I test drove it before we bought it I was more concerned with hiway performance and never drove at lower speeds to feel these issues. yeah sit in stop and go traffic you will find its issues.
FORD = FIX OR REPAIR DAILY
October 28th, 2011 at 2:44 pm
Sorry meant Shift fork lol
December 9th, 2011 at 8:17 am
Well my Ford Fiesta had less than 1800 miles on it when the transmission started chattering while holding a steady traffic speed of 30 MPH after it warmed up. Now it does it bad between 30 and 55 MPH, still after it is warmed up. It’s fine when it’s cold. Also twice after putting 2900 miles on the car, the transmission would not release when trying to stop at a stop light. It drove me through a red light, TWICE. It was as if I was driving a manual transmission car and forgot to put the clutch in. Scared me to death, but I’m forced to keep driving it. Took it to Kline Motors, a Ford dealership in Winfield KS. They said they worked on it for 2 hours and charged over $172 and did absolutely NOTHING except tell me the transmission needs replaced for $5200. For 2 hours work they did not even up-date the computer that drives the transmission. I bet the mechanic never even touched it. Ford will not cover it because the car was in a very minor fender bender and the title was marked rebuilder, airbags were not even blown. What a cop out. What ticks me off about Kline’s is I told the service manger I re-built the car, which was nothing more than a front bumper cover and AC lines for the most part and all the parts that need replaced were bolt on OEM parts. I asked Kline’s to check the VIN to make sure Ford would cover it, they never checked it but said it would be covered to 36,000 miles and bring it in anyway. If you let Kline work on your car you better get what they are going to do in writing FIRST with the total price tag or they will screw you big time. But why the car was flagged by the insurance company I have no idea, but Ford is sure using it as an excuse not to touch it even though they know they made a very defective transmission.
In any case I got a piece of crap Ford Fiesta that I’m scared to death to drive, but for now I’m stuck with it every day, and every day wondering if it’s going to drive me through another intersection to get hit by someone. If I was Ford I would be scared to death with these cars on the road. This should be a safety issue and the NTSB should force them to make a re-call for safety reasons.
So, does anyone have any ideas on what parts I need to replace to fix this transmission? I sure can’t afford a new one at $5200. That is crazy.
March 6th, 2012 at 6:10 pm
I have just submitted my lemon law complaint to BBB auto line on my 2011 Ford Fiesta. It started out with a severe leak between the transmission and engine which Ford claims was factory lubricant. Since I have had the car back I was almost in an accident when the car proceeded to stall out on me at 25 miles an hour. Sometimes it lunges or jerks forward at the lower speeds. This car is a nightmare and I gave Ford the opportunity to assist me but am now making sure I report anywhere I can the issues I am having so that other consumers dont go through what I am going through.
April 6th, 2012 at 1:48 pm
My 2011 fiesta is currently in the shop for it’s 2nd water pump. This part is on a national back order and we haven’t had it for over 3 weeks. They think it may be months before they get the part. In December it was leaking and it took over a week to get the part – less than 4000 miles later the new water pump went out.
They have replaced both struts and sway bars.
April 9th, 2012 at 4:20 pm
Mary: I e-mailed you the contact information of someone who can help you.
April 22nd, 2012 at 1:20 pm
My 2011 Ford Fiesta started with it’s problems at 13 months/15000 miles. First visit: Made grinding noise/kept running with key out of ignition in my hand, rebuilt my transmission, complained that I didn’t want a car with a rebuilt transmission, to no avail. Second visit: grinding in reverse, supposedly all they did was reinstall transmission software. Third visit: strange shifting, almost hesitating to choose what gear it wants to go into, more “tweeks” to software. Fourth visit: Pulled out into an intersection and the car stopped for a few seconds and then the tac flew up went into gear, answer “hey lady, this is the way it’s going to drive now, live with it” Fifth visit: wouldn’t start, “defective starter” I do not want this car any longer, the erratic shifting and hesitating scare me, and the letting me sit twice now make the “NEW” car I purchased unreliable. Ford Regional Customer Service “you will have your car back next week, and all issues have been repaired” … If the foundation of your one year house starts to collapse and they throw 2×4’s in to hold it up … is it fixed? All this is part of the vehicle’s VIN number now, so who would want this car?? Not me, I want all my money back, so I can buy a different small car.
April 23rd, 2012 at 3:54 pm
@ Robin: You have a potential claim under Federal Law. We will be contacting you shortly.
May 4th, 2012 at 7:58 am
Just bought a 2012 Ford Fiesta. Only had it 4 days and it’s jerking all around. I can barely drive up hills!! I’VE ONLY HAD IT 4 DAYS!
May 8th, 2012 at 4:46 pm
@Amanda: Get the Fiesta into the shop and make sure when the car is finished, you get a repair invoice when picking up the car.
May 21st, 2012 at 9:31 pm
2012 fiesta, first transmission rebuild – approx 300 miles. 7400 miles its going back with the same problem again…. 3rd time will be a charm and if it happens will be following up on lemon law….we are in texas, very disappointed in this car i bought and paid cash for so my daughter would have a new dependable car…..
May 26th, 2012 at 7:17 pm
2012 Fiesta was in the shop for over 3 weeks. Ford dealer couldn’t get the transmission fixed and finally replaced the tranny completely. This was after having the faulty clutch and clutch sensor replaced. Ford informed me that there was nothing they would do other than continue to fix it when it breaks.
May 30th, 2012 at 12:44 pm
Jonathan: Not sure what state you are from, but you may have a viable claim. Give us a call at 1 800 LEMON LAW.
June 4th, 2012 at 11:47 am
I leased a 2011 Ford Fiesta and I thought I was the only one experienceing this problem about the “jerking and lunging motions…I was in almost 3 accidents as I didn’t have the power to go faster. I took it to the Ford delership where I leased the car and they said, “it does that as it is a 4 cylinder and feels like you have a clutch so it’s gonig to perform like a manual stick shift”…COMMON!!! I not stupid, and the service was horrible, unprofessional, and liers to add to it. Everything on paper work said, “it’s fine” when I caught them lying as one of my winshield wipers was broken, and they didn’t replace it…but the paper work said everything was “fine”. So I made a stink about it and their response was, “sorry i got confused with other Fiesta’s” …I was the only car their as my appt was at 8am!!!!. I don’t know what to do, I dont’ want this car anymore and am seriously worried when I drive it as I am scared because it already almost caused me 3 accidents. What should I do?
June 5th, 2012 at 11:54 am
Omar: Where are you from? Give us a call at 800-LEMON LAW and we will see if we can help.
June 12th, 2012 at 7:55 pm
Bought a 2011 Ford Fiesta in April of 2011 in Vista, Ca. The night we bought it, the check engine light came on. I was told it was normal. Few weeks later, the light came on again. The manager told me it was user error since the gas cap wasn’t tightened, the Fiesta does NOT have a gas cap. Breaks started screeching at every light, dealer told me they were fine. Took it in again less than 1000 miles later and was told the brakes needed to be replaced ASAP. Transmission started having issues. I drive 30+ miles one way with my 3 month old in the car. At lights, the car stops and jumps backwards and forwards jerking both my son and myself. My husband told me he was afraid to drive it since changing lanes on the fast freeways in CA is suicidal. He changes lanes, and then is stuck at 50mph for a good minute before he begins to accelerate. Ford told me the transmission just needs a reboot. Took it and they told me if it occurred again, they would need to replace the clutch. I asked if it was a common problem with the Fiesta, and they said it is and that Ford has noted it but as of yet have not come up with a way to fix the problem. Three weeks later, I am in my third rental car since March for the same issues. I was told when I dropped it off they would be replacing the clutch, and to not expect my car back for atleast a week (fine with me since they are paying the rental car expenses). Today, they call me and tell me the system does not need to be updated and the car is fine. He said the issues I’ve reported are normal characteristics of the vehicle, and they have not come out with a way to fix them. They just did a complete stereo replacement, since I paid a lot of money to have it and yet can never use it. I make a phone call, I hear nothing. Half of the buttons don’t work, so if I need to make a call, I have to use my cell phone. This is also the second time the SYNC system has been fixed. I have already sued a dealership over lemon law roughly 2 years ago. Am I back to having no option left again?
June 17th, 2012 at 9:06 am
Why in god’s name is there not a class action lawsuit on ford? I bought a brand new ford fiesta and the day i drove this car off the lot it was jerking and would not accelerate and i was AFRAID to take in on the highway.. i brought it back to the dealership and was told oh there’s nothing wrong with the car.. They did not even have the decentcy at the time to tell me that it had to do with the car getting used to my driving.. i found that out months later on reviews of the fiesta.. this is the WORST car i have ever driven.. i cant accelerate on the highway and it’s going to get my husband or me killed one of these days.. why is there NOT A lawsuit??? i was trying to actually get rid of the car so my husband could get an suv, but we have negative equity on the car since it’s still being paid for, ford will give us like 6000 dollars less than the kelly blue book value, so both my husband and i have to drive this useless car that will get us killed one of these days.
June 18th, 2012 at 4:22 pm
Kim: If your repair invoices illustrate that you have been back repeatedly for this problem, you may want to look into hiring an attorney. Under State Lemon Laws, there should be no cost. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html for more info.
August 1st, 2012 at 6:11 pm
I just bought a brand new 2012 Ford Fiesta sedan , after two days and 200 miles on it , the transmission burned up stranding me in the middle of the road, had to be towed 40 miles back to dealership, I gave them the keys, told them to keep the piece of junk, I am not going through all this crap and then the lemon law hassle .
August 2nd, 2012 at 4:13 pm
I am not sure that is the way to go Shawn. I am hoping the dealer will not consider it a voluntary repossession which could ruin your credit. Call Ford immediately–you really cannot take the law in your own hands.
August 3rd, 2012 at 8:51 am
2011 Ford Fiesta:
Purchased my car in July 2011 brand new. Have had my vehicle in several times for not only transmission concerns but also my windows. My passenger and drivers side window seal were replaced multiple times. The windows were getting stuck half way up. When I purchased the vehicle, I began experiencing transmission concerns. Took it to the dealer I purchased it with, they told me it was a common occurance with a 6 speed auto & dual clutch. I accepted that for a short while. I then took it to another ford dealer with the same concerns. This past June, they replaced the clutch. The vehicle was in the shop 2 days. They wanted to keep it longer, but due to my wedding they expedited the repair. Not even a month later my car was back in the shop regarding the same concern. Once again, they replaced the clutch. This time they had the vehicle for 4 days. My concern is this, yes the repair is covered for 12months/12,000 but I drive 65 miles a day. Im going to reach that mark sooner then most. I looked in to purchasing an extended warranty through Ford but that repair is not covered. I am starting to feel a few of the same concerns again. Where do I stand on a lemon law for Florida?
August 8th, 2012 at 3:50 pm
Please call Krohn and Moss at 800-US-LEMON.
August 22nd, 2012 at 9:00 pm
I bought my 2011 fiesta SE hatch in april 2011 and luckily only have had a few problems. When I 1st got it I always smelt like the clutches were burning from in side the car.My brakes like to squeel in the rear when i 1st use the car then it goes away. Also the clock keeps loosing minutes after a few days. I have gotten used to the no power off the line so you have to prepare yourself for that.I have over 29,000 miles on it now and the burning smell went away. I hope I dont get the issues that these other people have been having.
August 29th, 2012 at 10:25 am
Im so PISSED!!!!! Not at Ford but with myself. Had I had of done my “homework” on this car I would have NEVER bought it! Just reached 83 miles and it makes loud noises at stops and on an incline. And the jerking is horrible!!! Worst car ever!!! If this car wasnt in my husbands name I would drop it off and say to hell with my already bad credit. I have a feeling I will be back in the sevice center at Ford very soon! Ive always drivin Ford and have had nice things to say about ford and all I can say now is SHAME ON FORD for their continuance in selling this piece of shit car!
August 29th, 2012 at 6:36 pm
I bought a new Ford Fiesta 2012 in April 6, 2012 in a Tampa Ford dealer.
I move to Augusta, Georgia and took the car to a Ford dealer in Augusta, due to the transmission grinding up hill, coming to a stop and when taking off. They told is was OK.
Went to a second Ford dealer in rightsboro Road and changed the transmission completely.
The symtpoms persists, in addition to continue jerking and lunging. I took the car to the second dealer twicw only to tell me that the transmission is OK. In addition I took it to a Ford dealer in Waynesboro, Ga. and confirmed me the symptoms, but that the transmission is OK.
They have told me that it is a computerized automatic transmission that behaves like a standard shift.
My concern is that thr seller did not tell me this when buying the car in adition to what effect this might have in the transmission further down the road; lets say in 2-3 years.
I will be in Tampa this weekend.
Any questions, feel free to call me at: (787) 225-6367 or e mail me at: antomart57@gmail.com
Respectfuuly requesting guidance concerning this issue.
Thank you for your attention on this matter,
Antonio Martinez
September 5th, 2012 at 11:28 am
Please contact an attorney in your state https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html
September 13th, 2012 at 1:08 am
I am so ashamed of myself for not doing my homework and letting my husband buy this car 🙁 We bought it with 23,000 miles on it, and due to having to drive to daycare/work that put a lot of miles on it and now I am at 33,777 miles having driven to California from Washington. The car was fine, I did notice that it was jerky/noisy but I didn’t know – I hadn’t driven a small car in 4 years and I had an ’07 F150 with dual exhaust so was used to the noise. Since it rained so much in Washington, I never thought to check the windows until being here in California, I use the windows a lot – the drivers window is horrible! It gets stuck going halfway up and I have to literally pull over, put the car in park, and play with it for up to TEN MINUTES before I can get it to roll up again. NOW the transmission is slipping – BAD. You can hear the gears shifting loudly, and when I put it in park it makes a loud CLICK or creaking noise sometimes. The RPMs will rev up by my car goes nowhere. I HATE coming to red lights now because it takes my car forever just to go, then I have to fight with it to get to 40 and all the other cars are just going around me! And also, my brakes are already going bad. They are extremely loud sometimes. We have owned this car for less than 6 months!! I wish I could march into Ford and tell them to give me my money back!! I have an appointment on Monday to look at these issues, they better not tell me the bullshit excuses I have been reading on here! I miss my truck 🙁
September 13th, 2012 at 6:15 pm
I hate my fiesta, have problems constantly and ford says its normal, one day i’m going to die in this car from the transmission problems they say “is normal”.
September 19th, 2012 at 12:20 pm
Dawn: Have you considered taking the car to another dealer?
September 28th, 2012 at 9:03 am
Bought a 2011 Ford Fiesta SES Jan 2011 in NJ and was excited about the purchase. First 5000miles I thought I was hearing a metalic rattle. I finally pinned it down to when the car warms up and I am doing a steady 20-45mph the transmission was making a metalic rattle. I went to the ford dealership multiple times and they claimed they couldn’t hear anything. After the third time I made sure to drive with the service manager to make him understand that the noise is not in my head. He heard it and took it back in. Few days later I was told the transmission was getting replaced. I moved down to GA and now have 30,000miles on it. I was hearing a metalic growl now when shifting at low speeds. Brought it in for oil change and the dealer said they couldn’t hear a noise but did find a seal on the transmission was leaking and the trans fluid was low. That was fixed, now 32,000 miles and I am now getting a whirling sound from the transmission when I accelerate and it bucks back and forth from time to time. The metalic sound is still there when it is shifting at low speeds. I have scheduled for the dealer to look at it next week. Am I going to expect to deal with transmission issues every year?
October 9th, 2012 at 5:51 am
I bought a 2011 ford fiesta new in april 2011. It now has 140,000 miles on it. I love the car. Great gas mileage. I have noticed the jerking and sometimes the car will stall out but the dealership can not figure it out and only did it a few times. Over all I think it is a great car, Drive it everyday.
October 10th, 2012 at 11:21 am
Craig: We look forward to helping you.
October 15th, 2012 at 5:06 pm
My 2012 Ford Fiesta that i have owned for just over 11 months has had the transmission rebuilt twice and it is going out again. My dealer is refusing to service it as they state there is nothing wrong with it and will not take it back in for service. Called ford customer relations and they state the dealer has good documentation that there is nothing wrong. I asked if she could clearly see the prior two rebuilds of the transmission….. no results. I am trying to take to another dealer again this week. It is an internal leak that causes a part to go out, a different excuse each time as to why it happened. Now they just refuse to deal with me. I have requested the BBB lemon law paper work, is there any other alternatives for me on this. Unfortunately I paid cash for the car or I might jsut consider letting it go back….. Sad day when a dealer you have been loyal to and purchased 4 other cars through will not honor their own warranty and see your vehicle….
October 16th, 2012 at 1:36 pm
Tiffany Please fill out our Get Rid of Your Lemon form at https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html so we can assess the situation and how we can help.
November 21st, 2012 at 10:28 am
I was reading all of the complaints today and was laughing about all of these because I am having the same problems and I have a 5 speed. since the first day i bought the 2011 fiesta my breaks squeaked; the assured me it was the metallic brake that was wearing off. A few days after buying the car the check engine light came on, they assured me it was a leak by my gas cap(which there is no gas cap) but to wipe the area clean and it should go away sure enough it worked… or did it.. the breaks squeaked all the way to 16,000 miles where I began having trouble with the clutch, Ford assured me there was nothing wrong after trying to find the problem for two weeks. I physically had to drive the car with my father and the mechanic to show the mechanic the problem it was having. he heard it immideately and said he felt it was the throw out bearing. the service manager who never heard the noise said it sounded like i wore down the clutch pad cause “you new drivers never know how to drive stick shift”. They replaced my pressure plate and throw out bearing and the mechanic said my clutch pad looked brand new. They also replaced my tumbler lock, power door lock button, window regulator all the same three weeks they had the car.
five days later i left work during the summer and stepped in to my car and found my floor of my car was completely soaked. They replaced the water seals along my base board and said my compressor leaked in to my vehicle some how. Oh and at 19,000 miles I had to pay 320 Dollars to get my brakes changed because they said they were squeaking because they needed to be replaced. huh?! Now for the past three months striaght my car is shutting off while driving, wont start, stalls out and the engine makes a loud flutter noise when I drive at certain speeds. The car has been in the shop since the first days of september in the last 100 days I have driven it 20. It ha been in the shop, and everytime I get it back they say nothing was wrong with it. I had to take videos on my phone and get many witnesses to prove to them there was a problem when i showed them the videos they had never seen or heard anything like this before. now november 21 i just picked up my car and on the way home it shut off twice. ahhh!!! worst car ever I am paying for a vehicle that they wont fix and that wont run right.. coorperate is barely helping. Never buy this car this is the worst product and customer service ever
November 21st, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Nicholas: I think you should look into your rights. Fill out our Get Rid of Your Lemon form at https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html and we will see how we can help.
December 7th, 2012 at 5:16 pm
I purchased 2011 Ford Fiesta in March 2011. By 10,000 miles I was having transmission trouble. Standard trans would not go into some gears or would jump out of gear while moving. The dealership treated me like a stupid female that didn’t know what she was talking about. Told me I wasn’t engaging the clucth all the way. At 14,000 they replaced parts ??? At 16,000 they said they replaced entire transmission. Sure they did. With 20,000 it was still doing it’s thing. I tried for 3 months I called trying to get it back in for service. They wouldn’t even return my calls. I contacted my state attorney general’s office and started the lemon law procedures for Arkansas. They put me in contact with BBB Auto Line. Three days before going to arbitration the car died in the middle of the road. It is now in the hands of the of Crain Ford of Jacksonville, AR where it can stay. But now Ford only wants to give me a few hundred dollars from the interest that I paid on the loan. I believe they owe me the sales tax/registration fees, down payment, and interest by law. But what about the payments, the insurance, maintenance I paid on their crap. If they would have taken carry of this months ago I wouldn’t be at the place I’m at now. Please help or is there any help at this stage?
December 15th, 2012 at 8:46 pm
My mom got a 2011 Ford Fiesta and she hasnt had it long but after 5 days of driving the vehicle it started jerking/lunging forward… and makes this clicking noise. and Now it’s smoking. So what should she do? I don’t think a car that’s so new & only has like 18,000 miles should be messing up
December 17th, 2012 at 4:01 pm
Ashley: If she is back to the shop repeatedly, please have her call us at 1 800 LEMON LAW to discuss her rights.
December 17th, 2012 at 4:04 pm
Ms. Martin You should contact a lemon law lawyer in your state.
December 29th, 2012 at 7:43 pm
I live in Northern Illinois and purchased a 2011 Ford Fiesta SES in May 2011. I have experienced jerking/lunging problems, and noticed that the transmission shifted gears earlier than normal. In addition, when the car was stopped, the car randomly hesitated when stepping on the accelerator. Now it is December 2012 and the car has 32,000 miles. I have been experiencing problems when starting the car. I would hear clicks, but it did turn over. I took it to the dealership and they did not find anything wrong with it. A week later, there was a terrible grinding noise in addition to the clicks. I scheduled an appointment with a garage service repair instead. Upon leaving for the appointment, my car started fine, but it would not go forward; only backward. So I called the dealership. They paid for the towing and fixed it under warranty. When I started the car at the dealership it worked very well. The transmission shifted gears at the right times and it ran very smoothly. I could hardly hear the engine now. The dealership installed two software upgrades. I had always taken my car to the dealership for oil changes. In otherwords, they probably knew that the software was outdated. (I know, I know. You don’t need to explain.) Researching online, I am astonished to find several people experiencing the same problem. Well, needless to say, I no longer own the car, or a Ford.
January 3rd, 2013 at 9:55 am
Wow never knew how many others have the same exact description/ issue as we have with our 2011 ford fiesta. We are afraid to drive the car. We left the car from feb 09 until march 05 2012 at the dealer for repair. When we were tokd it was ready for pick up we went in. As we drove out of the service bay ovrr a speed bump, the car clunked. We called the rep to look. He says a bolt fell out when you drive over the speed bump too fast… After the last 2 attempts to give the dealer and ford to fix the problem we have let the car just sit parked and bought a used honda civic so my wife could get to work. We didn’t know what else to do. We spoke with our state attorneys office. They told us we had to file a complaint with the BBB. Today is our arbritration. Fords last comments were the car is working to technical specifications. My wife stopped at a turning light. When it was green she tried to go the car stopped suddenly, the car behind her almost smacks into her honking. Then the car lunges forward suddenly almost hitting the car in front. When she was finally able to get going, she made it to work. (Im litterally shaking as i type this) At work she tried to show her manager the problem she had and reason for being late. When she tried to start the car, it wouldnt. Later that evening after work I had to go pick her up. Tried to diagnose what the issue was. Sync kept saying to put the car in P for park. But it was.. We had to call a tow truck to get it home. This was a week after fords engineer at the final attempt to repair.. We went through six months 5 times plus to the dealer for service previously, which included a transmission software update. Key reprogram, driver seat lowering itself, check engine, catalytic problem and replace rack and pinion streering only after two months of purchase.. We are tired..
