NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Ford Fiesta. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026
AS I ACCELERATED, THE GEARS BEGAN MAKING A GRINDING NOISE. THIS CAUSE THE ENTIRE VEHICLE TO VIBRATE AND SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY. THIS OCCURS 80% OF THE TIME WHEN I PRESS ON THE ACCELERATOR AND START ACCELERATING. ALSO, WHEN I TRY TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE AT SLOWER SPEEDS BETWEEN 30-45 MPH, THE GEARS GRIND CONSTANTLY AND THE VEHICLE WILL SOMETIMES VIBRATE UNCONTROLLABLY. WHEN I FIRST GOT THE VEHICLE, IT WAS VERY MINIMAL VIBRATION AND/OR GEAR GRINDING. I HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE ALMOST 2 YEARS NOW AND IT NOW HAS 40K MILES ON IT. THE GRINDING NOISE IS NOW VERY VERY LOUD AND THE VEHICLE SHAKES EVEN WORSE THAN BEFORE WHEN ACCELERATING. IF I HAD THE RATE THE VIBRATIONS/SHAKING OF THE VEHICLE OUT OF 10, I WOULD RATE IT A 9. WHEN I FIRST TOOK IT TO THE DEALER I BOUGHT IT FROM BACK IN APRIL 2012, I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS THE WAY THE VEHICLE DRIVES BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF ENGINE/TRANSMISSION. I WAS TOLD THE VEHICLE HAS A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND THE GEARS ARE SHIFTED BY A COMPUTER. SO, I TOOK THEIR STATEMENT AT FACE VALUE. NOW, AFTER OWNING THE VEHICLE FOR ALMOST 2 YEARS, I HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF RESEARCH AND FINDING THAT SEVERAL OTHER OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING THIS PROBLEM. THIS, I BELIEVE, IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS NOT PERFORMING PROPERLY AND IT VIBRATES SO STRONGLY THAT THE ENTIRE VEHICLE SHAKES AND IN MY OPINION, THIS COULD CAUSE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FIESTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE EXCESSIVELY SHUTTERED AND SHOOK WHEN ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE POWER TRAIN SOFTWARE NEEDED TO BE REPROGRAMMED AND THE CLUTCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURES PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000.
WHEN THE BRAKE IS RELEASED WHILE IN DRIVE THE CAR ROLLS BACKWARD AT TIMES. FORD SERVICE EXPLAINED THAT IT IS DUE TO THE DOUBLE CLUTCH TRANSMISSON. THE DRIVER HAS 3 SECONDS TO PRESS THE ACCELERATOR BEFORE THE BRAKE RELEASES. *TR
FORD SYNC MODULE STOPPED WORKING AND WHEN YOU PROMPT THE SYSTEM TO GO INTO MOBILE APPS SYNC RESPONDS "NO MOBILE APPS FOUND." TOOK TO FORD DEALER AND AFTER DAYS OF TROUBLESHOOTING GOT THE MODULE REPLACED. 2 DAYS LATER IT FAILED AGAIN. ITS NOT MY PHONE. PHONE WORKS JUST FINE IN EXACT SAME VEHICLE ON LOT. *TT
WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, DRIVER WAS ENTERING THE FREEWAY, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED THROUGH ALL THE GEARS RAPIDLY LEAVING THE VEHICLE MOVING AT ~40 - 45MPH AND NOT SPEEDING UP. THE ACCELERATION PEDAL WAS TO THE FLOOR AND THE CARE DIDN'T INCREASE IN SPEED AND WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED BECAUSE ALL OTHER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD WAY WERE MOVING AT ~60MPH. THE DRIVER THEN LET OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND PRESSED DOWN AGAIN THE VEHICLE THEN REVVED REAL HIGH THEN SHIFTED VERY HARD AND SHOOK THROWING THE PASSENGERS FORWARD AND BACK CAUSING A WHIP-LASH TYPE OF MOVEMENT AMONG PASSENGERS. THE VEHICLE OFTEN GRINDS WHILE SHIFTING AND DECELERATING. OWNER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP AND THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT HOURS LATER CALLED TO REPORT THE VEHICLE IS DRIVING AS EXPECTED AND NO ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE AND THAT THE GRINDING GEARS WAS EXPECTED. *TR
CAR MAKES A GRINDING NOISE AT LOW SPEED ACCELERATION. *TR