January 3rd, 2013 at 3:06 pm
@German: It is time to look into your rights. Click on https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html
January 16th, 2013 at 8:26 am
I purchased mine brand new back in 2011 and after about 5000 miles I started experiencing these issues. When I took it in for service the dealer told me it was learning my driving habits but they “re-flashed” the transmission and the problem went away. From what they said, if someone else has driven your Fiesta it will try to adapt to whatever their driving style is and will have to adjust back when you (the owner) start driving it again. I haven’t had a problem since, but I do experience some shuddering every now and then when I’m in stop and go traffic.
January 22nd, 2013 at 3:11 pm
Oh no..I have he same problems. Jerky,clanky, rumbles on take-off. Only a year old. I took to Ford and told them I wanted to ride with someone to show them(after they denied hearing it the first time). I told them I’m not a technician but that is not how a car runs. I said I was worried (as is my dad who works on cars) about becoming out of the warranty and he said I have a 5 year on it the transmission but that the sound is normal and they have been getting the issue a lot. “oh that’s great, so when can we get it fixed then?”
February 4th, 2013 at 10:25 am
Do you have a similar company like this in Canada? My 2011 Ford Fiesta has 65,000kms and has had 2 clutches replaced in the transmission at 54,000kms and was just in to have the transmission module replaced. I rely on my car for my job and have almost gotten into an accident twice due to these problems; almost leaving me stranded on the side of the highway.
Thank you for any help you may be able to provide!
February 5th, 2013 at 3:33 pm
Nicole: This may help https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/icgc.nsf/eng/home
February 18th, 2013 at 12:14 am
Ive had my 2013 fiesta for literally 6 days… 3 days ago me and my boyfried started to notice a griding noise coming when we stop and start, and since day 1 it doesnt pick up speed on the free way, and its terrifying, i dont even know what to do, its not even a week old yet
February 18th, 2013 at 12:58 am
Leased my SES in April of 11′. Had to have the transmission replaced within the first month…experienced the clinking and jerking. Usually when I am turning the car almost seems like it’s going to die then it picks back up and lunges forward. This past December, went to start it and it would not turn over…radio, lights, etc still working. Said all they did was replace some sensor. About two weeks ago, I get it started but it was making a chugging noise so I let it warm up a bit. Get out on the road and the radio, speedometer, lights, blinkers, etc completely stop working. Pull over and turn it off, try to start it again and the windshield wipers start running on their own then it dies. Had it towed to the dealership and they replaced the ignition coil. Today for the third time, it will not turn over. I got an error message about the power steering failing and that the hill assisted start is not available. I got this car from a dealership in South Dakota but I go to school in North Dakota so I’m not sure which states laws would apply to my case. I have been looking into the Magnuson-Moss Act as well as the lemon law.
March 13th, 2013 at 9:05 pm
bought 2012 ford fiesta last december, few days of driving squeeling noise was heard during reverse, and recently during shifting to 2nd gear , engine revs up at 2000rpm and got stucked to it , running at 20kph, worried about transmission problems ( gearbox, etc)
March 14th, 2013 at 7:36 am
I have a 2013 Ford Fiesta, i have had it about 1 month now, when i got to about 700 miles I noticed grinding and pulling. Also, when i backed out of my drive way it stalled i called the dealership and was told to come it that that is not sounding right. the salemen brought me back toservice and we did a ride along. The guy doing the test drive to me i had to drive it like a stick. umm ok? and that if i drive it a little harder i would not have a problem. Fine what ever you are the one that knows about cars not me. so i tried. I called back next week and was told that “that is how the fiesta sound and there is nothing they can do about it” I was pissed i went down again did another ride along and then was told that all they could do for me was an update. just went in on tuesday had the update done and got my rental car. After the update was done i picked it up and it sound like shit. Just called the dealership and told them i was done i hate the car i want to look into something else. if something is not done soon i am going to be pissed. i have owned 7 fords now and this could be my last one that I will ever buy. Hello Chevy!
March 17th, 2013 at 12:15 am
We are really disapointed in our new 2013 Ford Fiesta. After the recall on the airbag we thought this is just one thing but now we are having problems with it flashing a wrench and saying engine malfunction. Left it with the dealership for three days and they said it was the throttle box and fixed it…well just a little over 24 hours later and it is happening again. Car starts to shake looses power and I have to pull over. I would never suggest anyone purchase one of these lemons!
March 19th, 2013 at 11:24 am
Brenda: Please keep our 1 800 LEMON LAW number handy. It seems you may need it.
March 19th, 2013 at 11:29 am
Nicole: Before you lose thousands in a trade, I would suggest looking into your lemon law rights. Give us a call at 800-LEMON-LAW if you have any questions.
March 19th, 2013 at 11:35 am
got a 2011 fiesta love the car except the traction control. I have a steep driveway and need a running start in the snow. I get almost to the top and the car shuts down because the tires spin a little. I almost totaled the car twice sliding down the hill backwards into a ditch. Why didnt they put a switch to turn off the traction control like other ford products. This is the stupidest thing ever. Some how i will bypass the stupid switch.
March 23rd, 2013 at 7:00 am
just bought a 2013 feiesta hatchback. at 1200 miles the trans started acting up. when shifting into 3rd gear it hesitates and rumbles so hard that the whole car rattles. this is between 15 and 25 MPH. it has been in twice for service and it still doesn’t work. It wants to refuse to shift down and pushes me into traffic at times. they said it was a ground strap problem. when that didn’t work they replaced the slow speed shift motor. still doesn’t work. I am retired now and bought this from hard earned savings. what can I do to get restitution ???
March 28th, 2013 at 1:57 pm
@John: Once you have three repair invoices for the same problem, look into your Lemon Law rights. Find a lawyer by clicking here: https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html
March 31st, 2013 at 5:39 am
i have a brand new 2013 ford fiesta
I’ve been reading these comments and i’m not thrilled to say the least.i know if i searched the internet it would be easy to find forums like this regarding every make and model of every car manufactured.so i don’t believe that the fiesta is necessarily a cursed series or that ford is a rip off.but on the other hand i too have been hearing weird noises which i didn’t expect to be hearing in less than month of driving my new car.i live in a small town of 14,000 and i only drive around the local area.i hardly drive 20 miles per week.the noises>>an off and on crunching sound while driving slowly like through a parking lot.i’d almost swear it’s coming from the tires,but i don’t see how that could be.the sound seems to be coming from the bottom of the car,not the engine.also,you know how the the brakes begin to feel when they begin to wear out.that ‘feeling’ before they actually begin to squeal.that ‘dragging’ feeling. also the transmission is making a high pitched whirring sound that I’ve not noticed before.i’m taking the car to the dealership to have them look it over.being on lease,i assume i’m not paying for anything that they find is wrong and like i said,i’ve only been driving it a month.i hope i don’t have continuos problems as so many posters here seem to be going through.i have enough problems and i don’t need this added on top of them.
April 4th, 2013 at 6:04 pm
I own two 2012 fiestas and I can tell you how to teach shift points, clutch spacing, stop jerking, stalling, and prolonged chattering while driving steady (non load throttle). What is sad is that ford can not.
But if you do these things, you will notice a night and day difference. Your car will feel smooth and fast. And I mean fast! Ear to ear smile. My friends are blown away how quick it is.
I will tackle each topic in seperate posts.
P.S. I bolive if all of the makes and models with these manual assists, which are multiplying,
Are all misleading the buyer, weather you like the the tranny or not. They are all having exact same complaints.
April 11th, 2013 at 10:22 pm
I recently bought a 2013 Ford Fiesta; within 4 days I started hearing noises from the right side. We took it to the dealership where we bought it and explained what we were hearing to the service department. The service man drove it, came back and parked and we were handed a print out stating that the noise we were hearing was related to the timing; however, no repair could be made as they were still waiting for Ford to come up with a fix for it. We were never even given a work order to prove we brought the car in. It seems that with each day we drive the car, something else happens. A few days after the first noise began, a second noise started coming from the left when the car was driven starting at about 32mph and the faster you go the less you hear it because of road noise but still there … transmission area this time. We took it back and was told the noise was normal as it was just the gears rolling over top of each other and needed to be broke in … between 3000 and 5000 miles. It still happens. We took it again to the shop but this time to another Ford dealership’s service department; by this time, not only were we hearing this noise, but the car had actually stopped moving forward on a hill in traffic and would not move again until it reached well over 2000 rpms and then suddenly released and leaped forward almost hitting the car in front of me (I had also had a similar incident on the interstate involving the cruise control); again we were told it was gears rolling over top of each other and it was normal for that type of transmission “drive it like a standard”. To this I replied, I have driven a standard before and a “standard” doesn’t make noises when gears roll over top of each other and they don’t stop and not move again and suddenly leap forward after having to force the rpms (sure you can pop the clutch in a standard and lurch but come one give me a break … I’m not stupid … don’t try to feed me bull). How do you drive a so called automatic like a “standard” … there is no clutch. It’s all computerized, it’s supposed to work it’s own electronic clutch and do it correctly. We ended up taking it back recently to the original dealer and spoke to the salesman (on a Saturday). I told him the car was dangerous as I had been nearly rear-ended and broadsided several different times because it decided to stop and not move until the urge hit it. I told him that I was honestly afraid to drive it. My husband has had the same things happen to him and feels the same way. We told the salesman we wanted to trade for something else; he would not do that, but instead said that he would have the service department drive it for a few days at the beginning of the week; we took it back on Tuesday expecting to leave it as we were told, but instead a service man drove it and we rode along; as we drove I explained some of the issues we were having; he experienced some of those issues himself, but did not say anything; when we returned to the shop we were told that everything was normal for now as far as Ford was concerned until they get a fix for it. I was handed a another printout; this time the printout told of all the issues we have already experienced as well as others that we may experience; needless to say the car was not kept. During all of these visits, we were never given a work order or anything to prove that we had the car to the shop (other than those printouts); however, by this visit, I had already done some research and found out these problems had been going on since at least 2010 with no fix. The salesman knew these problems existed but did not tell us at the time of sale. If I knew, it would still be in the show room. I would have bought a different car. I again talked to the salesman and expressed my unhappiness and fears with the vehicle. I told him that I was afraid to drive it because it may stop in the road again while I had my son or baby nephew in the car and they may get hurt or killed; he told me if it stopped in the road again just to leave it there and call the toll free road side assistance and have it towed in. I left angry and unhappy. I feel like we were ripped off.
April 17th, 2013 at 11:51 am
I bought a 2013 Ford Fiesta in October of 2012 and I have 13000 miles on it and today 4-17-13 is the 3rd time I’ve dropped the car off at the dealer ship to have the transmission worked on. The First time the dealership rebuilt the transmission, the 2nd time they said they couldn’t find anything and I am waiting to hear from the shop to see what they say today. My transmission has a grinding sound, when I push the accelerator it sometimes doesn’t engage and drive forward until I let my foot off and then repress the accelerator. When sitting in rush hour traffic it will lunge forward. I am not happy with the time I’ve spent or having to do this many trips to the dealership to have a brand new car fixed. They need to do something about this. How can this many people be unhappy and nobody does anything to make Ford recall their transmissions?
April 18th, 2013 at 10:52 am
@Kim: Please look into your rights under the Lemon law. You can find an attorney in your state by clicking here: https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html
April 20th, 2013 at 6:38 pm
Purchased a 2012 Fiesta SE in August 2012. First day needed a new radio. Now at $11k miles, my car is at the dealership needing a new transmission, computer and dual clutch system. Ford is being negligent in not issuing a recall. The question is, what’s next? What will land my car in the shop after this? It is ridiculous. Currently shopping for a new car and not a Ford. Very disappointing when you put your trust is a company like Ford and get let down so quickly.
April 23rd, 2013 at 12:33 am
Purchased a 2013 Fiesta SE 3 weeks ago and have noticed the lunging forward issue twice. Also have noticed a sort of burning smell a few times. I realize that my issues aren’t huge yet but I can already see what I am in for and my anxiety is about to shoot through the roof just anticipating these situations ahead. This is my first brand new car and I’m terrified already.
April 23rd, 2013 at 10:47 am
I was somewhat encouraged, but at the same time, depressed to find this site. I also have a new Ford Fiesta with what I consider to be a failing transmission. It’s in the shop for the third time today. This is my wife’s car, and it’s now been in the shop more times in the first two years than my 10 year old VW has. Maybe we’ll get another software update? I don’t need to describe my transmission problems as they’re repeated in exact detail in all the earlier comments. It’s unbelievable the amount of time we’ve already spent dealing with this. This is the first new car we’v’e ever had. It feels good to simply commiserate. It doesn’t sound like the issue has been adequately fixed for anyone, so I see nothing but wasted time in my future trying to get Ford to make it right somehow. Maybe we can trade this in? I wouldn’t feel right selling it. I would take a Toyota with 60K miles on it, and call it a more than a fair trade for a brand new car with a transmission that feels like you’re driving with a 12 year old trying to learn how to operate a manual transmission. I don’t have much more time to burn dealing with this.
April 25th, 2013 at 11:41 am
@Bryan: You certainly should look into your Lemon Law rights. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/state-lemon-laws/ to find information on the Lemon Law in your state.
April 26th, 2013 at 12:30 pm
I am not surprised seeing this. I bought my 2011 Ford Fiesta in July of 2011. I have 33,000 miles on the car and it has already had the transmission replaced. I am not hearing the same noise and having the jerking issue I had in the beginning. So done with ford!
April 28th, 2013 at 6:51 pm
I bought a automatic 2013 fiesta se a month ago… and a week after having it was lunging forward when i would accelerate from a stand still. And the transmission was making a clunking sound when droppjng gears.. i went by ford for them to tell me it was normal and would stop soon. A week later… the engine light came on. They did a software update. The lunging is better but the clunking noise is worse. I am very concerned. This car will definatly be traded before the warrnanty gos up. Ford WILL get this piece of sh*t they call a car back. Im pissed. I finnaly buy my first car all on my own and i get ripped off? Never will i buy a ford again.TO PEOPLE WANTING TO BUY A CAR, DO NOT BUY A FIESTA. OR EVEN A FORD.
May 5th, 2013 at 8:55 am
I have had my fiesta since September of 2010, since March 7th, 2013 My car has broke down on me five times. The car was in the shop for the whole month of April except for three days. Two of those days i had just gotten my car back out of the shop and it broke down shortly after each time i picked it up for the same problem. The dealership is telling me that they can’t do anything for me since it doesn’t fall under the lemon law for the state of Georgia. I had to pay $107 for a throttle bottle that the service manager said was a misdiagnosis and they won’t give me a refund. They said the problem this time with my car is the welds in the flywheel were broken and were hitting the cam sensor causing my car to loose all power. They said this was the problem all along. But in my repair documents it says that they checked the welds the second time my car was in the shop and that they were fine at the time. What can i do, they are really taking advantage of me.
May 7th, 2013 at 3:27 pm
@ Andra: I think you need to look into your rights. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a lawyer in your state.
May 7th, 2013 at 3:59 pm
my 2013 fiesta has been in the shop 4 times with no luck at fixing it. I was just notified by the dealer that Ford Motor did a bench check on this trans design and found that there is an internal opil leak that saturates the DRY CLUTCH PLATE. They said they will replace it under warranty and the part will be shipped in the next 6 weeks. we shall see. my dealer now has 6 fiesta cars with problems.
May 8th, 2013 at 11:35 am
Why hasn’t there been a recall or a class action suit brought on Ford for their faulty product?
May 8th, 2013 at 11:59 am
@Kim: We have found individual claims have been much more helpful to the consumer in getting larger remedy (possibly new car or repurchase). These remedies would not be available through class action.
May 8th, 2013 at 12:01 pm
What does it take for us consumers to do to get a recall activated on the Ford Transmissions?
May 8th, 2013 at 2:24 pm
@Kim: You need to file a complaint with the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. But, don’t prevent that from filing an individual lemon law claim as well if you qualify.You can visit https://www.lemonlaw.com for more information about your lemon law rights.
May 18th, 2013 at 3:33 pm
Thank you all. I thought I was crazy . I bought a 2013 Ford Fiesta SE automatic in March and I have experienced jerking back and forth. I was pulling into my complex but it seemed like it did not have power . I have 2150 miles on it. I am going to take the car in on Monday. I thought I did my research. On Edmunds they rate this a good car for afordability. I paid cash for this new car. I now feel like a sucker. This is my first new car. I had a 1992 Nissan Sentra that had 203,000 miles on it and it never jerked or failed me like this and I got it with 92,000 miles on it. I am pissed.
May 20th, 2013 at 11:36 am
I have a 2011 Ford Fiesta and I’ve experienced a lot of the jerking and lunging described in all of these people’s stories. I’ve never given a second thought to it, because I’m 20 and this is my first car. My dad bought it for me as a graduation present and it’s been jerking since day one. A week ago, my battery died twice and ever since it hasn’t wanted to start. I jumped it off today to run some errands in town and we get to the end of my drive way and the check engine light comes on and it’s jerking all over the place and it even stalls out. I’m not sure what to do, but I do believe that the transmission was faulty when we bought it.
May 23rd, 2013 at 10:46 pm
I have a 2011 and have had it since 2010. Just ran into transmission problems but people this is covered under power train warranty. It’s not costing me a penny. I’m not saying the car is prefect, yes it’s slow and jerky but not dangerous. I’m not sure if any of you have driven a standard but they are jerky. I think the car just takes getting used to.
May 24th, 2013 at 8:41 am
I cannot believe what Ford is doing to its customers!!!!! I just bought a 2013 ford fiesta. Everything was great for about a day. However, the first day we drove it, the car smelled like it was about to catch on fire. Of course i just chalked it off as new brakes being broken in… After 200 miles the tranny started grinding and jerking throught the first 3 gears…. It would lose power, and hesitate off the start. I took it into the service dept at 400 miles and the guy drove it and told me that its normal. I think thats ludacris, i wanted to slap the man, because i have a credible knowledge of machanics! I took it into ford the next weekend because we were still working on the financial part… I complained about the car and guess what?! They gave me a new car even after it had 1000 miles on it… I was so releaved because the car we were driving was getting worse every day. It was grinding, slipping, hesitating, losing power, wouldnt go at times unless you slam on the gas and it lurches forward, and drove worse than the accord with 240,000 miles on it that were were replacing due to tranny issues………. Sad part was that sometimes it would do it, and sometimes it wouldnt… Needless to say we have 300 miles on the new car and its doing the same @#$% THING!!!!!!!!!!!!!! IM PISSED! My gf is scared to drive the car, is very upset about buying a POS and spending so much money on an oversized paperweight. I am going to bring in the car and document EVERYTHING that is done to it and first chance i get im filing for lemon law… Ill never be buying a FORD again… Thats really sad because my 2005 ford f150 has had not one single problem, and ive been driving the crap out of it for 8 years… You would think that the transmission problem would have been addressed by now seeing that the problem started in 2011… NOPE FORD wont stand behind their products… They just say, thats normal…. If something happens to my gf or her 2 year old son, they will pay dearly…
May 24th, 2013 at 11:25 am
OKAY. Just spent over an hour reading everyone’s fiesta complaints. How awful. I too am a 2011 fiesta se owner, currently 48K miles. I commute 70+ mi/day. The car has been exhibiting rough shifting between 1st & 2nd gears, lurching, clicking on hills, jerking at low speeds, RPMs revving but car not responding, SINCE DAY ONE. I am taking it in tomorrow to my local Ford stealership. NOT EXCITED!! WISH ME LUCK IF YOU ARE READING THIS
May 26th, 2013 at 4:44 pm
all these problems are caused by clutch failure from contamination from fluid leak, cant have a recall on something thats nver been fixed, have to solve problem before anything can happen
May 28th, 2013 at 3:09 pm
@Tamra: If folks are having their issue addressed on the first or second try, that’s fine. However, many folks are going back and forth consistently with transmission issues and that is a breach of warranty.
May 28th, 2013 at 3:55 pm
Tamara, I’m not really concerned because I have a 75k warranty. However, I don’t want to have to bring in my car every month due to transmission problems. And what happens to the worth of the car? Not to mention, once The warranty is up, do you want to spend 6k to replace it? Cause that’s how much it will cost you. Hopefully by then they find the problem. Cause you are already upside down. You just don’t know it yet…
May 29th, 2013 at 11:37 am
@Tamara & @John: It is when you have a warranty that you need to file a claim. Nothing can be done after the fact.
June 2nd, 2013 at 10:06 am
I noticed and of course this thread does say Ford Fiesta and I’m a Fiesta owner I love my car but I don’t love that its broke. After doing some research and looking into other cars I’ve found that they are using these VCT transmissions in other cars. If I had known at the time what a VCT was or even looked to see what it said next to automatic transmission I would have kept my Ford Focus. A lot of new cars have these types of transmissions and simply getting a brand new car might not save you from these problems. They aren’t limited to just Ford.
June 12th, 2013 at 12:22 am
I’m hoping someone can help me.
I purchased my 2011 Ford Fiesta brand new the end of April 2011.
Within this past year, first thing I noticed was that I’d try to start the car and on more than one occasion it wouldn’t start and i’d have to turn off and try again for it to work.
Then about 8 months ago the check engine light started to come on but would shut off.
Drivers manual said that if it didn’t blink, then it would be fine and that large puddles of water can cause the light to come on and to let it run through a few driving cycles.
I wasn’t worried since the light would shut off a few days later,
But then it started to become more frequent.
Then, around November the hill assist light started to come on at random.
As the months went on the check engine light would come on and sometimes accompanied by the hill assist light being unavailable.
However, still being thrown off of the fact that sometimes these lights would not come on for a few days or turn off after I go to start the car the next day.
Finally, as of Monday (2 days ago) on my way to work, the transmission started to slip.
The car was hesitating to switch gears
And Tuesday it was even worse since I couldn’t get it to go in reverse.
I called The Ford Dealer (Brewster, NY) where i bought it from and told them the initial issuue which is the transmission and so they will be servicing it on Thursday and will give me a loaner vehicle at no cost.
At this point, I’m just turned off that I purchased my first vehicle with Ford
And more than anything, this issue can bring down the value of the car
And it will be on Car Fax that my transmission went bad 2 years after having the car at 46,000 miles; making it hard to sell through a private sale.
I honestly rather walk away with a new vehicle instead of the same vehicle with a new transmission replacement.
Don’t think this is fair to me to be going through this while I’m still paying off the car note and I don’t feel safe driving it anymore.
I hope I can get some helpful advice on this case.
Thank you!!!
June 12th, 2013 at 9:54 am
Our 2013 Fiesta has less than 1,000 miles and we started noticing the noises at about 60 miles. Took it in the first time and was told it’s normal and that’s how the transmission works on that car. It got a lot worse and we took it back in. They adjusted something to do with the shift fork, but it didn’t fix anything. I’m sure most of you know about TSB 13-5-12 dealing with the transmission grinding noise, I even brought this up but the service guy dismissed me completely. It’s a shame when people spend their hard earned money and this is what they get. We’ve definitely learned a valuable lesson here.
June 17th, 2013 at 4:54 pm
@Tiffany: You should certainly look into your rights. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a lemon law lawyer in your state who can help you.
June 18th, 2013 at 9:37 pm
I have only had my 2013 fiesta for 6 months and have just hit 10,000 miles. This will be its second trip back to the dealer for the jerking it has been doing. No one informed me when I bought the car of any problems ford had been having. All I heard where the great things about it. After a month of owning it and hearing the metallic noise I called my sales rep and she got me a few answers. The noise has now just about gone away or either I am just use to it by now. But the rough jerking can’t be ignored. After it sitting at the dealer for 4 hours the first time I was assured it was fixed and would never do it again. But they did tell me it might drive a little different for the first 200-500 miles because it needed to relearn the way I drove. I waited almost 2 years to purchase this car after falling I love with it on a test drive. Now I wish I could give it back and find something else. But I guess on a good note ( ha ha ) the last at my local foes dealer informed me today ” Due to so many issues with the new transmissions they have out on your car next year they are no longer putting in anymore”. Well isn’t that just nice. Maybe you should have told me when I bought your $$$19,000 car to wait a year!!
June 20th, 2013 at 12:01 am
We just bought a 2013 Ford Fiesta, Automatic. Just reached the 300 mile mark and notice the transmission make a grinding type of noise 1st through 3rd gear. It is really noticeable in 3rd gear. Does it on the down shifts also. Took it around the block to investigate it and it is really loud when in 3rd gear and you lean into it to climb a hill. Will be taking to the dealer in the morning to see what they have to say. Also seems very slow on the get up and go from a stop. Have had it lurch a few times while driving it also which was rather interesting…
June 21st, 2013 at 6:30 pm
Bought my Ford Fiesta automatic in April of 2012 and had, had no issues with it until a week ago when I couldn’t get it to start. Called the garage who called a tow truck. By the time the tow truck came and he tried the car, it started. Drove it for a couple of days and then we drove to a sandwich shop and when we got back into the car and tried to start it, it started and then stopped. Tried to start it again and like before turned over but wouldn’t start.
Called garage on Monday and they told me to bring it in on Tuesday. I decided to drop it off on Monday and of course it didn’t start. My husband and I went to the garage to tell them what had happened and they were going to call out a tow truck. By the time I got home and we tried it again it started. So drove it too the garage.
They have tried various things and until I went back in on Thursday they couldn’t get it NOT TO start. I tried starting it and it wouldn’t start for me. So the mechanic looked at it, but couldn’t find anything wrong.
As I am in Canada they have been talking to Ford Canada, and on Friday they reset the computer. I was to go and pick it up at 4pm. Got a call at 3pm to say they tried starting it and it wouldn’t start again.
They are giving me a loaner as we live in a rural area and I have no way of getting anywhere without a car.
After reading through this page I am VERY concerned and was wondering if this could be related to the transmission. There are NO ERROR codes being transmitted to the computer. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. There is less than 16,000 kms on the clock and other than this I have had no problems with it.
June 26th, 2013 at 8:24 pm
Update to #92, the dealership took it on a test drive with me and claimed it was a heat shield and to drop it off on monday. Said it would take two hours, went down there at the end of the day, and they said it needs a new transmission. Told us to keep driving it till the parts come in…
What I posted on Facebook for a little humor…
Brand new car, check. Owning it for two weeks, check. Putting 300 miles on it before the transmission broke, check… Never wanting to own a ford ever again priceless…
June 26th, 2013 at 8:43 pm
We have 2013 fiesta as our earlier post states. we have been in the process of suing Ford under the lemon law through the Better Business Bureau.We agreed to have an engineer from Ford come look at the car and try to fix it. All he did was an update on the motor and transmission. He then proceeded to tell us that the vehicle was running normally for that type of transmission. However he said that if we had problems with the vehicle pulling hills & acting up still to bring it back to the garage and he would leave tell the service department to replace the clutches. The same day we got it back it stopped twice trying to pull the road to our house. We made an appointment for clutches to be replaced on 06/25/13. When we arrived the service manager copped an attitude, refused to service the car and said there was nothing wrong with it. He did not drive it. He said engineer did not tell them anything about the clutches. We’ve modified BBB of this and to proceed with our claim. We do not have a lawyer so I’m sure we will get screwed. Sorry excuse the language. I could not think of a better way to put it.
July 4th, 2013 at 10:00 am
So I already have a complaint on here (#88)
And this is just an update to my transmission problem.
Ford told me that all that needed to be done
Was to fix the catalic converter (which shouldn’t have been messed up after 2 years to begin with) and reprogramming of the computer which were both still covered under the warranty.
I also needed the grounding bolt which was gonna cost me $130.
Car supposedly was fixed and since I hadtheir loaner vehicle for over a week, they wanted to charge me for it after the manager said she’d let ford take the fees. (Mind you he check engine light came on, on this piece of crap ford fusion and sucked me dry for gas)
I get my car back and the gears on transmission are still not shifting properly and the car falls behind on an upgrade/going up a hill.
Made Ford aware of this before they charged my card and they still proceeded to take my money anyway. (+$60 for car rental)
Brought it back to Ford and the tech was trynna make some bs up about the transmission until I told him that I drove the vehicle manual as well and that the 2 drive completely different.
He then told me that the update on the computer when they reprogrammed had been corrupted and that they’d need to wipe it out and enter codes in manually.
They didn’t have another loaner for me to use so they said they’d make arrangements with me this week to get the car from my job and fix it.
They took my number down and it has been a week and still no word from them.
So in the meantime I’m still driving the car this way.
Completely disappointed.
Lack of concern or professionalism on their part.
They’re already on strike 2 and could care less.
I want to file a lawsuit, but I work crazy hours and don’t know how I’d have the time to do so.
I just want to get out of this car and get a new car that is not ford because i am done
or my money back for all the headache and time I had to leave early to take the car to them.
-2011 Ford Fiesta SES…
July 9th, 2013 at 12:28 am
I have a 2012 ford fiesta automatic transmission my check engine light was coming on before my thirty day lemon law expired. Now heres my problem the dealership said there was nothing wrong and reset my light twice!!! Well now its fluttering in reverse and grinding whenever i shift gears i hear it. Now the lemon law policy is up my manufacturers warrenty wont cover and i know that its not my fluid. What can i do? The dealership i go to is now turning me away and ford wont even take a look without the light back. Im really frustrated because for as much as i love my car i almost feel like trashing her or trading her out . So if theres any advice anyone could give me that would be great. Im going to the shop tomorrow to have my ac fixed im hoping i dont need a new compressor because the ac was over full and now im blowing hot air. I might have them look at it but i have seriously only made one payment on my car so far and im already having major issues.
July 9th, 2013 at 1:20 am
I’VE MADE A HUGE MISTAKE.
Purchased a new 2013 Ford Fiesta hatchback on June 26th 2013 here in Los Angeles, CA. A few days later I noticed that my take offs were very rough and when I stop a rattling noise can be heard coming from the front of the vehicle. I thought maybe that I should give it a few more days to “break it in”, and so one week passed still experiencing rough take off/very slow acceleration. I took it back to the dealership and spoke to my sales rep and he immediately knew that I was talking about transmission issues. It seemed like he knew this was going to happen but failed to disclose that to me at the time before I signed the contract. Left me feeling very soured. The service people took my car and gave me a rental, all covered by the warranty. They had it for the weekend and called me today to pick it up. Showed up to pick up my car and spoke to service rep who told me that they were UNABLE to remedy the transmission issue due to the fact that it is a ‘computer glitch’ not an actual mechanical issue. He explained to me that I need to wait until Ford releases the software program that repairs the transmission computer to stop the judders, and to put another 1000 miles on my vehicle before updating the software. I was stunned at what he told me, and when I asked him repeatedly if continuing to drive with a faulty transmission was safe and if I was in any danger driving my car long distances (i am moving out of california at the end of this month?), he assured me that it is in no way a danger or threat to my safety or that of my passengers.
I AM TERRIFIED TO DRIVE MY BRAND NEW CAR!
I wish i had done my research on this car before signing anything! I should’ve just gone with my gut instinct which was to not even consider purchasing a Ford ever.
I am documenting EVERYTHING and I have my invoice for this first visit.
July 9th, 2013 at 9:34 am
Help!!
I’m leasing a 2013 Fiesta. I have had nothing but problems. I started my lease mid October 2012.
I had my car in the shop 3 times with the same issues. First, the Bluetooth system wouldn’t sync with my phone half the time, and, when it did, it would stay connected, and I couldn’t use my iPod with the car. It wouldn’t connect. The dealership said they corrected the issue. It was corrected, but it’s no longer working. Secondly, the gas mileage is terrible. I would use a 1/4 tank of gas and go 20 miles. I brought it into the dealership twice , and both times they told me there was nothing wrong. My car is not very quiet.
After being told, in not so many words that it is in my head, I got Ford involved. Again, no help.
This morning, my Engine Malfunction light came on . When I switch gears, the car loses power for about 1-2 seconds, then seems to be fine.
I’ve about had it with this car. What a terrible investment. Ford is crossed off my list as a reputable car company.
July 11th, 2013 at 1:30 pm
@Dan P. Time to look into your rights under the Lemon Law. Find your state statute at https://www.lemonlaw.com/state-lemon-laws/.
July 11th, 2013 at 1:52 pm
hi this is john again from number 81. I just wanted to update my situation. After receiving the second car I thought the transmission was doing the same thing, but it wasn’t. The first cars transmission was slipping very badly. After trading the carI’ve put about 2000 mmiles on it and its driving flawlessly now. No noises, no jerks , no hesitation. The car gets 45 mpg on the freeway, and every thing else works perfect. I think there is a small number of cars that are poorly made. Let’s face it, they were made in Mexico. The car design seems great however, Ford’s decision to have them made in Mexico was poorly planned. I hope that the transmission holds up. I have to say my opinion had done a complete 180. It doesn’t seem that every car has this problem. Just make sure when you test drive it to feel how it shifts. If it’s not perfect, don’t buy it.
July 11th, 2013 at 2:07 pm
I would advise, do not buy a fiesta built before 2013 with cvt tranny. There is a known issue where fluid leaks inside the transmission and it eventually stops working. The transmission cost 6k for a rebuild. There is no known fix for the issue (according to ford). I just hope they fixed the problem in the 2013s. I’d hate to have to replace the tranny after the warranty goes out. If it goes out during warranty its getting sold as soon as its up.
July 18th, 2013 at 3:27 pm
I have a 2011 automatic transmission fiesta (sfe) and it has already had the transmission “replaced” once. We believe it wasn’t replaced but reset. Most recently we have it at the dealer and they finally heard and verified the noise so they could try to fix the problem. They have reset the transmission again and now they can’t get rid of the jerking/rumbling/whatever noise and feelings that you want to call the transmission problem. They called Ford engineers and their suggestion was to bring in a fiesta from a different dealer and compare its driving to my car. UMMM what? That will help them to decide whether to take the transmission out and look for further problems with the clutch. We have been complaining since 2011 when the car was purchased and it is now July 2013. We complain every time we take the car to get serviced. Please help if you have suggestions on getting this fixed or who I can contact that is a supervisor of the Ford dealer. If buying a fiesta make sure your dealer has good customer service and definitely invest in the extended warranty.
July 18th, 2013 at 3:53 pm
@Lauren–It is certainly time to look into your lemon law rights. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a firm that can help you.
July 20th, 2013 at 9:42 pm
All I can say is I’ve had my fiesta for a week now and have only put 100 miles on it but in reading this I’m sorry to all the people that are having problems with their automatic transmissions cause I haven’t had an issue yet with my manual trans yet the only thing I’m not getting out of my car is a really good mpg I’m only getting 23 mpg in town with the Ac on but I was told it would get better after the first 3 k miles just has to break in a little it’s a goofy thing when you try to inter-grade a manual and an automatic just sit tight no one has done this before give ford a chance to get it straighten out and if you really can’t wait go back and ask them to trade you for a regular old fashion dependable manual trans not a hard swap for a dealership
July 22nd, 2013 at 5:15 pm
My dad and I share a manual 2011 Ford Fiesta. We have taken it in twice for the same issue. The second time they called and said it was done and to pick it up. We got there light was still on so it went back into shop. Wednesday I am taking it in for a third time in under a year. The issue is the transmission/power train. Looses power when check engine light comes on causing it to jerk when shifting. The check engine light comes on and the traction control system turns off. It seems as though this issue is not getting resolved.
July 23rd, 2013 at 2:20 pm
@Sierra: Once the car is in three or more times, look into filing a claim. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a lemon law lawyer in your state.
July 27th, 2013 at 11:35 pm
DO NOT BUY OR RENT THIS CAR. YOU WILL DIE.
I am absolutely not lying, this just happened to me about three hours ago.
I got the wonderful opportunity to rent this car this week. It made some weird grinding type noises on low gears and was a bit jerkey, but I chalked that up to it being a rental. Well, I’m in a pretty mountainous region. Today we decided to go to a botanic garden. This garden is in the mountains. The road leading to it is a cliff on the left side, and the driveway into the gardens on the right. The driveway into the gardens is a hill. So we turn into the driveway and start going up this hill, AND THE CAR STOPS ACCELERATING. I’m flooring the pedal and it has NO RPMs. It starts rolling backwards!!! Suddenly the computer controlling the car (what I learned is that the computer controls the transmission and other things in this hunk of junk) kicks in and the thing lurches forward! At that point I was able to get up to the top of the hill into the parking lot and IMMEDIATELY called the rental company and requested a new car. If the computer controlling the transmission hadn’t kicked in at that second, the car would have rolled backwards off the cliff!
Please heed my warning ANYONE who reads this, DO NOT BUY THIS CAR. AND DO NOT RIDE IT UP HILLS.
This horrible thing is going to kill someone!
July 29th, 2013 at 10:16 pm
Hi! I am the poster of #62 and #95. I just wanted to post another update. We are having an arbitration trial through the BBB’s lemon law system on 08/01/13. We received a copy of the report from the engineer that Ford sent to update the computer on our car. The report states that their are no defects that would warrant replacement or buy back by Ford; it basically states that under certain conditions that the Ford Fiesta transmission can experience perceived delayed or hard shifts but this is considered normal; the report also states that the transmission can be taught bad behavior that leads to harsh shifts and unwanted characteristics. So the way I understand this report … According to Ford, our complaints are not valid; we just don’t know how to drive. So, I guess since there are so many of us with the same complaint we must all have mass hysteria and NONE of us know how to drive. Anyway, wish us luck at our hearing. I will update again after we get a verdict. I think it takes two weeks after the hearing.
August 2nd, 2013 at 3:20 pm
Here is the letter I sent to Sheehy Ford in Marlowe Heights, MD (although I reside in DC) when my clutch went out in year two and the transmission in year 1 of my 2011 Ford Fiesta leased from them for 39 months:
QUESTIONS/COMMENTS:JULY 31, 2013 TO: SHEEHY FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT I had scheduled an appointment for my car to be serviced today at Sheehy Ford in Marlowe Heights. I had noticed for the last few days that the car was driving irregularly in that when I would press the accelerator the RPM would reeve but the car had not force behind it to move and the shifting of the gears although, not rigid did not seem to allow the car to find a proper gear. 1 year ago the same thing happened and it turned out to be the transmission was bad and had completely gone out while I was exiting a ramp off the expressway. I assumed the same might be happening as it was continuing to get worse over a 24 hour period. So I made the appointment for the following day (which was today 7/31/13) I want to preface here that I have been driving a standard automobile for over 25 years and have NEVER once had a transmission go out let alone in the first year of a lease. I have leased a Volvo, 6 VW Golf (which I really liked, but they ceased manufacturing them). I was incredibly loyal to them and they gave me incredible deals year after year. But I was not interested in the model that replaced the Golf so I switched to a Dodge Caliber. I had this car for 3 years but did not find it suited my needs. I then turned to Ford. The Fiesta seemed to be the perfect replacement for the VW Golf. I met with Linda Vick, one of your Sales Representatives, and discussed my past history with leasing and that I wanted a lease that warranty all major part of the vehicle during the life of the lease (excepting of course items that would be broken or damaged as a result of my own negligence or mishap. That I also wanted the VIP Plan for ongoing maintenance of the car so I would not have to worry about large expenses over the course of the 39 month lease. I usually never lease for more than 3 years. I thought I made this very clear and there were never any acknowledgements that such a request could not be met. Within the first months of having the car I was very pleased with how it handled and that it was the perfect size and accommodated all the uses I would need just like the VW Golf. At my first scheduled maintenance I stopped by and talked to Linda about the vehicle and said once again that if I was treated as well at Ford as I was at VW I would be a loyal customer, especially with the Fiesta. Then the trouble began. Within months of that first scheduled maintenance the transmission went out on the car. I was very disheartened by this and thought how is it possible for a transmission to go out in a car that quickly unless it was faulty in the first place. Again, I have driven standard cars for over 25 years and never had this occur. The transmission was replaced and I was given a rental car for the time of the repair. Although I noticed that Ford did not cover the daily lease of the car. Nor did they offer loaner cars through the dealership. I brought the car in for the next three scheduled maintenance appointments as required. Then this past week the car begins to have problems. Very similar to the transmission issue and I was in disbelief that yet another transmission could be going on this car. I arrived today (7/31/13) for my appointment. After about an hour and a half I was approached by the Service Representative, Les Asher, Jr and told that it was the clutch this time that had gone bad and would have to be replaced, the complete assembly. He then said it would cost $1394.00. I told him he was mistaken that I had an agreement with Sheehy Ford and that all major parts for the car were under warranty for the life of the lease. He said the Clutch was deemed to be a “wear and tear†item and was only under warranty for the first 12,000 miles. I told him this was not the agreement I had made with Linda Vick . He said I could go and talk to her, which I did. She was confused as well and thought the clutch would be covered for 36,000 or 3 years. She went to talk with Les Asher, Jr and returned to tell me what he said. I told her this was not the lease I agreed to and I was very upset with Sheehy Ford right now. Something that should have been considered is that if I had a faulty transmission in the original car, could that not have been the reason the clutch was damaged or weakened in the process and therefore this is related to the original problem with the transmission? I went back to Les Asher to ask if he had yet heard from Ford Company as to whether they would accept this as a warranty item or reduce the cost. It was now almost 4 hours into the waiting period and Mr. Asher did not once come over to update me of the status of the call from Ford. I had to go to him twice. He only showed me the document that said a clutch was only warranted for 12,000 miles. This was not a part of my lease. I had never seen this document before today. I took the word of the Sales Rep and the Leasing Agent to be honest with me. Maybe I was too optimistic and the old adage of not trusting a car salesmen or woman was really true. I was honest with what I wanted out of the lease. I trusted the people at Sheehy Ford to do the same. I was finally tired of waiting for a response from Ford Company and told Mr. Asher to please prepare my rental care paperwork as I had to return to work and could not waste any more time on this matter.. He did so and once again I was in a position to have to pay the balance on the daily rental as well as a gas deposit and $100 in insurance for the car. All other car dealerships I have worked with have always provided a loaner car from the lot with the only cost being the gas. I have heard nothing the remainder of the day from Mr. Asher as to whether Ford Company has ever contacted him about their decision on this matter. I am now to understand that my car could be with you for at least 5 days at which time the lease on the rental vehicles expires. I think it is fair to say that customer service in this situation was extremely poor. I was put in a position to have to defend my original agreement with Sheehy Ford and then to have to confront the Sales Representative and have further discussions with the Service Department. If Sheehy Ford was hoping in anyway to get a good rating from me on this incident they are sadly mistaken. Not only do I intend to forward this to your specific dealership but plan to send it on to Ford Motor Companies Customer Liason Division and any other organization that monitors dealerships and their contract methods, primarily in the area of leasing. You could have had a very loyal customer for years to come. Now you have a very unhappy, distrustful one who will not be an advocate for your company unless this matter is resolved to my satisfaction. A VERY Dissatisfied Customer Scott Hammar Washington DC
August 3rd, 2013 at 8:56 am
Hi! I am the poster of #62, #95 and $110. I promised an update regarding our arbitration on 08/01/2013. Anyway, the arbitrator heard the noises in the transmission and felt some of the erratic moves of the transmission, but best of all on test drive – he had me drive down a really steep driveway and back out. I thought it was never coming out and it scared me to death practically. It took several attempts to get out. The transmission got so hot, the transmission light came on and said it was hot to let it cool, a wrench light came on, once it wouldn’t go in reverse, I would have the gas to the floor and it would get part way and start rolling down the hill. Finally after we let it set a good while, I pulled deep I. The garage and floored it up the hill. It barely made it out of the drive. I was so happy to get out of there. Its been really jerky on slight inclines since and barely pulled a steep hill on the interstate on the way home. Ford said they had not worked on transmission problems and didn’t have any invoices, but we had 5 that BBB was able to obtain for us. Ford guy knew the exact miles each shop visit was; arbitrator said he should have invoices but he’d fax them to him. Ford said they should have another opportunity to work on it. I said no. O want car bought back as I’m done with it. They had ample opportunity to fix it but instead they wanted to blame me for teaching it bad habits and calling the noises normal. I told them I was not putting my family in danger anymore. Now we just have to wait for the arbitrator’s decision. It could go either way, but at least there are 2 strangers in this world that witnessed my car’s failure and know I’ve been telling ford the truth all along.
August 6th, 2013 at 12:35 am
Have a 2012 fiesta with 8000 miles. started to hear a grinding noise when we stop and go. Sometimes when we press the accelerator it feels like the car is going to die (similar to a manual transmission when you dont give it enough gas and release the clutch). Have yet to bring it to the dealership, very interested in what they have to say.
August 6th, 2013 at 12:36 am
its is an automatic, meant to say that.
August 8th, 2013 at 8:31 pm
Hi! It’s me again. The poster of #62, #95 and #110. I just wanted to let everyone know that we won our lemon law case. Ford has to buy back our car. I am so happy that soon I will no longer be putting my family in danger in this car. Good luck to everyone; keep taking it back to the service department and make them drive it (while you and another witness are with them) in a steep place that’s going to put it in a bind and prove the transmission has a problem. They will still probably say it’s fine but when you get enough visits for the same thing you can go after them legally. Again good luck to everyone!
August 15th, 2013 at 3:59 am
I bought my Ford Fiesta in Sept. 2011 and it has been great on milage and entertainment and that’s it. Just like many others, my car jerks a lot and makes noises that I believe should not be happening. I take care of my car, I’ve been good to it. I had to change the brakes like 7 months in with my car and I need them changed again. But the biggest problem is that most recently my car shuts off. Does not matter if I’m at a stop light or moving. It has happened already four times! Help!
August 19th, 2013 at 3:59 pm
@Yari: It’s time to file a lemon law claim. Click here https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a firm in your State who can help.
August 20th, 2013 at 8:15 am
good news so far. my dealer and his area ford rep have done the following:
replaced both shift motors.
added an extra ground strap.
rebuilt the clutch and added new seals. seems it was leaking oil onto the dry clutch p-late.
working ok so far. my advise is to get tough with them. threaten them and give them a print out of this web page.
August 21st, 2013 at 3:20 pm
@John: If you have been in three times or more, you really need to look into filing a claim even if the car is now fixed. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a lemon law firm that can help you!
September 10th, 2013 at 9:01 pm
why all the hate… i was having major issues until i got the fiesta fixed had fluid leak problem aka coolant(was at low and leaking pretty badly)- I noticed that it rattles a little but hey it only has 16,000km …. now my breaks squeak like nails on a chalkboard during cold startups in damp mornings but hey this may be because i read not sure if it is true but i read That it is a common characteristic of higher-quality brake linings. They are harder than normal, and soften when they get warm. The biggest clue is your observation that they are noisier in humid conditions. One thing many professionals do to prevent noises is to bevel the front and rear edges of the linings a little. That removes the “fingernails-on-the-blackboard” screech. The drawback is you will lose some of the squeegee action after driving through standing water. You may have brake fade for a little while longer than normal, although people get into more trouble from the high water. I know that the engine is 16,000km and i get regular oil changes(i notice) that also the engine seems to have difficulty after 6000km (seems like the oil gets clogged and it rattles) but everything works after an oil change so i am possibly going to change it about twice a year or more. Also i warn you during snow storms do not i repeat do not use the traction control unless you want to go nowhere(especially up hills you will end up reversing)- have excellent winter tires however. I was a little mad to find out that the vehicle has some rust on the bottom already(after only 1 year) might of been because of the leak(coolant). I seem to have another issue the heated mirrors do not heat properly, there is no passenger arm rest, only one light in the trunk—
September 16th, 2013 at 4:01 pm
As most people have said here. I, too, have been experiencing transmission issues that the service shop says are ‘normal’ and they can’t recreate. My transmission with rebuilit at 30k miles for a fluid leak that was leaking onto the clutch. My car jerks and skips gears OFTEN. I sit in traffic well over 2 hours a day and this has caused me several near accidents and it sputters into the next gear.
I’ve brought my car in 3 plus times and they claim there is still nothing wrong. I have a 4 year old daughter and I can’t be driving around a car that is an accident waiting to happen every time I drive it. I’ve felt like they are waiting for me to hit the 60k mark so that they can tell me that my tranny is bad as I am, currently at 54k miles.
I really need some advice. I would like my money back under lemon law. This car has been a COMPLETE waste of money and a complete nightmare for me and my family.
September 17th, 2013 at 12:13 pm
@LeAnne: To submit a potential lemon law claim, please visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html and fill out the information. We will review it and connect you to someone who may be able to help.
September 17th, 2013 at 2:53 pm
2011 focus 32 k miles, I bought from farmers insurance small rear hit, but restored salvage title.
Love the car BUT today I was driving on highway at 60 MPH transitioning from the 101 to the 60 in a very narrow concrete walls on both sides and car stopped accelerating engine still running but nothing in pedal the cars behind me almost plowed me. I hit the hazard button and drove close to the wall. had traction and service lights on and battery lights on .
Shut car off waited 1 minute and car started and ran as normal. It could of killed me.
Am I screwed with the restored salvage?
September 19th, 2013 at 11:53 am
We purchased a 2011 Fiesta brand new off the lot. We owned it for 6 months before the engine melted. That’s right, the engine melted. I was driving on the freeway when ALL the dash lights turned on, the car lost power and turned off. When we towed it to the dealership, they said the engine had reached 400 degrees before it shut off and needed to be replaced. Today, two years later, same thing happened. I was driving on the freeway, I accelerated to 70mph to pass a car, all the lights went on on the dash and the car lost power again and turned off. I was in the fast lane but luckily I wasn’t in rush hour traffic and I didn’t have my infant with me! It is being towed to the dealership as we speak. We do not want this car anymore. We have wanted to sell it since the first mishap but the new engine actually LOWERED the value of the car so we are upside down in it. We definitely do not want to keep it seeing as we are military and move frequently with cross country drives. Last time it took over a month to get the engine replaced and we really can’t do that if we are in the middle of a cross country move. We have also dealt with the lunging and jerking transmission. I NEVER feel safe driving this car.
September 24th, 2013 at 11:44 am
@Kevin: It depends on if Ford is warranting your repairs. If Ford voided your warranty as a result of the salvage title, there would not be a claim.
September 24th, 2013 at 2:23 pm
traded my 2013 fiesta w/4000 miles on it. trans not working right yet. got an Escape 4cyl w/34 mpg. runs great and I can get in and out of it without a shoe horn.
they gave me $ 13,000 for it and paid off the ford balance owed of $ 6,800.00.
payments on the escape the same as the fiesta.
October 6th, 2013 at 9:59 pm
I have had so many issues with this car that I almost cry thinking about it. The car (2011 Fiesta) dies on a regular basis, my AC died a few months ago…the service department hasn’t found anything wrong with the current stalling issue and my check engine light just went off when my warranty ends after this weekend…and of course they are closed.
I purchased a brand new vehicle about three years ago. Right away I started having issues. I would park my car somewhere and come back and it would be dead. This is so frustrating when you spend extra money on something new for the safety and security of it. This happened numerous times and each time I brought it in they could find nothing wrong. Finally after this happening over and over they fixed the problem. I was fine with that since the excuse was something about loose parts during manufacture and shipping process.
My AC started shooting out hot air after about 2 years. It was at least a week long fix that required my front end be disassembled (according to the tech).
My final issue… I have had many instances where my car has just died. I brought it in at least two times to be told that nothing was wrong or that they wouldn’t be able to find anything since I had restarted the car after it had died. Well the car had died in the middle of turning into my subdivision in front of oncoming traffic. So yes, I restarted it and drove straight over. Now this week it started happening more frequently. Saturday I made a trip into the city and it happened at almost every stop. Finally it happened on my way home today and my check engine light went off. Well, I have a 45 minute commute to work and it would be nice if my car that was purchased brand new could make the drive. This car has been more trouble than it’s worth.
October 8th, 2013 at 1:50 pm
Hi, I got my 2011 Ford Fiesta back in 2010. Was my first car so I admit to not knowing fully how to take care of it. I had experienced a slight bit of the jerkyness others are reporting but thought little of it as I’d ridden in other cars of other makes and models that did it from time to time. For the most part, I’m pretty happy with my Fiesta as it’s seen me through some tough times with little issue. However, yesterday afternoon, I started having some of the transmission problems others are reporting. While driving my car felt like it was going to stall and became sluggish for several seconds at a time over and over. Upon getting closer to home, I tried to accelerate up a hill and my car reved high but nothing actually happened. These problems persisted this morning. Took my car to the dealership and they said it’s the clutch. I now have a $2200 bill waiting for me. Now I have been in an accident late last year (side hit) but from what a lot of folks are telling me, that shouldn’t have had a major impact on the transmission/clutch if any at all. I’m wondering if I should look into this further or wait and see how this repair goes and see if I get any further issues in a reasonably short time.
October 8th, 2013 at 10:05 pm
As so many of you we bought a brand new ’12 Ford Fiesta for our college bound teen. We thought we had spent the money wisely but now not so sure. We have had many a Ford and for the most part they have been great. Can’t say the same for this car. It does give the great mileage of 40 mpg, but after driving for a long trip with my daughter this weekend I am shocked. We’ve already had the computer upgraded twice and told that it would take a bit for it to get used to our driving but still not fixed. We were driving thru a town with many stoplights and at each no matter how lightly or gased hard the car would spit and shutter like she was just learning how to drive a manual. It is an automatic. At one stoplight she gased it but it would barely move and then all of the sudden it jerked forward. I do not want to worry everytime she drives it. We went with a new car SO WE WOULDN’T have to worry. We are waiting (have been for a month now) for some kind of parts that we “hope” will solve the problem. So far the dealer has listened to us but what we are worried about is we have 45,000 on it now and the tranny is only covered to 60,000. What will we do if this “fix” doesn’t fix the car in the long run? So sad this has become such a problem for so many of us.
October 14th, 2013 at 12:49 am
I made the best decision and that was to get rid of my 2013 Fiesta! After the lunging forward a couple of times, not wanting to start off the bat a few times, loss of power when up-shifting, the jerking most of the time….I said, to hell with it!” I took it in a couple of times, with no results. Brand new car, paid $17,000 for and ran like crap. That is just not right. I looked at the big picture and long term and I just couldn’t stand to go thru that any longer so I went ahead and traded it in on a Chevy Cruze, which by the way is a far better car and I love. The sad part was I only had 8000 miles on my Fiesta and trade in value had already sunk to $12,400. Even though I took a financial hit with that decision, I’m quite sure in the long run, I made a good decision to walk away from the Fiesta. It breaks my heart knowing that there are people out there going thru all bs from this car and no matter what they do, their going to loose out in some way.
October 17th, 2013 at 11:59 pm
I have 12 fiesta ses hatchback 30,000 miles been to ford 2 times they reset the transmission said its normal. It shutters and hesitates it grindes while shifting same thing everyone else has going on. almost in a bad wreck because of its hesitation yet they say its normal apparently im not the only one .
October 18th, 2013 at 3:05 pm
@Rafael: We are well aware of this issue. After you have been to the shop 3 or more times, please visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html and fill out the form. We will try and locate someone who can help you and your family.
October 18th, 2013 at 3:20 pm
@Brittany: Please fill out our Get Rid of Your Lemon form at https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html and we will look into this for you.
October 22nd, 2013 at 1:54 pm
ok ok earlier I said it was a great car, not sure if at all i am making any sense but this car seems to be very picky with Gas, aka does not like petro Canada..(i think because it has something called winter Gas), when i went to sunnoco in the states it drove fine — aka no bad jerking came back to Canada filled up at Petro Canada and voila found my problem gas(type) seems to make a huge difference petro equal growls like a lion…. now she purrs like a kitten(used Canadian Tire gas(new just built gas station) now and have not had any issues— maybe it has less ethanol/Junk in the gas or something). I wonder what is the gas rating on the fiesta i heard 87 octane… however what is petro canada selling?
November 6th, 2013 at 5:39 pm
Bought my 2013 Fiesta in January with 6 miles on it (test drive) and had to take it to the dealership a month later for transmission issues. Reprogrammed it and since it has been back 3 times. The response I keep getting is “its normal” Im sorry but that is NOT normal. It is currently in the shop now and IF they say its normal im taking it back every week! They will eventually do something about it or they will give me a new car, but not a Fiesta! If they refuse that then they will be getting sued. Its at the second shop, which should be third, but one refused to even take it in and look at it! Ford customer service sucks just like the Fiesta!
November 9th, 2013 at 1:08 pm
I have a 2012 Fiesta, bought it last September and for the last couple months it chugs and stutters and hesitates under 3000 RPM. I’ve already had it in the dealer shop, they said they reset some sensors but the problem HAS NOT gone away but the dealer claimed this was normal and ok per Ford (ridiculous!). I want to take it in again for service but I’m afraid it will do nothing AGAIN.
November 12th, 2013 at 4:19 pm
Ford Fiesta is a waste of money, don’t bother adding any upgrades. Transmission replaced at 10,000 miles. Drive line bearing and seals broken leaking oil twice at 30,000 miles. Both rear view mirrors replaced, speakers broken and replaced, rear hatch button replaced, key fob replaced. Lemon law claimed and ford paid!
November 12th, 2013 at 5:55 pm
If your not happy with your fiesta take it back and ask them to trade it for a clutch until the get the bugs worked out of the new automatic transmissions
November 13th, 2013 at 10:01 pm
After having a 2011 focus, with less than 20k on it the car was totaled. I wanted my daughter to have a reliable car for she commutes to college. We ended up having to order the car. The car took forever to arrive (October 2011-april 2012). Once signing the papers and also putting 5k down we left the dealership. Car had about 6,000 miles on it the car began to grind, jerk, stall, shut off, and the transmission slips like crazy it was like whip lash when the car jerked her forward and slammed her back, she is little 5 foot just over 100 pounds so she has to sit close, the car jerks hard enough she bust her face into the steering wheel . The car then had 3,000.00 of work (under warranty) done to it and sat in the service department for a good amount of time. My daughter has taken this car in over and over for this, acted like she was stupid, told her it needed an update, told her it was because of the color it was, different excuse every time. (my daughter works at this ford dealership too) this went on for a year with repeated bullshit answers and updates that did nothing, now I have had the car about 18 months. Just recently my daughter was driving on the highway, traffic was stopped ahead, a semi came flying around the corner not knowing everyone was stopped, she was already in the shoulder and had no place to go, cars beside her began to scrunch up trying to make room before he demolished my daughter into the wall, which would of killed her scared the crap out of her, and ticked me right off, at that point I was done .it is currently sitting in the service department as I speak, it has been there a couple weeks now, parts are on national back order, they are doing the exact same work as before with the clutch costing another 3 grand, but there is nothing wrong with it they always tell . The car has been in service more than on the road, about 20 times this car has been in for the same problems. We have another car just like this, except in red and haven’t had any trouble with it. I have filed a claim with ford, and looking into lemon lawing it before she really gets hurt over this piece of shit. Ford needs to man up and recall all these cars they aren’t safe. someone will end up suing ford over this hunk of junk when it causes them to be in an accident.
November 14th, 2013 at 8:54 am
Hello. I bought my 2012 Fiesta back in May 12′. I took it once because it was jerking and had sudden accelerations. They told me the car had a full inspection done and it was only a sensor that had to be replaced. Now 18 months later the jerking had become a constant. I do notice some stalling but it’s only when I’m on reverse and happens from time to time. And the RPM gauge is everywhere!!! I’m only going 20mph but the RPM checks in at the 4 level! It’s crazy. I received this car as a replacement for a lemon I was previously sold. I’m afraid I might have been fooled twice by my dealer since reading all these entries.
November 15th, 2013 at 10:57 am
I have a 2011 Ford fiesta and I will be at a red light stop sign and when I start to go my car jerks makes a horrible grinding sound. You can clearly hear it is not shifting properly. I am afraid that I have had this car for to long and will not be able to take care of it. I have at two recalls already on this vehicle and this issue should defiently be taken car of by ford. I noticed this issue before but was told the same has the computer system was gettting use to my driving.
November 18th, 2013 at 11:46 am
@Harry: It’s highly unlikely you will be able to achieve success on your own. I would look into your rights.
November 19th, 2013 at 10:11 am
I am totally frustrated with my Fiesta, it is not a year old. I have had all of the problems people are talking about. The one where it will not move even though it is in drive, the horrible jerking and shuddering when trying to blend in traffic. The horrible noise that sounds like a washer machine not level only to be told that it is NORMAL!!! Are you kidding me??? I spoke to the owner of the dealership today and have another appointment this afternoon to ride with a service manager. It better make all of the noises and problems when he is in the car. I am sure it will be the same thing again and they will tell me it is normal, whatever that is!!!!!!!!!!!!
November 20th, 2013 at 4:13 pm
@Marie: The only way you will get somewhere is if you file a claim using the Delaware Lemon Law. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html to fill out our Get Rid of Your Lemon form and we will reach out to you.
November 25th, 2013 at 7:19 pm
I actually bought my 2012 ford fiesta in 2011 brand new. I knew there was something wrong with it a month after i bought it. I cannot believe all the things I am reading. It started with the jerking and the hesitation to accelerate. It would jerk back and forth. I finally took it back and said something was wrong and the assured me because of the new transmission it was normal and I also go the story that it was adjusting my my driving patterns. It started to get worse so took it back 2 more times after this they checked the transmission and they assured me everything was fine. Now i have this loud grinding sound I mean loud coming from my car. You can hear me coming blocks away! Everyone who rides in my car asks me what is wrong with my car. I called the dealership again today and told them that i am fed up with this car and that I will never buy a ford again and it needs fixed. I go in monday for them to look at it they are even giving me a rental car to use. I am hoping and praying they fix it I do not want to have to go through the hassel of suing anyone. I hate this car.
November 26th, 2013 at 11:23 am
I just finished reading the comments and I too am having issues with my 2012 Fiesta. I was experiencing shifting, jerking, and lunging forward for the past 10 months. My car is currently in the shop since November 6th having the clutch assembly replaced. This is the third time I brought it in to be fixed. The first two times they brushed it off and told me that I just had to get used to it. My car won’t be fixed until sometime in December – parts are on back order. Very disappointed and frustrated…
November 27th, 2013 at 4:04 pm
@Gail: It’s time you look into your rights. Feel free to submit your info to https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html. We will review your situation and forward you to someone who may be able to help.
November 27th, 2013 at 4:08 pm
@Jessica: I am not clear why you would not file a claim based on the information provided. It’s highly unlikely the matter will ever be permanently resolved and depending on your state, you need to file sooner than later to ensure maximum remedy.
December 3rd, 2013 at 5:38 pm
I bought my 2013 Fiesta in February 2013 and it has 22,000 miles on it. I have taken it to the shop 3 times so far.
1st problem came at 12,000 miles when SERVICE NOW-ENGINE MALFUNCTION flashed onto my center console. Took it in and they couldn’t figure out why it had done this and 3 hours later they realized they had to adjust the computer. I also asked them about the car lunging and lacking any pick up when attempting to merge onto beltways, into traffic etc, and about the rattling that occurs when driving in sitting in traffic. They bring me back my keys and said the paperwork will be mailed and yet I never received it.
2nd time was lunging and no pick up again.I take it in and they ask what the problem is, I told them and they said they were very busy and it was normal because the transmission was still”adjusting to my driving style” and give it time. So I left because this is my very first Brand New Car, what do I know, they are the experts, right?!
3rd time I take it in for an oil change and the lunging, and lack of power again. They bring me my keys and tell me they will drive it and see what they think. Bring me my keys about 45 minutes later and tell me receipt will be mailed, they didn’t feel any issues but they looked at it etc. Get the receipt a few days later, they changed my oil, thats it.
Taking damn car in again tomorrow, they “may have to keep it 3 or four days” but will arrange a rental if I need it, but that what I have been told about the car adjusting to me is true and correct. So sick of hearing it “needs to adjust to my driving techniques”.
I live in Maryland and this is getting old quickly. I need a reliable car and I am afraid that the lack of power when merging into beltway and faster traffic may cause an accident. I have kids and I want a car that runs like it is supposed to. Please help, any advice is appreciated.
December 6th, 2013 at 1:24 pm
@Angie: Please visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/rights.html to further understand your rights under State Lemon Laws and Federal Warranty Statutes.
December 11th, 2013 at 8:33 am
My 2013 Ford Fiesta is on it’s 3rd dual-clutch assembly in 11,000 miles! Horrible Car!
December 12th, 2013 at 4:00 pm
@Dan: it’s time to look into your lemon law rights. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/state-lemon-laws/ to find your state’s lemon law.
December 16th, 2013 at 6:15 pm
Bought my 2011 Ford Fiesta new, off the lot at Coastal Ford in Mobile, Al. In a little less than two years, the car began lunging on take off. It also makes creepy noises that can’t be good. I took it to the Ford Dealership and they told me I had computer problems. The repaired it and ran out all my gas, returning my car on empty. I could ‘t even drive home because I had no gas money on me at the time. I got out of the car and complained bitterly that they ran out all my gas. They said they had to drive it 30 miles to reset the computer, but they put gas in it so I was glad for that. Now, six months later, the car is still running poorly… its shimmying on acceleration and the noises are still there. The vehicle is still under warranty and I am worried sick that I will have a broke down car when the warranty runs out. I still owe $10,000 on this piece of shit. I’m taking it to the dealership in the next coupla days. We need a class action or something peeps.
December 19th, 2013 at 10:00 pm
I purchased a 2013 in may of 2013. All the same problems, Told by ford dealership it’s fine. It’s not fine,the car will not run in low. Has a clunking nois and jerks on first gear. Ford said nothing wrong. I’m very upset about the performance.
December 21st, 2013 at 10:15 pm
I bought a 2013 Fiesta last November. In January 2013 I had the Fuel Ventilation Canister replaced because I couldn’t put fuel in it but a trickle at a time. It would take me sometimes 20 minutes to put 7 gallons in so I could go to work. After the fuel canister replacement it was OK. Now in December 2013 I am having the same problem and the Ford dealer told me I should take it to the car wash before I put fuel in it everytime to get the snow out from under the car because it might be clogging the vents for the fuel ventilation canister. I am taking it back to the dealer on Monday for them to look at it one last time. Do you have any ideas what I should do?
December 27th, 2013 at 4:25 pm
@Daniel: Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/state-lemon-laws/ to read about your State’s Lemon Law.
December 29th, 2013 at 6:24 pm
Hello, I bought my 2011 Ford Fiesta in May 2013. I began having the same jerking/lurching/lunging issue since a few months after I bought it. I took it in finally several months ago and was told there was nothing wrong with it. It also will not always automatically go with I press the gas and it decides to do this at the most dangerous times, like crossing an intersection! This problem has nearly got me slammed several times. I live in Hawaii and leave here in February 2015. I want to get this issue fixed but if I take it to the dealership again, I’m only wasting money to get told once again that there is nothing wrong. At this rate, I will not keep this car when I leave Hawaii. I already fear that this car will be the death of me. I love my car but this is not acceptable.
January 13th, 2014 at 7:37 pm
recently purchased a 2011 fiesta (used) still has the manufacture warranty 36000 miles but since the purchase noticed that between 1st and second second shift it revs up to 3000 rpms called the dealer we bought it from and they said this is normal, now I’ve driven plenty of vehicle’s and I’ve never ran into this to be normal usually the shift points are between 18 to 20 mph (first and second) and at tops the rpm is 1800 to 2200 rpm. So is this normal for this tranny???
January 17th, 2014 at 9:13 pm
Well, well, well. Get this! I’m unable to get to the pharmacy for my heart meds because my 2012 Ford Fiesta won’t start in cold weather. The battery is fine. I know because all the lights come on. It just won’t start. I purchased the car new, and it only has 2700 miles on it. By the way, the jerking and grinding everyone is writing about started the day I drove the car off the lot. Having a car that works is a matter of life and death for me.
January 18th, 2014 at 1:41 am
I bought my Ford Fiesta brand new in 2011 and knew it was odd the moment I got it home. I read online that it was normal and tried not to think about it. Now I read this and I’m furious. The car is out of warranty, it’s been over two years, and I dont know what my options are. It hasnt ever been in for service for it, but I have ALL of these symptoms, the grinding sound, the jerking forward, unable to shift properly, low acceleration. I was trying to ride my lease out but now Im worried about it crapping out sooner or later. What can I do?
January 18th, 2014 at 1:50 am
Not a lease, I bought it.
January 22nd, 2014 at 1:04 pm
2011 Ford Fiesta SES. Purchased in 2011. All the same issues. Filed lemon law suit against Ford. Ford offered money before going to court. Took the money, and traded the Fiesta Lemon in for a Subaru Impreza 36 mpgs. When you switch you realize how much the Fiesta transmission has issues. Thank you Lemonlaw.com!
January 22nd, 2014 at 11:38 pm
I’m the poster of numbers 62, 95 and 110. I just wanted to let everyone know that my 2013 Ford Fiesta that Ford was forced to buy back was sent by our local Ford dealership to a dealership in Maryland. Ford is about making the almighty dollar so I assume to be resold. It only had about 3700 miles on it. I know it was sent there because we received a survey asking us to rate the service we had from a dealership there for our 2013 Ford Fiesta. It boggles my mind that they are allowed to sell that car to some other poor unsuspecting soul. That car is extremely Dangerous! It will get someone seriously injured or killed.
February 7th, 2014 at 1:13 am
I bought one of the first 2011 Ford Fiestas that were available. I’ve had so many problems with this car from the beginning. Problems ranging from the car stalling (even while in motion, once at an interchange), stalling while going up an incline + rolling backwards, the brakes locking, the car not turning on from rest, the transmission having to be replaced after taking my car in a bunch of times to the dealership servicing dept and almost begging for my car to be looked at because I felt I might die in my car, the catalytic converter dying, and today the engine overheating and my car smoking to all hell. I’ve spent so much money on rentals and lost a lot of time off work to take care of matters with my car. I’m glad I have the extended care but even then I’ve had to spend on the rental insurance, time lost from work, and now a deductible to fix my car. I’m very interested in getting more information if this goes the class action lawsuit route. A friend of mine shared that her Fiesta has randomly started stalling too. I don’t feel safe in this car anymore for my sake and the sake of others.
February 14th, 2014 at 4:51 pm
@Leti: You may want to look into your rights. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a lemon law firm in your state that may be able to help.
February 27th, 2014 at 8:48 am
I picked my Fiesta about 2 years ago new. It was great up untill about 20,000 and then the transmission issues started up. Just like all the other have stated, i’m having the same problems. I now have 43,000 on it and would like to sell, but know no one will buy it with how rough the shifts are. I’ve been to the dealer 2 times to address the problem and everytime i get the same excuse. They take my car for 2 days re-flash the computer and leave me with the rental bill. Not sure what to do and i’m sick of going to the dealer and getting the same result.
February 28th, 2014 at 12:23 am
I purchased a 2011 Ford Festa June of 2012. Since then I have taken the car in for about 5 different times. 1st time the car wouldn’t go into any gear after about a monthe of having it. I t broke down on me at 3am in the morning and left me stranded. I had ro get it towed to the nearest Deàlership which cost me $25. I have a 6 year bumper to bumper coverage on powertrain, ect. They said it was the clutch. They fixed that. A few months later same problem again. They say the problem was natural with this kind of car. Then the transmission and the clutch went out again. Again they fixed it,g but the grindin still is there. Jerks when in low speed, rolls backward, burning a lot of gas due to the low acceleration problem. Now they just fixèd. The idle arm on the car because when the fixed the transmision, the messed that up. Please help me. I want tosue them for money for a new car. We put $2500 to $3000 down on the car. I bought the car as used, but they told me the car was still new.
March 1st, 2014 at 5:53 pm
I see that i’m not alone with my 2013 Ford Fiesta Hatchback. a couple month after purchasing the car (bought it in May 2013), i took it into Ford to have them look into the jerking/ sudden take off/ loud grinding noises….etc. When they test drove the car with me, they knew exactly what i was experiencing and gave me a sheet on “the Power shift automatic transmission” and i quote, “its adjusting to your driving”. Seriously? After 6 months, i brought the Fiesta back to Ford, with under 6,000 miles on it,for the same problem and finally, they said the software needed updated and that they had to clean the clutch…..??? Obviously a brand new car, that i bought with 14 miles on it should not have a single problem in the first year of owning it. Not to mention, its been less than a month since they “updated the software and cleaned the clutch”, and already, im jerking around, unable to get up hills, being thrown forward when the gas petal is barely pushed. I DONT feel safe in my car, and i feel as if i have been played by Ford. This is not a safe, reliable car, it will cause me an accident one day, along with a ton of money when the transmission goes….. what am i suppose to do? Ford keeps saying its how the car drives…. please HELP me!!!
March 5th, 2014 at 1:33 am
I am writing this for my mother. She bought a brand new 2013 Ford Fiesta about 9 months ago. About 6 weeks ago, she went to start the car to go to work but had no steering. An error message appeared on the car stating “Power Steering off” or something to that affect. She took it into the dealer who said they couldn’t find the problem. A week later, they told her the “rack” needed to be replaced. This car didn’t even have 1,000 miles on it yet. She was very discouraged by this. A brand new car should be problem free for years, and this car was in the shop MONTHS after buying.
After a week without a car, the Ford rep she was dealing with finally offered her a free rental until the car was fixed. This should have happened immediately after the car was taken to the dealership but to save money (I’m sure), they made her wait. She had to wait 3 weeks for the car to be returned to her from the dealership.
Now that she has the car back, the problems many have stated above have started to appear. The transmission is jumping/lurching/lunging forward and making grinding sounds when she drives under 40 mph. She has almost wrecked several times from the car not taking off when the gas pedal is pressed and from the lunging. I am afraid she is going to have a serious accident in this lemon of a car. A class action lawsuit needs to be filed against Ford for allowing these faulty vehicles to continue to be made and sold. These cars are dangerous.
She is supposed to put the car in the shop again to investigate the lunging and loud noises coming from the transmission. This time, Ford dealer says she will have to pay for a rental car while they look at her car. Are you kidding me???
March 6th, 2014 at 1:23 pm
Everyone get on Twitter go on Ford Fiesta . Make some noise. Say it is the automatic that has this problem. They are getting away with this because noone has problems with the manual s. The other countries love them.
Make some noise and retweet each others. We can win this.Embarress them.
March 10th, 2014 at 1:23 am
I am in Baltimore, Maryland by the way
March 13th, 2014 at 7:00 pm
I have a 2013 ford fiesta it has 8000 miles on it and it’s was in the shop for a month for transmission problems got it back yesterday and today it won’t start
March 16th, 2014 at 11:42 pm
As you all said they would, she took the car in for service to check on the noise. They total her it was normal. They told her that she actually had a manual transmission that is computer operated to be an automatic, and what she was hearing was the gears shifting. So he put the car on a machine and reprogrammed the transmission. We get the car back the same day. Now the grinding sound is even worse. Especially when going up an incline under 30 mph. They told her it would take 100 miles for the car to adjust to how she drives. The grinding sounds worse. She has already had the rack replaced. Also, the windshield washer has never worked in the car, and although it has been listed as something for them to check, it has yet to be fixed.
March 17th, 2014 at 4:44 pm
@Jaime: Sounds like you may have a claim. What state are you from?
March 17th, 2014 at 4:53 pm
@Rob: I think we can help. Please visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html and fill out our form so we can review the claim.
March 17th, 2014 at 5:00 pm
@Sara: Please visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html and we will be glad to review your claim.
March 17th, 2014 at 5:52 pm
I have 2012 fiesta sea hatchback as reported by me 6 months ago the grinding noise the jerk on takeoff the occasional stalling on hills and the shuttering and meteal noise after the third time going to ford they fixed the clutch. We will see how it goes
March 19th, 2014 at 4:59 pm
I have been having issues with my 2011 Ford Fiesta since I bought it in March of 2011. In June of 2011, Les Stumpf had my car for about a week. It made a grinding noise when I was turning left. The dealership couldn’t figure it out and had to have someone who builds the fords fly in to fix it. Apparently my dealership didn’t have the correct tool. They ended up putting in a new transmission too. Since then, it slips while shifting into gear. (automatic with manual transmission.) I have had it in numerous times and they say nothing is wrong with it and reset it, and then it has to get used to me driving it. It also will lunge out of nowhere. It will not want to go from a stop sometimes also. I am so afraid I will get in an accident in this vehicle. My children will not drive it either. Can I still claim a lemon law after this amount of time?
March 21st, 2014 at 2:46 pm
@Roni: Worth looking into. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html to fill out our Get Rid of Your Lemon form so we can review your claim.
March 23rd, 2014 at 7:18 pm
I leased my 2013 Ford Fiesta a little over 6 months ago. In Virginia.
It started shaking and jerking / shuddering really bad when shifting from first to second. It would stall out and lose power when getting on the interstate and then suddenly get a burst of power and rev up really high, lunging the car forward.
They tried to “tweak the computer” and it was unsuccessful. Then they refused to try to fix it again. Took it to another shop and they couldn’t even leave the parking lot without the car nearly getting them hit. Said it was the worst shudder they’d ever seen. They also tried to tweak the computer, unsuccessful ( attempt #2) and in they put in a clutch. They ordered the clutch before tweaking the computer because they knew it wouldn’t work. They installed the clutch. (attempt #3)
Less than one month later, same symptoms, ten time worse. Jerking me back and forth in my seat, stalling, ect. Engine malfunction errors on the radio screen, everything.
Took it back and it needs ANOTHER CLUTCH! Go figure, right? They said they will try to tweak the computer again (ford regulation) then install another clutch. That will happen tomorrow. This will be attempt #4 and attempt #5.
I fear this problem will continue until my warranty is up and I will be stuck with it. What do I do? What options do I have? Can I get a new car? I don’t want my money back, just a new car. AND NOT A FIESTA OR FOCUS!
March 28th, 2014 at 3:36 pm
@Megan: You can review your State’s Lemon law by clicking here: https://www.lemonlaw.com/state-lemon-laws/
March 29th, 2014 at 1:01 pm
does anyone know an attorney handling these cases? I bought two of these and EXACT problems as described. Ford says they cant accept these complaints for another month and a half because of staffing issues. This has been ongoing for two years.
April 2nd, 2014 at 2:57 pm
@Margot: This is a Lemon Law blog sponsored and maintained by the Lemon Law firm of Kimmel and Silverman (https://www.lemonlaw.com). Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html to fill out your information for a free case review. We offer free legal help in 15 states. You can also call us at 1 800 LEMON LAW (1 800 536-6652).
April 4th, 2014 at 9:19 pm
I got my Fiesta at a Chevy dealership and I have had problems with the transmission basically from the time I drove it off the lot. It was used car and on the carfax report it said that the first owner had it looked at and the reprogrammed the transmission…I took it to the ford dealership and all they did was tell me that it was the computer trying to adjust to my driving…They then reprogrammed it. Well it still jerking / shuddering really bad when shifting from first to second. I love my car but worry about my safety at times..what do I do..I dont know
April 14th, 2014 at 3:06 pm
I bought a new 2012 Ford Fiesta in September 2012. I noticed after maybe 2000 miles of driving it, there was a subtle grinding sound similar to what others have described on here. I brought it up to the dealership when getting an oil change not long after, and they claimed there was nothing wrong with my car and even had me drive the car around with them to try and hear the sound. They claimed it was “the wind” and “the way my car is built”. Basically they tried to make me sound like I was crazy and nothing was wrong with my vehicle. The grinding sound has continued ever since. Now, my car is at 14,000 miles and it does a jerking, stuttering thing along with a louder grinding sound when I accelerate from a complete stop. I had my dad drive it around and he feared it was a transmission problem, so we took it straight to the dealership to get looked at. I guess Ford said it was a computer issue, so they did an update/reprogram. As I was driving it home from Ford, I noticed my car is still having the same problem. It’s like they didn’t fix anything at all. I’m not sure what to do about this. I’m honestly afraid to drive this thing around since I’ve seen that others haven’t even been able to stop at red lights. I also don’t want to risk it for 4000 more miles and then not be eligible for a refund under the Lemon Law. Am I eligible for a refund based on this information? (I live in and bought the vehicle in Ohio).
April 17th, 2014 at 3:25 pm
Well, 3 more days in the shop and Ford can’t find anything wrong with the car. She put it in again for the grinding noise (sounds like the engine is ready to fall out of the car), the transmission was slipping terribly in stop and go traffic, the grinding and hesitation when going up an incline at under 30 mph, and the windshield washer which has been broke for months. What can we do when Ford keeps telling us that the noise and everything else is normal? Does this still qualify for a failed repair attempt when they can’t find what the problem is?? This is ridiculous. They even gave us a 2-page list from Ford that explains all the noises we hear while driving the Fiesta are normal with that transmission. I have never in my life heard a new car making these noises. What can we do? We are very upset and heartbroken that this car has given us all of these problems and doesn’t even have 5,000 miles on it yet. Should we trade it in or pursue legal action via Lemon Law?? Do we still qualify??
April 17th, 2014 at 7:03 pm
6 gears i guess changing gears is hard on the little guy ford fiesta 2012, note she seems to work better with more gas in the tank. AKA less than 100km left and she starts to growl like a lion. I am pretty sure the gas tank is somehow not position properly so when gas is low it is sipping gas and not gulping thus less power and more weird noise coming from the engine. Note the engine runs pretty good now mine is at 30,000km and i had to bring it in 5 times so far, leaking rear axle(whatever that means) bring it in twice, had to reprogram the sync usb would not charge anything, the gas tank would take 30min to fill since it stop filling like its full when it was actually empty(happened in cold weather). And i had the jerking felling, she sometimes feels like she will stall but she is bluffing i guess they reprogrammed the engine and it seem to remedy the problem. I wonder what is the highest miles on a fiesta before the engine had to be replaced with all these issues they are having?
April 18th, 2014 at 2:25 pm
I hate my transmission, and every time I take it back to the dealer, they tell me it’s normal. They won’t even consider replacing anything. It’s not normal. It shakes my whole car on a regular basis as it shifts from 1st to 2nd, and sometimes into 3rd as well. Doesn’t always feel safe. But it’s almost 2 years old…do I still qualify for the lemon law?
April 21st, 2014 at 7:43 am
@Jess–Depends on state. Check your state’s Lemon Law by clicking here https://www.lemonlaw.com/state-lemon-laws/ but remember even if you are outside of Lemon Law, you can still file a Federal claim using the Magnuson Moss Warranty Act.
April 21st, 2014 at 7:45 am
@Rob: I would certainly consider filing. Review your state’s Lemon Law by clicking here: https://www.lemonlaw.com/state-lemon-laws/
April 22nd, 2014 at 11:44 am
@Chelsea: Please call us at 1 800 LEMON LAW (1 800 536-6652) to discuss or visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/rid.html to have us review your info for free. I think we can help.
April 23rd, 2014 at 11:43 am
For people that go into the service department and are treated unfairly call the Ford relations hotline. Go over the service departments head. They tried to do the same thing to me and I’m a mechanic. Ford Relations will have your car fixed. Service department doesn’t seem to care about customer satisfaction. They think we’re all idiots. And they will even try to tell you is your fault for driving it badly. BS. They need to address the problem instead of acting as if there isn’t one, because they will lose loyal customers. Service department doesn’t care. I left a 0 satisfaction survey on service because of this. And will not be buying another ford as long as they act clueless and blame the consumer for faulty transmissions. Here’s the number.
18003923673
April 23rd, 2014 at 11:46 am
Also I’ve noticed if you drove it like you stole it the shifting is fine for the most part. If you granny it and it jerks a lot. Try giving it a good amount of gas of the line. I have found that to help a lot and in some cases it fixed the problem temporarily. You have to out smart there “adaptive smart” transmission…
April 23rd, 2014 at 4:09 pm
You have many choices. File a lemon law suit. Sell the car to someone and wish them the best. Trade the “wheel barrel” in on another car that is actually worth the money. Keep the car, deal with the transmission issues, know that the transmission will need to be replaced every now and then.
I filed a lemon law suit, ford settled, traded the “wheel barrel” in on a Subaru and never looked back!
April 27th, 2014 at 12:03 pm
I bought a 2013 Festiva brand new for my 16 year old daughter. Poor thing hasn’t gotten to drive it alone because I’m afraid with the jerking and stalling she’ll end up dead in an accident. We’ve had it in the shop four times. Each time the dealership has reprogrammed the transmission. The last time they said that Ford had just came out with a new update and it should solve the problem. But it has not. We still have the shuttering and hesitation on take off and loss of power just driving down the highway. The dealership says there’s nothing wrong with it, it’s within Ford’s tolerance. If that’s the case then why do they keep reprogramming it? When bought the car it was quite. Now there’s just a chattering noise that is just not right. If this is normal and within tolerance why didn’t it do it when I test drove it? I went back to the dealership yesterday to get out of it and they expected me to take a $6500 loss.
May 2nd, 2014 at 3:59 pm
@James: Check into your lemon law rights. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/state-lemon-laws/ for information about your State’s laws.
May 5th, 2014 at 12:36 pm
Having similar transmission issues with a 2011; have been to the dealer three times and they say things like the computer needed to be reset etc., they have NOT replaced the transmission. I’m concerned about having an accident as well as I get the jerking, etc.
What can I do?
May 5th, 2014 at 4:00 pm
@Sherie: There appears to be a claim udner State or Federal Law. You can find a firm in your state by clicking here: https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html
May 27th, 2014 at 1:27 am
(2013 ford fiesta se 6 speed power shift) I bought this ford in 2013 I paid $ 1000 extra for an auto trans>so I thought 3 weeks in to this adventure the car started bucking jerking slipping I said to my self something is not right so I called ford service took it in they said it was normal car was breaking in> they gave me a letter it said quote this trans u have bought is (2) 3speed manual trans put together with an electric shifter however it will shift drive and sound like a manual trans but with out the interaction> Hello if I wanted an manual interaction I would have bought one I wanted and paid for an auto trans and why was this not disclosed when I bought this car in the first place from what I have seen this car has had issues since 2011 only thing ford has done was some software updates to buy time and continue to sell this car looking the other way as to date my trans went out at 10000 miles with a seal and clutches going out trans has been reset 3 times and now going in for #4 so same reason jerking lurching and u name it water pump replaced throttle position sensor rewire housing for steering wheel replaced im at 22000 miles im scared to drive this car its unsafe my back is up against the wall ford says car is ok what can I do please help
May 27th, 2014 at 7:45 pm
I live in Canada and purchased a 2011 fiesta brand new. I have had nothing but issues recalled twice, had to get it boosted, stalled and shut down, car now lunges. What can I do to get this rectified? I know I purchased a lemon but Canada doesn’t have a lemon law I can fall back on.
May 30th, 2014 at 3:18 pm
@Alvin: It’s time to speak to a lemon law lawyer about your rights. Please visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a firm in your state who can help you.
May 30th, 2014 at 3:19 pm
Simple……
Sell it and buy something different.
Ford Fiesta Sucks.
May 31st, 2014 at 9:21 pm
We bought our ford fiesta in 2011 and its 2012 model. Had few problems in germany and had it fixed while under warrenty. Now we moved to korea… our fiesta shots off while ideling, jerks forward, hard to shift and we never know any more when its gonna stop in tgw middle of the highway or uphill when going home. We have automatic transmittion and part of it has already fixed once. Can someone please let me know what to do? We really dont have money for the lawyers or to fix this car in korea…. thank you any sugestions are greatly appriciated.
June 9th, 2014 at 5:11 pm
I’ve had my Fiesta in the Ford service center over three times for “shudder” problems. My car has only 26,000 miles on it. Here’s what Ford tells dealerships what to do:
Go to the diagnostic manual to see if the problem can be fixed: 1). Recalibration – still my problem persists 2). Look for leaky bolt – they said they fixed it and I wouldn’t have any more problems. No go. Problem persists.
Go online. Dealerships are required to provide Ford with diagnostics to prove your car needs transmission repairs. The dealerships have to go through the iterations. It costs dealerships over $1,000 to fix transmission problems and they must prove they are needed to be reimbursed.
Bottom line – dealerships will gladly have your car in again and again since they know Ford won’t cover the services needed to fix a transmission.
June 12th, 2014 at 2:03 pm
@Kristi: You are correct on all fronts. You should look into your lemon law rights. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/state-lemon-laws/ to read about your state’s lemon law requirements.
June 16th, 2014 at 4:16 pm
I’ve taken my 2013 Fiesta in to the dealership 4 times already. The first two times they said it was normal. The problem is the clicking noise and shuddering/jerking were not there when I test drove the car and for the first 2,000 miles or so. Kept getting worse so the 3rd time they replaced the clutch. After a week I the problem restarted, this time with a new grinding noise. I almost got hit by a truck twice because the car loses power when accelerating from a stop, and suddenly lurks forward. The shuddering has gotten worse and it is hard shifting really bad. The maintenance head at the dealership told me privately that he knows this transmission is a problem, but he won’t back his words with Ford. The dealership keeps telling me the problem is normal, although it’s getting worse and they’re telling me the transmission is working as intended so Ford is not even authorizing clutch replacements anymore. Need help please!!!
June 20th, 2014 at 2:45 pm
@Sherman: Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a lemon law firm in your state.
June 20th, 2014 at 3:24 pm
Sell the Ford Fiesta POS and Buy a Subaru!
June 21st, 2014 at 8:48 pm
I have a 2012 ford Fiesta put my whole savings plus a small loan into this car and I am experiencing jerking and 99.99 percent of the time it does not want to take off I been told that it is normal and I took it in multiple times and the last time Ford told me that the clutch needed clean I would like to get all my money back for this agony of driving I dont want to to take it on trips or to just drive around never was explained to me never did this when I test drove the car I WANT MY MONEY BACK
June 30th, 2014 at 2:40 pm
I bought a new 2014 6 speed automatic about 6 months ago and it’s going into the shop tomorrow morning. The shifting is off and there’s a grinding noise. I’m not going to take an update for an answer. At lower speed the transmission constantly slips. Not only that but my screen has gone black a few times.
July 2nd, 2014 at 4:37 pm
Ok since everyone is very unpleasant about the issues they are have I’m not sure if every dealership is being honest or is up to date I have 4 friends that all work at my local dealership where I got my first that is unaffected because I got on with a manual transmission, but here is the problem and solution and just because your dealership won’t do the work or admit the problem you can take it to another dealership cause it is warranty work and should be covered……Ok so here is the issue and fix I hope you read this at the beginning of this problem was that they mechanical engineers didn’t realize that without a seal put in behind to output shaft the engine oil would leak through and end up on the clutches and cause slipping which is what is happening so first problem to fix put an oil seal on the output shaft second there is new programming for the transmissions cpu to assist with the shifting after all that should be no problems, it is short and sweet, now for all those bitching about Ford this was the first attempt to give automatic drivers the fuel mpg of the manual and still allow you to remain lazy, it is new tech not copied so no blueprints so there’s bugs just like your sweet iPhone and your pc’s Windows program s don’t blame Ford for shitty dealerships call and tell them your dealership is being shitty they will go after them
July 2nd, 2014 at 4:54 pm
Hi Frank
Are we xxx suppose to suffer because it was not tested properly. How dare you compare a cellphone to the price of a car. Also my dealership did that so called
fix but guess what it still jerks. I have under 9800 miles on a 2013 and it has been batches times. They were honestcthey fixed the oil leak and then they fixed the transmission. 500 miles later it is jerking again.
If they know they have a problem put me in a fusion that is a real automatic. They gave me that car while mine was being worked on the piece of crop. I blame Edmunds Kelly book and all of the other car websites who have said nothing about this issue.
July 3rd, 2014 at 8:48 am
I have a 2012 Ford Fiesta with about 24000 miles on it. When I first bought it it was making this incredibly unnerving grinding sound whenever I drove it, so I brought it back to the dealer to check out with about 200 miles on it. They said nothing was wrong with it. At about 17k-20k miles I noticed the grinding was getting much worse and the car started jumping, jerking and rumbling badly in low gears. I brought it to the dealer I purchased from and they said it was trasmission trouble but that I could drive it until they were ready to repair it, which didn’t sit well with me but I had little options so I took the car home and waited for the dealer to call. I waited 3 weeks, making a call every week until I finally decided to look for a different dealer. Finally found one that would help and they had my car for 3 or 4 days to repair the transmission. They said the clutch programming was reset and that in 300 or 400 miles it would have readapted to my driving and it would be fine. 2 days after I got it back it started back up again, rumbling, grinding and jerking. I brought it back and this time it took them almost 3 weeks to fix it. I was told they had a ford rep come out and sign off on it and test it and whatnot. I drive the car for about 2 days again (it drove amazing for those 2 days) and the SAME issue is happening, I’m going to have to bring it back for a 3rd time. Out of the past 6 or 7 weeks my car has spent 3-4 in the shop for this one issue. I’ve almost gotten into a few accidents while driving in stop and go traffic as a result of the jerking and lurching forward. I don’t feel safe driving this car anymore. Is there anything I can do besides bringing it back and leaving it at the dealer for another futile “repair” for potentially another 3 weeks?
July 21st, 2014 at 12:58 pm
Ford Fesitva….is a horrible nightmare!!! Bought this car becuz of great fords I have had in the past….this 2013 has problems that are not being addresses to the fullest….I realize the noise from the rear of the car is not all the time..but having this car in the shop all I hear is excuses, about the computer is learning how I drive and will take time to get use to it or it is the charatristic of vehicle ….WHAT???? Finally this week they did replace the clutch system ( I have an automatic) which is with a clutch that is computerized to adapt to automatic. I am at the point of dumping this piece of crap. I know if the problem does not exsist to the mechanic they cannot diagnois….but I am NOT making this up. I just am sick and tired of this and will consider getting rid of this car. I just wwant a reliable car for my retirement.
July 22nd, 2014 at 4:27 pm
Alina I’m having literally the same exact situation as you. I highly recommend you call ford not the dealership but ford. I have a 2014 and it’s just as bad. I am fighting them with the lemon law if it is not fixed. Get a case started with ford by calling them and complaining.
July 23rd, 2014 at 5:14 pm
Good luck Alina and everyone else. I’ve had the same problems.
I’ve filed two complaints with Ford
On my 2013 Fiesta. They even sent an engineer direct
From Ford to my dealership. They’ve been inside the transmission seven times now and have replaced all the transmission parts three times. Ford refuses to buy the car back. I’ve filed a complaint with the BBB on the lemon law. They are mediating it now. I contacted a lemon law attorney out of Ft. Worth, but is it really going to do any good?!?! I’ve bought four new Fords in the last two years, I can honestly say this Fiesta is the last Ford I will ever buy. They do not care about their customers.
July 24th, 2014 at 8:49 pm
We have a Fiesta and we have replaced top of the range Tyers for fear of an accident. My fiance drives through hills and valleys to get to work and back and there is shift problems such that she has almost gone off the edge of a cliff and it would have meant no more car or Marriage. This is putting loved ones and the whole community at risk and a recall and replacement is not a question but a responsibility if you are allowed to trade to consumers bragging about your so called safety. Its a new car!
July 26th, 2014 at 9:33 am
So I have a 2014 Fiesta and ist 10,000 miles noticed the rattling the dealer gave me a paper saying its a deafult on the models but no problem
Now I hear a noise when turning in slow gear
taking it today for the 10,000 maontenance ;ets see what they say
July 29th, 2014 at 8:11 am
Kristi,
I will definitely do that. Do you have a certain number you’re calling to dispute or can I get to the correct department using the general customer service number?
I’ve had several close calls on the highway these past few weeks due to the unresponsiveness of the transmission while trying to merge or accelerate, or the car lurching forward from a delayed gear shift. It’s completely unpredictable, and doesn’t feel safe to drive. Unfortunately I don’t have another car to use so I am stuck using this one. I’m not sure what Ford will do about it, even if I complain, but I really want to try.
July 30th, 2014 at 3:59 pm
Went to ford 3 times before they actually fixed the clutch in transmission that was leaking. It was lunging forward stalling grinding and shuttering. The fix was good until 3000 miles later it is happening again. Now what do I do. How does lemon law work do I get a new car do they payoff this one and leave me with no car I have a loan on this one.I am in Fl.it has 40000 miles approx
July 31st, 2014 at 12:27 pm
just brought a used 2012 fiesta from a Nissan dealer the tranny jerks n lags has no pickup n it feels like I need to put it in gear Nissan checked it n said nothings wrong made appt with ford for aug 1 now they call and till me they have to change it to aug 13 im so afraid of this car it sits in my driveway I hate driving it I have almost been hit twice as people think im moving when light changes and all car does is jerk till it starts to move
August 10th, 2014 at 9:40 pm
My car is currently at ford again for a third time. It’s a different dealership. The ford rep told me to bring it here. Just google ford corporate. They have been on top of my situation and after 15 days I’ll be filing. The technician can’t figure out what’s wrong with my 2014. The clutch has been replaced they are tearing the car apart now. They told me anywhere from a week to a month. They also had toldme to “drive it like I stole it” before they could make an appointment at the dealership. It didn’t work and it eventually just sat in my driveway. This is their last shot and then I will be filing for the lemon lawsuit. The vehicle just isent safe.
August 20th, 2014 at 8:54 pm
**IF YOU HAVE TROUBLE OUT OF THIS CAR PLEASE REPORT IT TO THE VEHICLE SAFETY COMMISSION. WITH ENOUGH COMPLAINTS THEY WILL RECALL THE PARTS THAT ARE CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION SHUDDER. ***
(link to nhtsa.dot.gov/VehicleComplaint/confirm.xhtml no longer valid, link removed – admin)
PLEASE. THIS NEEDS TO STOP. FORD NEEDS TO OWN UP TO WHAT THEY’VE DONE AND STOP SCREWING US OVER.
August 21st, 2014 at 2:15 pm
I have a 2013 ford Fiesta and i bought it brand new.. Everything I have read – describes my situation TO THE T!! I have been without my car now for 3 months!! and now they are having to call in an engineer too – to see what the problem is- the car had clutch problems, in april- they replaced it- and in may I almost got hit because of slow accelateration.. and it had loud grinding noises, a really loud metal scraping noise and they tell me its the clutch set up- the programming, the seal and now a noise they cant find whats causing it.. at this point i DO NOT WANT THIS CAR BACK… I WILL NEVER FEEL SAFE IN IT- what are my rights? here stuck in Louisiana
August 27th, 2014 at 9:00 pm
Is anyone having any luck with calling ford corporate or any other method of trying to get them to act on any of this? I’ve almost gotten into so many accidents and I can’t keep taking off work to bring the damn thing to the shop as often as it has been to maintain this clutch resetting/replacing. I’m pretty sure we’re all feeling the same way at this point. Just looking for some potential for getting it replaced with something else.
August 28th, 2014 at 2:02 pm
I’ve had 2 clutches replaced in my fiesta and 1 transmission replaced. It’s a 2014 automatic. I’ve had it in the shop 3 times. This last time they had it for 3 weeks (over 15 days) and 4 hours after having it the same problems were there but worse then they were before it went in. When I called corporate ford they couldn’t find a manager to speak to me right away. I am so disgusted it is not even funny. I HATE this car. Now when I turn it on, back up, or even drive forward the grinding sounds like nails on a chalkboard but 10x worse. I don’t know what to do anymore I am to the point this car is junk. It only has 16,000 miles on it. Enough is enough.
September 2nd, 2014 at 9:20 am
The ford fiesta is a joke. Transmission warning light comes on in stop and go traffic. Enterprise rental car said they were not aware of any problems with ford fiesta. Of course, most ‘sales people’ are only interested in sales and not service. Please beware of ford fiesta…don’t buy them dont rent them.
September 2nd, 2014 at 11:36 am
I purchased a 2014 Ford Fiesta sedan in late Jan. of ’14. I had the car about 3 months when I heard some rattling under the front end. I ran it by the Ford place. The guys took it back and came our grinning, saying my licence plate was loose and he had tightened it. I heard the same noise on the way home. I knew it was coming up on a check up time but ran it by a second time. One of the servicemen rode around the block with me and heard the noise. He said it was nothing to worry about…something with celenoids. Almost a month later, I had to take it in for the check up. I only had about 3500 miles on it, but the car was 6 months old so they said yes, bring it in. I complained again about the rattle and on my papers, it says the technichian found nothing. I asked, weel, then what it is. He said it was to do with the transmission and again I was told it was nothing to worry about. I have nick named the car “Leaping Lena.” No explanation necessary for those who have one. In the past, I have dealt with Ford with great success. I have owned a Thunderbird, Contour, Mustang, Fusion and now in my old age, I thought I only needed this little Fiesta…OMG, I dread to think what might be going on underneath the front end. I also found on a hill, it does not accellerate as well as it should. I also thought a new car warranty got you through your first few check ups without cost. My first check up was $49.97. Is there anything I can do about this impending wreck before it happens?
September 8th, 2014 at 5:36 pm
Program number 14M01 from ford canada
I am included in this with a ford fiesta 2012 ses
it has to do with extending the warranty period for transmission studdering while accelerating. it states 160,000 km or 7 years after vehicle purchase which ever is shorter. My vehicle does this yours most likely as well so bring it to a dealer and they are supposed to fix the problem. vehicles clutch transmission input shaft seals, or transmission software update
September 9th, 2014 at 12:45 pm
@Sue. Speak to a lemon law attorney. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find one in your state.
September 9th, 2014 at 12:52 pm
@Alina: Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a lemon law lawyer in your state to discuss your rights.
September 9th, 2014 at 12:59 pm
So, I owned a 2011 (did you see that I used the word “owned”) Ford Fiesta SES. Had everything in it except leather seats. I had a transmission replaced with in the first 10k miles. I had bearing failure 10k mile after that. The car jumped, grinds, growled, cried, and proved itself at being a piece of crap. What did I do you ask? I filed a Lemon Law Suit against Ford using the lawyers from this website. It took a year and patience but Ford settled out of court and I now own a Subaru.
File Lemon Law Suit against Ford if you are able to. Ford will fold.
Good Luck -Greg.
September 12th, 2014 at 9:13 am
I also bought one of these lousy Ford Fiesta lemons, I took it back to the dealership , told them to stick it you know where, never went back to get it, they auctioned it off , tried to take me to court , etc.etc. They never got a nickel from me and never will. I tried the lemon law thing and the better business bureau and everything else, I refuse to go through all of that . They have turned it over to a bill collector ….. BIG WHOOP. I will never , EVER even think of buying another Ford , what a sorry a** company. I bought that piece of crap with no momey down and never even had time to get the first license plate on it , so it was never registered in my name at the courthouse etc. KISS MY ASS FORD, YOU WILL NEVER GET A PENNY . I will sue you first.
September 18th, 2014 at 3:49 pm
Hey John Doe,
I hope you have disposable income and you don’t care about your credit. That was a very poor way to go about that.
Good luck Joe Schmo
September 21st, 2014 at 12:19 am
I purchased my 2012 Ford Fiesta in September 2011, with only 5 miles on the engine. On the way home, I began to feel the shuddering and hard shifting in the transmission and took it back to the dealership about a week later for them to look at it, everything came back fine. The problem however continued, so I took it to a different dealership for their opinion and they kept my car for 3 hours and came back to tell me it’s the way the transmission is built and the way ford changed their transmission, so it’s adjusting constantly as I’m driving and sounds different than a wet clutch transmission. Well, I let it go, but it started struggling to shift up from first to second and back down, and you hear a grinding noise. Also, when putting the car in reverse, it seems to not wanting to go. I again reported it before my warranty was up, because I didn’t want to screwed and they again told me nothing was wrong.
Now though, I have received the notice about them extending the warranty for my car and to bring in my car for service, and if they determine that it needs to be fixed, they’ll fix it- if not, then again I’m SOL pretty much.
I’ve now had the car for 3 years and I wish I would of tried to submit it as a lemon, because I hate my car! I like Ford, but the Fiesta was a mistake! I’m going to attempt though to let them fix the transmission, but with my luck, they’ll tell me that there’s nothing wrong with it.
September 29th, 2014 at 9:06 pm
We also own a 2011 Ford Fiesta. My children and I were almost killed when the car just suddenly died on the freeway. The dealership has always given us the run around. Now we just had to shell out 1600 for the transmission. We are so frustrated. Our plan is to trade it in for a different car (company) and then go after Ford.
October 1st, 2014 at 1:41 pm
@Ashley: I would still speak to a lemon law firm regarding your rights. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a firm in your state. We handle many 2011 vehicles.
October 3rd, 2014 at 9:57 am
I have a 2011 Fiesta about a year after owning it the transmission began to make noises and hesitate alot. I had it looked at by two different garages and they said it was fine but they did not know where the noise was coming from. So I wait until I get this notice (not a recall) but notice that if I am having problems to make an appointment and they will fix it for free. My car goes to the garage and they said it has lots of problems with the transmission. Un forteunetely more problems then what is covered so it will cost me $1500.00 to have it fixed. Of course I flipped but they said the good news is Ford will pay for 50%. I said why just 50% and they said because I was 370 miles over my warrenty. I stated I drove more then that while I waited for you to check it into the garage. They said sorry and I shold call Ford. I called Ford and spoke to Amber and she said sorry I was over my warrenty. I said listen the other problems with my transmission linkage is due to the clutch slipping. She said I am sorry she has no information in regards to this situation. I said with insinc you can see my milage so you know on this date when I called the garage to make an appointment I was under the wareenty milage. She said sorry it took so long to get it in the garage but that is not Ford’s fault and I should be happy they are paying for 50%. I asked to speak to her manager which is Amber as well (I think they are all Amber’s) and she said I couldn’t she was busy but she would have her call me in the next 24 hours. The call never came. I am very dissapointed I have always bought Fords. I am going to sue Ford Motor Company for the $750.00 they are forcing me to pay but I am sure it will take years to get it.
Don’t buy a Ford
Colin
October 6th, 2014 at 2:49 pm
I purchased a Ford Fiesta 2011 in October, 2010. As of today, it has approximately 50,000. Over the past four years I brought my car in consistently for regular service and complained at at least 3 of these regularly scheduled visits of issues with my car’s transmission (the same issues described in detail from the numerous posters above). I was told over and over again that the sounds, vibrations, sudden dying of the engine, etc. were expected for the car or I was sold various expensive services (engine flushes, replacement of barely worn brake pads [under the pretense that, per an e-mail from their service representative, “the pads are worn down…which requires the hyrdolic [sic] calipers to compress more than they should…which uses more brake fluid than it should” and causes the car to shut off). All of these services would allegedly solve the continual issues I have had with the car from day 1, and yet none of them have worked. Although it appears that I do not meet the requirements to initiate a New York State lemon law suit, I am wondering if I am afforded any Federal warranty protections that would enable me to simply be rid of my car. I have two young children and simply do not feel safe driving them in the car.
October 15th, 2014 at 11:40 am
Sad to say the issues with the transmission HAS not been ironed out as projected. First posts on these issues date back to 2011.
My husband and I just purchased a 2013 Fiesta with 19,000 miles in hopes of better gas mileage and better reliability. So far, a complete nightmare!!
Have had this car approximately 3 months and it’s already been in the shop 4 times. Shuddering, lunging, failing to engage, loss of power, ratting sounds while shifting (like I’m dragging chains underneath the car),etc. etc. I came home every night in tears, and in fear for the safety of my kids. This may sound funny, but I explained to my husband that the car acted like a moody toddler that needed frequent naps. After driving each day for 2-3 hours, it felt like the car was over-worked, tired, and about ready to crap out.
First repair took approximately 2 weeks. Was told there was a problem with the double clutch and once I received the car back, all should be working properly. WHY are they selling cars with KNOWN technical problems in the first place?? Shouldn’t these issues have been corrected BEFORE going on the showroom floor?
Got the car back, and it drove OKAY for approximately 2 days then began in with the same issues as before.
Took the car in again, only to be told the computer chip needed to be re-set and once the car was familiar with my driving style, (after 1,000 miles)the problems should subside. So, I have to deal with this and hold my breath and bite my tongue for a full 1,000 miles of driving???!!. Unacceptable.
Third time in the shop, told the mechanic the problems were still occurring and I needed it FIXED this time. Got a phone call back within hours telling me to pick up the car. Receipt noted that the mechanic could not identify any of the problems I was stating, and in fact, the car was running within all “normal” operating levels for this particular car. So, in essence, they were saying “sorry, but this car is currently as good as it will ever get.” Then the mechanic proceeded to insult my intelligence by stating “All cars make noises and shutter slightly when shifting and this is normal, nothing to worry about.” ARE YOU KIDDING ME? It’s NORMAL to feel like the engine is going to fall out onto the road? It’s NORMAL to have to park the car for an hour in the midst of my daily errands so it can “rest”? I’m 40 years old and have driven a lot of cars..this is in no way normal!
Since then, about one month’s time I’ve been researching complaints and am appalled. This car is junk. I have driven it, because I have no choice, but it scares the living crap out of me and isn’t in any way a pleasant and smooth ride as you would expect with a newer car. I’ve had 20 year old cars that drove better than this. Unfortunately, there isn’t anything I can do about it given my finances and given the fact that the dealership insists the car is fine. So I’m stuck.
4 days ago, I noticed a burning smell and smoke from the engine. Checked the oil and it was BONE DRY. Where was my check engine light or low oil warning? Apparently this “perfect” car isn’t equipped with one, or it doesn’t work. Replaced 5 quarts of oil, only to have it drained completely within 2 days. Major leak, and so off to the dealership once again. There she sits waiting for another half-a$$ed repair fix. What next Ford??? SO MAD I could spit!!
October 22nd, 2014 at 11:54 am
i am at the dealership now for the 3rd time in 7 months. This vehicle is ridiculous I was bringing my homes son from surgery and because of the jerking motion it caused his stitching to come undone and so we had to turn around and go back to the hospital now they’re telling me that they cannot continue to keep working with me on this issue that it’s becoming too common for me to be in here because of issues with my car.also I was supposed to leave three hours ago to take my son to his next surgery and I can’t even drive my car 10 miles down the road because it is screwed up my tires now!!!!!!!!!
October 22nd, 2014 at 9:42 pm
I have a 2013 ford Fiesta se and it does nothing but grind clank and jerk on stopping and acceleration , is there anyway I can return the car I had car for Lil past 1 year it has 17 thousand miles I can’t drive it bc had knee surgery and it’s to hard for me to get in n out of it please help I can’t afford payments either since I’m on worker comp too .
October 24th, 2014 at 12:50 pm
@Kris: In order to possibly return the car, you must fall under lemon law parameters. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a firm in your state.
October 24th, 2014 at 12:56 pm
@erin: It’s time to look into your rights. Please visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a firm in your state.
October 24th, 2014 at 1:05 pm
2012 Ford Fiesta:
Purchased my car in 12/4/12 ORIGINAL OWNER!
Have had my vehicle in several times for not only transmission concerns but also front end shaking, which was related to rotors failing (warped). When I purchased the vehicle, I began experiencing transmission concerns. Took it to the dealer I purchased it with, they told me nothing about the awareness of the transmission issues. In Fact I ran into the salesman who stated he just found out himself and is he had known he would not advised the purchase of this vehicle. After a couple of appointments with the dealer, it was at this point that they stated the symptoms from the transmission are a common occurrence with a 6 speed auto & dual clutch. I accepted that for a short while, since they had been repairing the transmission/clutch with no cost out of my pocket. But, I have now spent more time back and forth between the dealer and having to leave my car for diagnoses and repair work and it is getting very old. Not to say what this does for the resale of the vehicle. The repairs for the transmission/clutch have been endless, replacing seals, reprogramming computers etc etc. I have been into the dealer five (5) occasions for the same issue, with some occasions having to leave the car with the dealer for days (parts were back ordered). Clearly Ford was not initially willing to acknowledge the issue and make good. Repair work on Transmission: Date, Mileage, repairs thus far:
5/03/13: 9,659: reprogramming, adaptive learning
7/11/13: 13,193: IDS updated, reset adaptive learning
10/29/13: 19,945: clutch assembly, seals, gaskets replaced, Transmission assistance programming
5/21/14: 33,062: replaced output shaft: seal asy., bearing asy., clutch asy. Etc etc.
10/7/14: 42,757: Repair code 11 and 31: power control, transmission control and computer updates.
11/22: called Ford Dealer service: the shuttering and hesitations are normal transmission operation, can bring to dealer for additional diagnoses, if I felt so inclined. Thanks for the lack of help!
On top of the safety and repair issues, the repair was covered under warranty, but since I drive a bit of a distance for work, as you can see have driven over the 36,000 mile warranty, so I had to PURCHASE on my own FORD extended warranty. I had a feeling this issue with the transmission would not go away, so thought it would be best to protect myself anyway I could. Just following my purchase of the extended warranty, FORD to send me a letter (you can guess for what) extending their warranty for seven (7) years or 100,000 miles for the transmission/clucth. Wow, now I am stuck with an extended warranty and still making payments on it, which I no longer require. Why did FORD not inform me prior to purchasing the warranty on my own? Just another example of the lack of care from FORD!
I found that out months later on reviews of the fiesta, with no support from FORD. This is the WORST car I have ever driven. I thought about trying to actually get rid of the car so my for anything else, but with the issues from the transmission and since it’s still being paid for, I will never see the blue book value, so I am stuck with this UNSAFE and useless car that will get me killed one of these days.
Why in god’s name is there not a class action lawsuit on ford?
Where do I stand on a lemon law for Connecticut?
October 24th, 2014 at 1:10 pm
@Mark Find info on CT Lemon Law by clicking here: https://www.lemonlaw.com/connecticut-lemon-law.html You need to do something soon. Your mileage could be a big obstacle.
October 24th, 2014 at 3:47 pm
The Fiesta is a piece of shit. Had to sue Ford
October 24th, 2014 at 11:56 pm
We paid Ford to fix our transmission on our Ford Fiesta 2011. Took it straight over to the Toyota dealership to trade it in. It was only about 1 mile away. They had two staff members test drive it before we traded it in. They came back and told us something was wrong with our transmission. We owed $11,000. Toyota gave us $6,000. Yes the loss hurt our pocketbook, but we were so happy to get rid of this unsafe car.
October 29th, 2014 at 12:37 pm
My ford fiesta is doing everything above plus yesterday for the first time when I hit the break pedal it felt like it jumped and didnt break, I notice the shifting problem after a week and when I called the sales man he said that was impossible, it sort of went away for about a month it began backing up without being on reverse and jerking, I took it to the dealership to have it looked at they said the run a computer test on it, it only got better for a couple of days until it began acting up a second time and even worst, when I called a second dealer to take a look at it I was advice there is a recall on the vehicle which I was never adviced, besides that the car burns gas like crazy I also have a corolla and even when is a bigger car the corolla burns half of the fiesta, I am so upset about the deal not only due to the problems but because I honestly believe we overpaid for the vehicle, I bought this vehicle for 17445.00 on July 31st with 27,000 miles and not at almost 30,000 it has given me a lot of headaches
October 29th, 2014 at 1:09 pm
@Alba: I am hoping after coming to our site, you are prepared to fight for your rights. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a lemon law attorney in your state who may be able to help.
November 4th, 2014 at 7:28 pm
I’ve had my Fiesta since June 2013, and it hasn’t been a fiesta to drive. It’s lurched/jerked/stalled at acceleration since about 2000 miles in, but I ignored it because I was convinced “it’s a Ford, it’s a 4cylinder, it is what it is” even though it was a safety hazard. I’ve nearly had multiple accidents. I finally got the “software update” letter from Ford this past summer, and I took my car into the dealership around late September. They replaced one of the two clutches, “updated the software”, and replaced a few leaking seals/transmission fluid before sending me on my way (thankfully covered under warranty). Immediately after picking it up, I knew it still wasn’t right. It now vibrates at speeds above 60mph, and it does still stall out on occasion – it tried to die on me on a busy road with my mother driving one day! My mother is an aggressive driver, has driven standards all her life, and she swears this car runs worse than any standard she’s driven. We took it in for the vibrating in early October – the dealership came back saying my tires were almost bare and needed immediate replacement (and they were very quick to offer me a quote on their own tires, which I declined, instead going elsewhere). They were right…I had had a blowout on the highway a few weeks before. How is it that my tires were bad 26,000 miles in? Ugh. But I digress…I had the tires replaced and balanced, and it’s still vibrating. The stalling isn’t constant, but it does happen. We just picked it up from its third dealership visit, where they said they “couldn’t duplicate the problem”. The dealership is at the point where they’ve been very rude about helping me, and my caseworker at Ford Customer Service won’t actually listen to me. I know I didn’t start taking the car in until it had already been over a year, and I live in Texas. I just want to know if I’m eligible for the lemon law…I’m a photographer. And my equipment is owned by the company. If something happens to me or the equipment because of the car’s transmission, it’s Ford’s fault. What can I do?
November 10th, 2014 at 7:48 pm
Purchased my 2011 Ford Fiesta brand new. Had no problems and my dad drove it back and fourth to West Virginia every day. So the car has about 90,000 miles on it. In month of September 2014 I received a notice my transmission was recalled. I took my car to get serviced in October of 2014. Was told the car was completely fixed and I would have no issues. About 2 weeks after leaving the garage, my car started stalling and the RPM would max out. The transmission is extremely glitchy. Called the ford garage that serviced my car and was told that everything was fine and to drive the car 1000 miles and it would fix itself. Drove it for about 500 miles the car began stalling so badly that I’m scared to drive it for fear of being hit. Contacted the garage again, they ran codes on my car. They told me nothing with the transmission was coming up so it was my fault and I was responsible for getting it fixed. HOWEVER the car was not doing any of this until they serviced my transmission. WHAT CAN I DO PLEASE HELP!!!
November 11th, 2014 at 11:22 pm
I bought my 2011 Fiesta in September 2010 in Portland, OR and now I live in Orange, CA. I’ve always noticed the lack of power and the chugging that the car possesses, but not until about 3 months ago did I start having serious issues with the car. It started when I rapidly accelerated – the hill assist and transmission lights came on and the car started putting. I turned off the car, turned it back on, and the lights went away. This made me think that it was a computer issue. A few days later, I rapidly accelerated again, both lights came back on, as well as the engine light was flashing. This really scared me because a flashing engine line means the car is about to shut down. I immediately went to my local Ford dealership and they kept my car for 5 days while they investigated. They tried to tell me it was a flywheel issue (right…?) and they replaced that. I got my car back, literally drove off the lot, accelerated rapidly and the lights all came back on. I refused to turn the car off (because that seemed to “reset” the lights) so I drove right back to the dealership, made the service guy come out and showed him that they were back on. He told me to come back in the morning to leave the car again because they must not have reset the computer properly. I left the car there again for another two days (all while arguing over who should pay for the rental car – NOT ME) and they apparently reset the computer. I got the car back and to my surprise, I had 0 miles of gas left (granted I left my car with them with just about 50 miles remaining, but how am I even supposed to get to a gas station with 0 miles left? Not to mention what awful customer service that is! I demanded they drive my car to a gas station and put SOMETHING in it. They weren’t happy but they did it. They also lost my keys and my paperwork and left me waiting for 30+ minutes while they searched for it – not part of the car issue but this builds to the frustration of the situation – especially since my family are lifetime Ford-owners). The car was fine after all this for about a month and then a week ago I rapidly accelerated on the freeway and the engine light came on and the car could barely shift between gears. I thought it was going to die then and there on the side of the freeway. The whole car shook and chugged and stalled whenever I’d press on the gas OR brake petals. I limped it back home, let it sit for two days, the engine light turned off, and the car seemed to drive normal (as normal gets for this car). I started driving it again after that and the same problem happened again, TWICE, only now just restarting the car doesn’t make the engine light turn off – it has to sit there for at least a few hours for that to happen. I am deeply disappointed and frustrated that I have paid almost $14,000 for this car and I still have $7000 to go. I am taking the car into another local dealership tomorrow to go over the engine light / chugging / shifting issues, but something deep down tells me that even if they “fix” it, they really won’t fix it for good. I am afraid to drive this car anywhere, let alone anywhere farther than 2 miles from home.
November 13th, 2014 at 3:30 pm
had a new focus replaced this year under the lemon law…40000 plus miles due to rattles and the local dealership refusing to perform any further work on the vehicle. it has been replaced with a 2015 fiesta st with, now, 4000 miles. dealer has seen the car for brake noise, sounds like sand paper and for rattles. did some brake work, smoothing the discs and I do not know what IF ANYTHING TO THE PADS. Now there are dash rattles that have been present that the dealership says they cannot hear but they are still there. dealer wants me to take it to another dealership but not one locally . The next area with greater resources is Portland, Oregon…5 hours and 300 miles away. Suggested that the technicians drive the car for 2 dAYS TO DETERMINE IF THEY CAN HEAR THE NOISE…SAID NO and the reference to taking it to another dealership was made.
November 18th, 2014 at 5:51 pm
well here it is November and I picked up my car after 3 months being at the dealers repair shop and GUESSS WHAT… IT STARTED DOING IT AGAIN.. I WAS TOLD BY FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT ALL THE GRIDING, HEAVY SHIFTING, HESITATION. IS GOING TO BE NORMAL CLUTCH SOUNDS AND “I NEED TO DEAL WITH IT”
Then I receive a card in the mail about a free turkey and the ford exchange program… what a joke.. i took it in to trade and my payoff is 14,000 ( 2013 Ford Fiesta SE) purchased brand new and they will only give me 8500.00!!! SERIOUSLY.. not to mention all the negative reports on carfax!!! Quite upset here!
November 19th, 2014 at 10:50 am
@Shannon: It’s time to discuss this matter with a lemon law lawyer. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a firm in your state to help.
November 19th, 2014 at 11:03 am
@Mikayla: Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a lemon law firm in your state.
November 20th, 2014 at 7:29 am
My daughter is young single mother of two on a very tight budget. She was so excited to buy her first car, 2011 FORD FIESTA . Sadly within the first year she had brakes done, window trim fixed, seal and gasket replaced and Transmission clutch system replaced. Then March of this year her Transmission clutch system had to be replaced again and starter module. The Transmission clutch system was covered however she was 7000km over her warranty and the rest she paid out of pocket. The very nice Service Manager helped to get the cost down of starter module even though we felt she shouldn’t of paid. Now 5 months later the transmission clutch system has gone again. The THIRD transmission clutch system. After complaining to the Canadian Executive Leader, advising my daughter will have loss of wages and no vehicle she authorized a rental, also the Service Manager went above and beyond. Yesterday, she had her car parked with emergency brake on the car moved and hit a dumbster, she was out of the car. I am very concerned for my daughter and my Grandboys safety. I called the Service Manager and the Executive Team again. This is alarming. It is very sad a company that prides themselves on helping family with safe vehicles.
November 20th, 2014 at 9:30 pm
well first off it’s the clutch seal and the dual clutch that need to be replaced and if you own a fiesta then you will or have gotten a letter in the mail from ford explaining all of this I just had mine in the dealership last week and it took a day and a half to fix and it’s no cost to the customer they have a recall for it!
November 26th, 2014 at 3:24 pm
Justin
You just had it replaced. I think the majority of us had it fixed. I did receive the letter.
You will be coming back to this blog. The fix does not work . It works for a while and then you are back to same jerking problems. Your car sometimes feels like it is just going to cut off.
November 26th, 2014 at 4:55 pm
Well according to the letter it’s covered from the time you have it fixed to a hundred thousand miles so get it fixed again! I love my fiesta
November 28th, 2014 at 6:42 pm
I have a 2011 fiesta and have had nothing but issues. Currently the car is sitting at the dealership again (was there last week also) – the transmission malfunctioned – I won’t know the extent of fixing it until Monday.
This seems to be a problem with these cars. What can people do in Canada in terms of filing a complaint, as we don’t have a lemon law.
December 2nd, 2014 at 11:59 am
I have a 2013 Ford Fiesta. I have been hearing banging and clanking under the hood since a month after driving it off the car lot with 15 miles on it. it jerks and I have trouble accelerating I finally got them to look at it after numerous calls and a prior visit, and they claimed it was a wire problem which they fixed. The day after the visit my engine light came on and the engine was humming and sounded like it was going to blow up. after calling numerous more times I finally spoke to a manager told me to make another appointment. when I tried to do so twice they told me that there is nothing wrong with it due to the engine light going off and since it wasn’t on there was nothing they could do. the car is getting worse and now I have an electric problem is well I believe I have trouble unlocking my doors at times and my radio keeps shorting out. I have tried everything I know to get this problem resolved. why won’t anyone do anything to get this problem fixed!? I work hard to pay them every month and they get away with not honoring their warranty…its ridiculous!
December 18th, 2014 at 7:18 pm
2012 Fiesta with the same jerky transmission issues that everyone has. “Fixed” a couple of times and now the dealership says nothing can be done. Ford says that we’re out of the Lemon Law period so basically we can go fly a kite. I wish so much that I had done the Lemon Law procedure during the allowable time.
Now im sitting in a parking lot waiting for a tow because its got some electrical problem now and wont start.
I grew up in Detroit and thought Ford was a good company. I will NEVER buy a Ford again. Its the new F word in my house.
January 18th, 2015 at 12:30 pm
I have a 2013 Ford Fiesta and I’m taking it back to the shop tomorrow for the third time with same issue for transmission in second gear. First time they updated computer in it, second time they manually “fixed it” lord only knows what they will be telling me this time. My issues with transmission is all the same in the replies above. Slipping, stalling hard shifting into 2nd gear. I bought the car in 2013 being a second owner on it at 3400 miles. I started having issues at 14000 miles. Ford warranty on transmission is besides drive train is 60,000. So far I have found through reading different info that there have been several suites against Ford for this reason, but I have read that ford plans to do no recall. Very disappointing to be paying for a new car and have it in the shop more times then I have enjoyed it.!
January 19th, 2015 at 12:48 pm
@Amber: It’s time to look into your lemon law rights. Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a firm in your state to discuss the matter.
February 2nd, 2015 at 6:15 pm
I have an 2013 ford fiesta and i have been experiencing the transmission problems. when i am at a stop accelerating makes jerks. ford needs to recall these vehicles. i should have never bought this car
February 7th, 2015 at 11:36 am
I’ve always love Fords. Had an 1994 Explorer that was my favorite car. Was so excited when I got my 2011 Fiesta. Now, feeling like I will never by another Ford. Have had nothing but problems with the transmission. Don’t feel like the car is safe. Felt funny at first but of course got the “It’s a new type of transmission, you’ll get used to it” so I went with it because I loved the car and the mpg. Since getting it in 4/2011, hesitations, hard shifts, sometimes doesn’t shift, not to mention it sounds like it is chewing on rocks whenever it shifts. Already had transmission work done (waited months for the parts to get in) and now having the same trouble again. What is going on with Ford. Why aren’t’ they taking care of this.
February 8th, 2015 at 1:58 pm
I have 2011 Fiesta SES with < 20K miles that has had several issues. Last year I noticed moisture on the inside windshield overnight and had the dealer check it out. They could find nothing. A few weeks later discovered that the spare tire wheel well had about an inch of standing water in it just from normal rain. Took it back in and the dealer kept it for 2 weeks (sending it out to a leak firm to find the leaks) and they did completely fix that issue. They did give me a free loaner and charged me $100 out of the total $400 bill which I felt was fair since I was out of warranty. Last month, I went back in with a service engine light on that indicated a charging problem they could not find. They reset the codes, then 3 days later the light comes back on. They told me they would charge to read the code again so I bought a code reader to check it myself. The new code was a catalytic converter under limits message. I just reset it again and no more codes so far.
Now, I have begun to get that shuddering when accelerating that feels like a manual transmission in too high a gear with the clutch engaged. I had also noticed the acceleration delay and response lag that many have reported since I first had the car, but I assumed it was related to the lower powered vehicle than what I normally drive.
I'm going back to the dealer tomorrow to check for the transmission recall problem, but they already said they will probably just reset the engine computer as a first step. So far, this dealer has been very good at taking care of these problems, but I'm starting to be concerned at the number of things like leaks that should not happen with a 4 year old, 20,000 mile car.
February 19th, 2015 at 8:41 pm
I recently decided to finance a ford fiesta to get away from prior car problems. Although it’s not from a ford dealership so I am kind of afraid of my outcome of this situation. I got it a month ago from a buy here , pay here place called Auto start USA . I test drove it and I felt a weird shifting with the gears. I consulted the car place about it and they said that’s how it’s supposed to drive. So I test drove it again, wrench light popped on. It was supposed to indicate maintenance. So I believed them and went ahead with getting the car. I took it up to the cat place again and said maintenance wasn’t the issue, it was a module so they replaced a so called module. But, it took two weeks for them to figure that out! Then I finally got my car back 3 weeks later. On day , I drove to school and the car drove right through a red light and I was two seconds away from hitting a semi truck. Wht is there to do at this point. I paid my cat until Aug with a 1500$ down payment . I don’t want all my money to be lost but, I don’t want to die because of ford’s faulty cars!
February 21st, 2015 at 3:31 pm
I have a 2013 Ford Fiesta SE standard trans. One time last year, during a cold day in winter, my check engine light came on. My dad has a code reader and it read as a P0300 Random Misfire. We cleared the code to see if it would come back on, and it never did. Figured it was just a one time misfire for what ever reason. Never came on during the summer. Now this winter, it had come on numerous times, all on cold days (below 15F), all with the P0300 trouble code. I use the block heater on the cold mornings, and let it warm up at least 5 mins. before I start driving. I got it in to the ford dealership, but by the time they could get me in, the code had already cleared itself. They told me they couldn’t find anything, and to keep driving it. The last two times that the engine light has come on, it has been when driving at about 28-30 mph, 4th gear, at about 1600 rpm. I could feel a little jerkiness while driving, and then looked down and saw the engine light was on.
I doubt anything serious is wrong with it, but i shouldn’t have a check engine light repeatedly coming on on a car that’s not even 2 years old. As I understand the lemon law, if i bring it in to the dealership 3 times for the same issue, it can be classified as a lemon, correct?
I like my car, and don’t necessarily want a new one. I just want them to be a little more proactive in finding out what the problem is.
February 25th, 2015 at 3:58 pm
Tim: Visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a lemon law firm in your state to inquire about your rights.
February 25th, 2015 at 9:19 pm
I bought a 2012 Ford Fiesta on November 28, 2014. It has 21048 miles on it when I bought it. I am the second owner of it. I noticed that weekend that there was a grinding noise coming from the front driver’s side when coasting down a hill. I called the dealership on Monday and they told me to bring it in that following Saturday (December 16th). I took it in and they said the brake caliper was sticking and that is what was causing the grinding noise. They fixed it then and there. I left the dealership and as soon as I started driving it home it was still making the same grinding noise. I called the dealership again that Monday and they scheduled it to come in on December 26th. When I took it in the mechanics took it for a drive and came back and told me it was the step motor and it would have to be replaced. They gave me a rental car to use while mine was in the shop. Not one time did they call me and tell me ANYTHING. If I found out any information I had to call them. So after it being in the shop for over a week I was told it wasn’t the step motor but instead was the clutch kit assembly. They would have to order the part but it was on national back order. So I waited and waited and waited for what seemed like a eternity and finally on January 15th I was able to go pick my car up. It drove fine that night but the next day it started making the grinding noise again. Only this time it was just when I was going downhill but when I was staying around the speeds of 30-40 miles an hour. I called the dealership that day and told them. I had to make an appointment to bring the car in and take the “Ford Service Manager” a ride to show him the noise. He heard it “faintly” he said but said he would have to get the “Ford Advisor” in on it and let him heard it to see if it was a “normal” noise or not. So I waited and waited (almost 2 weeks) and still didn’t hear anything from him. While I was waiting to receive a call back from them the grinding was getting worse. I got in touch with the consumer relations at the dealership and got them involved. They then said for me to bring the car over on Tuesday night (February 10th) so they could drive it from a cold start on Wednesday morning. I waited and waited and finally on Friday I called to see what they found out. They said that the “Service Manager” drove it home on Thursday night and heard the same grinding noise. They also said that they would have to check the TSB’s on this particular noise to try to find out what it was. The following week I was told that they felt that the grinding noise and everything matched the output shaft in the transmission and that’s what they were going to replace. I went tonight (February 25th) to pick up my car and was told it was the carrier bearing and cap on the axle that was causing the noise. They said they did even have to take the transmission apart and that they said that they must have broke the cap on the axle when they fixed the clutch kit assembly. They assured me the problem was taken care of. They said that the “Service Manager” drove it for 10 minutes and there was no noise at all. I asked if I could drive it to make 100% sure the grinding noise was gone. They told me I could and sure enough I took it around the block and the grinding noise is STILL THERE! I came back to the dealership and told them so now they have my car AGAIN!!!!!!!!!! Is there something that can be done about this as this is my 4th time for having it in the shop for the same thing. I have had this car for 89 days and they have had it 34 (soon to be more now that it is back in there). I have had it for 55 days and am getting ready to make my 3rd payment on it!!!!!!!!!!
March 9th, 2015 at 2:10 pm
@Dawn: You may have a claim under Federal law. Please visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a firm in your state.
March 18th, 2015 at 2:05 pm
I like to know,if the lemon-law-firm do something about this?! or we just wasting time to complane. I have a problem with my2011 Fiesta,after the warranty is over. It stalled when i was driving.I almost died from beeng scared.I head a letters from Ford just a day before this happend.The dealer say it is nothing wrong with a transmission,this “probable” the intake bla-bla-bla. They ordered called “” Throttle Body”” 1250dollar.I did not go into,the Ford Company should swallow this,and I need a Garantie from them the car is good to drive,and safe.!! So is not fixed yet. I think Throttle Body is part of the engine,wich hase 5 years garantie.I am a good driver,wold like to be shoure what is the best. Very nice car othervise,this is not manual.
Love here from enyone……From Calgary ,Canada
March 23rd, 2015 at 10:39 am
I hate my fiesta, have problems constantly and ford says its normal, one day i’m going to die in this car from the transmission problems they say “is normal”.
will not fix under warranty until their computer says its defective.
never mind the fact that it sounds like someone is learning to drive a standard without using a clutch.
March 24th, 2015 at 12:59 pm
@Teresa: If the problem occurs AFTER warranty for the first time, there is most often nothing that can be done.
April 5th, 2015 at 2:30 pm
Listen Folks I was stupid enough to buy one of these 2011 Fiestas myself, I checked Fords own site and there are over 21 technical service bulletins on these model cars from 2011 through 2015. Most of them have to do with major safety drive train issues and get this you have to be worried about overheats as well because the cooling systems are garbage as well, The only recall Ford has owned up to is airbags in the rider side. I have been almost killed in this car 2 times and possibly a third that I did not even know about. I got a $195 dollar ticket for running a Red Light and I swear the car would not stop no matter how hard I pressed the brakes. I was a mechanic in the Air Force for 22 years and I know what a manual transmission feels like if you don’t shift and clutch properly. This car has two 3 speed manuals put together and shifted by a TPM module that never knows when or where to shift it Just guess’s at it. Its a defect in engineering Ford doesn’t want to admit it and they keep trying to blame it on someone or something else. I bought my car at Paradise Ford in Cocoa Florida, It had a 172 point re-warranty done on it they call it their Factory Certified pre-owned warranty, which means the car is as good as if you bought one brand new, just ask the salesman he will tell you that. Well Bunk, I have had mine in 2 times in less than a month and I checked the simplest thing that the TSB says to do and it was not even touched, the Frame to ground bolt still had the same dust and paint on it as it had when I took it in. Bottom line is they did not do a thing. The shop foreman road with me on the first go round and he told me these transmissions are crap !!! but he did not use that word. I am afraid to drive the car and Ford will not do anything about it until someone gets killed and the NTSB says that this transmission is the reason why. We all need to stick together as for me Shame on you Paradise Ford in Cocoa Florida and Shame on you Debbie service manager and double triple shame on You Griffin, You guys knew about these cars and dumped them on the public anyway. Oh, there is a class action but we will be dead before we get one penny out of Ford. Now you know why you should buy a Toyota, KIA, Honda, or whatever is a foreign car.
Ken Wagner
2025 Blue Heron Drive
Melbourne Florida 32940
April 8th, 2015 at 1:15 pm
Ken here poster of #279
I just got my car back again they said they replaced the TPM and they tried to charge me for it, I did not pay mind you. Any The transmission is worse now grinds and skips in every-shift, and now I just had my key FOB battery’s replaced less than a month ago, but my car tells me I need the key now to start it. Even when I place it close to the chip cover I still get the indicator light that says turn off ignition use key, Paradise Ford Cocoa Florida strikes again.
April 14th, 2015 at 12:23 pm
I’m from Kentucky and I have a 2013 Fiesta that just turned over 15,300 miles and it is an absolute pain in the butt!!! I’ve had it in to my local Ford dealership 4 times for the same issue and they keep telling me nothing is wrong. Now all of a sudden my gas mileage has dropped DRASTICALLY. I went from getting roughly 350 miles a tank to 200 miles a tank. So far on this new full tank of gas I’ve drove 44 miles and it says I only have half a tank left. Not to mention the stalling and shuddering and random accelerating the transmission does out of the blue. You can’t pull out from a stop if a car is near because God knows if the car will actually accelerate or just shudder and jerk. It’s a death trap!!!!!!!!!
April 23rd, 2015 at 3:00 pm
I have a 2011 Ford Feista SE . Traded in a paid off Dodge Durango for this car !!! BiG Mistake, Kerry Toyota Used Cars in Florence . Had the car for 3 months then I got the recall for the transmission . I had transmission fixed at Aiport Ford in Florence Kentucky . dorve the car only 4500 miles and transmission went out again , Airport Ford replaced the transmission again . Guess What 5000 miles and Tranmission is going again . !!! Help I can not afford this !!! I am a single Mom and bought a smal car to save money on gas !! Now I am with a horrible car and can not afford a new car !!
April 24th, 2015 at 7:49 am
I just bought a 2014 Ford Fiesta yesterday. 12,000 miles on it when I purchased it. I didn’t notice anything bad during test drive, but since finding this message board, everything feels a bit shaky. I am extremely worried about the transmission – everyone seems to have issues. or it all could be in my head! It makes me nervous that someone would trade in seemingly a brand new car! What should I do to see if this one is a lemon?
April 29th, 2015 at 4:21 pm
@Jay: If you are in repeatedly for the transmission problem, visit https://www.lemonlaw.com/lemon-law-firm.html to find a lemon law lawyer to discuss the matter.
May 6th, 2015 at 4:12 am
i have Ford Fiesta 1.4 tdic Jerking only When Accelerating to it at 100 to 120 kmh speed only.
May 9th, 2015 at 8:02 am
My 2011 Fiesta had the clutch assembly replaced and I still have transmission shutter problems. In addition, the clock loses time and engine doesn’t start randomly. This happened one year ago and I replaced the battery. The car makes no clicking sound, it’s just silent when the key is turned. Sometimes it will start on the 2nd try and sometimes I have to 20-30 minutes for it to start after several tries.The battery is fine, connections are fine, but Ford can’t determine why it won’t start one year later. I’ll be looking for a Honda next week.
June 14th, 2015 at 5:18 pm
My girlfriend called me just before leaving work telling me the “Engine Malfunction Light is on”. I asked if you see a check engine light? Answered no but a “wrench” light is on. She was scarred to drive it 29 miles home from work because it wasn’t accelerating like normal and was very jerky. I don’t have a scanner to check the code but going to drop it off at Apple Ford Service here in Columbia, MD. Here we go..
July 8th, 2015 at 10:14 pm
I’ve done a lot of study on this issue (I have a 2012 Fiesta SE) and there are some fixes for the transmission issue. Make sure you have your dealer upgrade the software that controls the transmission, then drive the car very old lady like for awhile to maintain the performance (it tries to compensate for your erratic driving habits). This should improve performance….for awhile. Remember that it is a MANUAL transmission and it will perform like a 16 year old learning to drive a stick. It’s not great but it’s normal for this car. IT WILL GRIND GEARS – it’s OK. That said you will probably never sell it so drive it into the ground or give it to your kids when they need their first car – just keep full coverage on it so when it gets wrecked (and you know it will) you get a little something out of it in the end. Just keep getting the software reinstalled and try to keep up with the all the recalls Ford sends out about this car. Sadly lemon laws usually only cover the vehicle for a short time after purchasing in most states, but check yours to be sure! It is kind of a lemon (the 2012 version of a Yugo – designed to be cheap and disposable) but you can keep it running for awhile! Learn to laugh at the jerky ride. I giggle all the time in my Fiesta. And I’ll giggle even more when I get my next Honda 🙂
July 21st, 2015 at 2:53 am
Hello, I have a problem. I bought from a local dealer Ford Fiesta 1.6 AT, 2013. Recently I started having problems with the Automatic transmission. When changing gears at low revs It issues the sounds of metal hitting each other. And also aftershocks when starting off the car with seat and at low speeds. Several times handed over in services. There they held a so-called – “learning”. But after 100-150 km it all starts again. To me have explained that on this car is worth such a gearbox. Please tell me – gearbox so should work with a bang and punches, or they can not find the cause?
August 14th, 2015 at 12:42 pm
I need help, I just bought a 2014 ford fiesta with 36600 miles. Transmission shuddered and lunged had it in the shop before I owned it 36 hours. Shop had it eight day had it two day and it shudding again.
Please help
September 8th, 2015 at 12:19 am
I bought a NEW 2013 Fiesta 2 years ago (it now has about 24,000 miles on it), I just got the engine malfunction error tonight (took a photo), I have been having problems with the transmission since the first year I have owned it, stuttering, jerking forward, not shifting, grinding, and I guess it stalled the other day while my pregnant wife was driving it. I also have a problem where sometimes it will take forever to start, regardless of the weather or how long it has been sitting. I have a video of it taking 15 seconds to start. I have mentioned the transmission problem and the starter issue every time I have brought it in to get an oil change/service. They continue to tell me that nothing is wrong. one sensor was replaced but I’m not sure which one. I do not feel safe in this car and do not feel comfortable driving with my kids in it. I plan on taking it in tomorrow as soon as possible. I am in Oregon
September 29th, 2015 at 6:16 pm
Bought a 2012 Fiesta in Sept 2013…I am now waiting on parts to replace clutch and seals on transmission again….2nd time this year…meanwhile I have to keep driving and the warranty which Ford extended will be running out soon and after reading all of this I figure it won’t be the last time! I live 96 miles from work so the mileage adds up quickly…what to do?? I also had the fan motor catch fire this year as well…I also recieved a letter concerning the doors might fly open and a seatbelt problem.
September 30th, 2015 at 7:00 pm
I bought a 2012 Ford fiesta on august 22 2015 (sat) had to return it on Monday due to a clutch shudder which they said they replaced I picked it up the following wenesday. the car started making a grinding noise on the drivers side. I toke it to a diffferent ford dealership they said they thought the noise was coming from a plate covering the rotor and my tires needed replace so I had NTB to put 4 new tires on it and check rotors they were fine. the noise is still there. Please help me!! I don’t know what to do I just made my first payment.
October 11th, 2015 at 1:29 am
RUN, RUN like hell! I’m still so saddened by the continued troubles of these transmissions even though I No longer own this vehicle. Guess what tho, I have a Chevy Cruze now and these transmissions are not so swell either. I think it’s the whole 6 speed trend. I’m not liking them. I think it’s a terrible design. Nice thought for fuel economy but not if your taking it in every other week for funky bs.
October 22nd, 2015 at 7:14 pm
2012 Ford Fiesta owner. Has been at quirk auto in Augusta, me almost more than at my home this year. MAJOR transmission issues. Was my teenage son’s car but he can’t drive it due to the fact it is not safe to drive. Loss of transmission, skipping of transmission, lurching as the most recent advancement in issues when my son almost rear ended another student at school from a stopped position and it lurched forward. This was less than a week after it had just come back from being in the garage for THREE WEEKS. Two new clutches this year as well as numerous other parts and programming “fixes”. Nothing will work so please take the advice of others and don’t y one. If you did already please save all receipts & invoices and research lemon laws in your state ASAP. Don’t delay, I missed the lemon law period by giving ford the chance too many times to fix this car we were really wanted. Ford assigns new representatives to case every time I call but you never actually speak to anyone. Always used to be a ford lover but will NEVER buy another one due to lack of responsibility & ownership of problem on FORD’S part!!!
November 5th, 2015 at 3:55 am
Just purchased 2013 Fiesta SE on the October 31st my daughter test drove car on low speeds I sat in back, did not notice anything until we left dealership 5 hours later I drove it home with oil light on before we left dealership, Checked oil it was fine, than on the way home tire pressure light came on, the grinding, shifting, jerking, etc started on Sunday, car has 15,000 miles, I wished I had done a consumer check would have never bought, taking it to dealership on Monday for service and the recall from Ford January 2015 recall, I won’t stand for this, If I continue with problems with the car after 3 visits I will demand Ford buy back car.
November 22nd, 2015 at 11:21 am
My wife bought a brand new 2013 Fiesta SE based on consumer reports saying it was a great vehicle. Within 5000 miles the transmission was making all kinds of strange noises.
-first time brought in, they told her it was normal and the car is leaning how she drives. I drove it and told her that this is not normal.
-second time brought in, I went with the tech for a ride. They took the car for a week, replaced both clutches and seals.
-third time brought in for noise, they said it needed a computer update.
-fourth time brought in, they computer adjusted it and did a recall where in idiot light is supposed to come on when there is a problem.
This car is piece of shit around town. On the highway it does well as the transmission does not have to shift. In two and a half years, the value of the car has dropped fifty percent.
March 25th, 2016 at 10:59 pm
I bought my 2012 Ford Fiesta September 2015, this car has given me so many head aches. Lately it has been doing a jerking motion, when I go on a complete stop then proceed to accelerate the car hesitates to go and does a horrible jerking motion. It stopped doing so for a few months then recently it began again. I was over feeling so embarrassed every time it did this, so I took it in to ford and they did a diagnosis and took it for a test drive. They told me it was the transmission it would cost me 3,000 to fix this problem. I had previously went in the recalls for the transmission. I’m hesitating to fix it because after reading a hand full of customers with same problem they wrote that they went in to fix the transmission and a few months later the same problem began again.
April 25th, 2016 at 7:04 pm
I haven’t read all of the entries in this thread, but perhaps I can shed some light on the “automatic” transmission issues many have experienced.
First, calling the transmission in the Fiesta an “automatic” isn’t as accurate as some might like. It’s actually an electronically shifted and clutched standard gearbox. The software that controls the shifting is something that was apparently not ready for prime time when the 2011 Fiesta was delivered to customers; I drove one several times, and found the shifting very odd indeed. In the 1980s, I was an ASE Certified master, and although I got out of the repair trade long ago, I have kept up with many of the developments in the industry since then – but this was not something I’d heard about. Ford had a recall on the software a while back, and it improved the shifting somewhat, but I would rate the software’s accuracy in guesstimating when and how to shift as being on a par with a skilled teenager who has only been driving a stickshift for about a week. Because the setup lacks the torque converter that allows a more conventional automatic to do away with the clutch at the point where the power is transferred from the engine to the transmission, this setup can’t sit at a stop sign on a hill and maintain position with just the gas pedal. (Subaru had an ingenious solution for that on their manual transmission models, called “the hill holder”, but Ford does not seem to have copied it.) The up-side of the Ford setup is that the automatic has next to no gas mileage or performance penalty relative to the manual trans version; the downside is that this ‘automatic’ doesn’t really feel or act like a conventional automatic transmission – because really, it’s not.
May 16th, 2016 at 7:07 pm
My car sucks!!! Worst car ever!! Have 4 kids and can’t depend on this piece of crap!!! I HATE IT!!!
June 4th, 2016 at 5:32 am
I bought a 2014 Ford Fiesta se hatchback a little over 2 months ago and had to wait a few days for it because they were allegedly replacing the transmission due to the recall. The car has been perfect….until now. I just drove it almost 400 miles on a road trip and I am literally sitting on the side of the interstate right now, stuck with my hazard lights on with my 2 kids in the car waiting on family to drive an hour to come get us because the transmission just went out while I was driving. The service transmission now light came on and the little wrench light, then it started shuttering and making an awful noise so I pulled over. The lights went off and the system check said “All systems normal” so I tried to go again….but nope. The car won’t go in drive or reverse even though it says it’s fine. I’m 400 miles from home (Kansas) in Colorado in the middle of nowhere and have no idea what to do.
June 16th, 2016 at 10:12 am
I bought a 2012 fiesta last May and I’ve took it to ford, they’ve reprogrammed the transmission a few times and replaced the clutch but it’s still pretty bad. My warranty is already past the 100.000 mile limit but is there still time for me to do anything about it or am I stuck with it?
July 15th, 2016 at 12:31 pm
I bought a 2011 Ford Fiesta in 2013. It has been running ok, but two weeks ago (July 2015), The car just stopped completely while I was driving it. The gear shift locked up tight and wouldn’t budge. The ignition locked up tight also and I could not move or remove the key. After a short wait, the car started up and was working fine. A few days later, it all locked up again. If you own one, BE AWARE AT ALL TIMES!!!!! Advice: DON’T BUY ONE!!!
August 9th, 2016 at 3:19 pm
So done with Fiesta problems! I’ve already had 1 new transmission (at about 25,000mi) which was covered under warranty. Now yesterday I brought my Fiesta to the dealership because the back door wouldn’t latch. I asked them to deal with the recall on that as well as the recall on the chip while it was there. They get it all taken care of and I go to pick it up today and immediately upon leaving the dealership, the car won’t switch gears, then quickly switches into the next gear causing me to slam on my brakes, and after I pull over and turn back to the dealership, 5 lights come on the dash and the car reads “engine malfunction, service immediately.” The dealership called saying they changed the transmission module at no charge thinking that might be the problem but the problem remains. They INSIST that the problem had nothing to do with anything they did–even though the car had no such problems when we dropped it off. In addition, the woman at the desk said “sometimes this happens a few weeks later [after chip replacement??] but it’s never happened this fast before.” They want to run a full diagnostic for $110 which my husband refuses to pay. I’m wondering if the chip replacement may have caused this and what power I have to do anything about it. When should I seek an attorney?
August 11th, 2016 at 5:15 pm
@Mar: I would start looking sooner than later.
September 11th, 2016 at 6:55 pm
I bought a 2011 ford fiesta. I have had several problems with the car. It was a good car when I bought it. But now it’s not. I had to replace the computer module in the car. There was a recall on the doors were I couldn’t shut them, so I had to get that fixed. Now my car is making a putting/spuddering noise every time I drive. I have been told it is the cv joints or cv axle. Now I am being told it is the transmission, and that it is common.
October 22nd, 2016 at 2:33 pm
We bought a 2013 fiesta and was charged $5200.oo extended warranty and for the 6 months it worked. and then the gas mileage went to 15 mpg. we confronted the dealer and the service tech says it was a computer problem, at 1 year we get a recall on the trans. they claimed to fix in two sessions. We took a trip and 200 miles out the trans. would shift out of second gear. we took it 3 more times and was also told it was fixed.And now it is awaiting parts that the DEALER stated will take a month to get from Ford because all Fiesta’s are having problems. Fords MO is to mislead consumers until their warranties run out.
December 30th, 2016 at 1:02 am
Currently Leasing a 2011 ford fiesta, I test drove it and it drove great,right after filling out the paperwork and paying my deposit, I got in my car (I got it this year a couple months ago) it started chugging when I first took off,like jerking back and forth when I first hit the gas and eventually it stops after speeding up a bit. It only seems to happen now when I first take off. I immediately went back in and told them of the issue, the dealer replied “Not my problem, take it to a shop” literally less than 5 minutes after I bought the car. Now it’s STILL doing it. Yes it was used when I got it, but there is no way this wasnt something they were aware of..
August 11th, 2017 at 10:00 pm
I have a 2013 Fiesta and am getting ready to call Ford for another clutch replacement. This will be the third time it has been fixed since I drove off the lot, four years ago, and I’m not even at 30k miles yet. The class action going on right now will provide owners $500 at most for those of us who opt in. What is that supposed to help us with?
September 23rd, 2017 at 10:41 pm
I bought my vehicle new in Scarsdale NY. I have written other articles on this blog about this 2013 Ford Fiesta but this takes the cake and you all need to be concerned. I have a keyless entry car Well the key is suppose to be encrypted. It is not I repeat not. I called Ford Scarsdale. They could not answer me. I called the head quarters of Ford and they couldn’t answer. They say when you buy it to remember the password for what. It cost 149 to replace the key. Lies they tell. The key has no password anybody can buy that key. They are a bunch of liars. I had some things missing out of my car. I found out anybody with that make can get into your car Facts.
December 31st, 2017 at 5:11 pm
Ford fiesta we 2013.
I bought this car brand new because I didn’t want to inherit anyone elses problem. Wow am I disappointed, not only does she stall in traffic, shutter, and grind but she won’t start randomly! I paid good money for this car! He’ll i am so furious about all the frustration she has called me. If I knew how to return her i would. Thank you but from now on I’ll be buying older cars.
April 25th, 2018 at 10:38 pm
2011 fiesta SE with 105,000 miles… lite shudder on two thru sixth shifts.TRYTHIS: disconnect the battery. wait 5 min. then reconnect the battery. THEN TURN THE KEY TO THE ON POSITION….WAIT 4 SECONDS THAN START THE ENGINE….the starter draw affects the “bootup” of the engine computer.[ theoretical].
May 13th, 2018 at 9:34 pm
I’ve had my 2014 focus not even two years. Have had the shuttering back and forth problem for probably a year now. Recently, the problem has been getting worse including the engine lighting coming on nearly every other day. TERRIBLE jerking and shifting when taking off while the light being on. Some days my car decides not to go in reverse. Other day my mom was driving it and got the message saying my transmission is overheating. Tried calling ford just to have them take a look at it real quick and they said it could be a few days to a few weeks. Called for an appointment a few weeks ago. Can’t get me in until the 24th while my car is getting worse and worse every day. How am I supposed to get it fixed multiple times before I can be protected under the lemon law when ford is so backed up with appointments?!?! Not to mention my sister and friend have a 2017 which the problem was supposedly “fixed” in.
August 30th, 2018 at 8:43 am
I bought a used 2011 Ford Fiesta Hatchback after my car was in an accident and totalled. I need this car for work and spent all my savings to get it. Looks good, ran great when test driven, and the first day on my way to work I noticed it shifted a little hard. Actually thought I’d get the transmission flushed and filled to help out. Car barely has 108K miles on it and is really good shape otherwise. Went to start it on the SECOND day of having it, batter is dead and car won’t start. Neighbor jumps the car and then the check engine light is on an a TRANSMISSION warning!!! WTH!? The code says it’s the PCM. My son looked it all up and says the battery being dead can cause the car to “forget” and it has to relearn shifting and everything else. Now it’s grinding and lurching and not shifting right when it was fine before. I do not have any money to fix this car. I’m afraid to call the small independent dealer lot I bought it from. What do I do now?
February 6th, 2019 at 7:25 pm
I’ve had my 2012 Ford fiesta since 2011 and it’s been a great little car. I currently have 188,000 miles on it and only had minor things I’ve had to take care of. I must’ve lucked out because it’s one of the best cars I’ve ever driven.
April 11th, 2019 at 1:19 pm
I just purchased a 2014 Ford Fiesta off of my mother. It only has 76,000 miles on it. The car ran perfectly fine until I drove it to my home in Ohio from West Virginia. About half way through my trip it started making a metal clanging sound upon acceleration. It also wanted to try and stall out at 70 mph. I have no money left to go to a mechanic. Will Ford look at this for free? I’m so afraid to drive with my grandkids in this vehicle.
July 12th, 2019 at 2:40 pm
Please help I bought my 2011 Ford fiesta with 94k and didnt know it was a rebuilt…also the owner sold me this car with knowing transmission malfunction light would come on and my car is leaking transmission fluid also please help I saved up that 4k for so long to end up wasting my money would be devastating…please help