VEHICLE HAS A POWERSHIFT AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION THAT ACTS LIKE A MANUAL: ROLL BACK ASSIST NOT WORKING PROPERLY: VEHICLE JERKING: VEHICLE LURCHING AT STOPS: 2ND INCIDENT MAY 2013: SAME ISSUES ADDED CAR LOSING POWER: NOVEMBER 2014: SAME ISSUES: TRANSMISSION DRIVABILITY ISSUES: ROLL BACK ISSUES LOSS OF POWER ISSUES. MARCH 2015, ALL SAME ISSUES: ALL ISSUES AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON THIS LAST TIME DUE TO TRANSMISSION CIRCUT ISSUE REPORTED CONTINUE TO FIX TRANSMISSION: CONTINUES TO BREAK DOWN. THE VEHCILE HAS NEVER RAN "GOOD" ALWAYS TRANSMISSION ISSUES: LOUD NOISES, CAR LOSING POWER WHILE DRIVING, LURCHING AT STOPS ACCELERATING AT STOPS, NO RESPONSE TO ACCELERATION. FOUR TIMES IN THREE YEARS IN FOR FIXES THAT DO NOT WORK. CAR IS UNSAFE AS THE LOSS OF POWER IS NOW MORE FREQUENT.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FIESTA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THE BRAKE AND ACCELERATOR PEDALS WERE POSITIONED VERY CLOSE TO ONE ANOTHER. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT HE WAS UNABLE TO DEPRESS ONE PEDAL WITHOUT DEPRESSING THE OTHER AS WELL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. UPDATED 01/20/12*LJ UPDATED 01/30/12
I BOUGHT MY 2012 FIESTA IN SEPT 2011. WITHIN LESS THAN 1 MONTH, WE NOTICED THAT IT WOULD GET STUCK AND UNABLE TO PUT IN REVERSE, THEN WOULD MAKE AN AWFUL GRINDING NOISE WHEN IT WOULD FINALLY GO IN. BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER SEVERAL TIMES AND THEY SAID THEY FOUND NO ISSUE. NOW, AT 80K MILES, THAT PROBLEM CONTINUES BUT IS NOW LOSING POWER WHEN UPSHIFTING AND JUMPING WHEN TAKING FOOT OFF THE GAS. HEADED BACK TO THE MECHANIC TOMORROW BUT SO FAR FORD SERVICE HAS BEEN PISSPOOR AND FAR TOO MANY TRANSMISSION ISSUES. *TR
THE HEADREST IS CAUSING ME TO HAVE HEADACHES DUE TO THE FORWARD LEANING POSITION OF THE HEADREST. I HAVE TRIED ALL THE SITUATIONS OF THE SEAT AND IT IS THE SAME FOR ALL OF THEM. I AM 5'2 AND IN MY RESEARCH HAVE FOUND MOST OTHER SHORT PEOPLE HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. *TR
THIS CAR IS A 2012 FORD FIESTA. I FIRST STARTED NOTICING PROBLEMS BEFORE I EVEN HIT 15,000 MILES ON IT. THE CAR SHUDDERS AND JUMPS WITH ACCELERATION AND TURNING. I HAVE GONE IN NUMEROUS TIMES TO HAVE IT FIXED AND THE PROBLEM IS NEVER FIXED. THERE HAVE ALSO BEEN NUMEROUS TIMES WHEN THE CAR HESITATES WHEN I NEED TO MAKE A SPEEDY DECISION PUTTING ME IN DANGER BECAUSE THE CAR DOESN'T REACT THE WAY ITS SUPPOSED TO. NOW MY ENGINE OVER HEATED AND I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THAT HAPPENED. I CANNOT BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING TO MY 2 YEAR OLD CAR. I AM SERIOUSLY THINKING OF JUST TRYING TO SELL IT AND GET A NEW CAR. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS MAKE AND MODEL. I THINK THE ENTIRE LINE SHOULD BE RECALLED AND PEOPLE SHOULD GET THERE MONEY BACK. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD FIESTA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE REVERSED INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION CLUTCH NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 54,000. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.
I RECENTLY PURCHASED A BRAND NEW FORD FIESTA 2012, IN THE FIRST WEEK ON USING THE CAR I STARED TO HEAR A LOUD SOUND AND SHAKING MOVEMENT WHEN THE CAR CHANGE SPEEDS, I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED IT FROM. IT HAS BEEN THE WORSE EXPERIENCE WITH THE FORD. I JUST RECEIVED THE SAME RESPONSE, THE NOISE IS NORMAL AND THERE IS NO PROBLEM ON THE CAR, I JUST FAILED FOR THE LEMON LAW HERE IN FLORIDA TO SEE IF IT WILL MAKE ANY CHANGES. I DO NOT AND I WILL NOT ACCEPT TO LOSE MY MONEY AND MY TIME FOR A COMPANY THAT DO NOT RESPECT THERE COSTUMERS SHAME ON YOU FORD..... *TR
CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND CAR ACCELERATES VERY SLOWLY, AS IF TAKING OFF IN SECOND GEAR. AS YOU ACCELERATE THE CAR SHUDDERS LIKE IT IS GOING TO DIE. FIRST INCIDENT HAPPENED WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF PURCHASE. AFTER TURNING CAR OFF AND LETTING SIT FOR A FEW HOURS PROBLEM WILL GO AWAY. BROUGHT CAR INTO DEALERSHIP, COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. CAR WAS PURCHASED IN 2011, HAS HAPPENED 4 SEPARATE TIMES SINCE PURCHASE DATE.
ERROR CODES TRIP FOR PEDDLE ERROR. 2ND INCIDENT ACCELERATOR PULLED TO FULL THROTTLE IN MID SHIFT WHILE ENTERING FREEWAY AND I USED MY FOOT TO PULL IT FREE. 3RD INCIDENT ON FREEWAY CAR WAS AT 65 MPH AND LOST ALL POWER. I COULD NOT DRIVE ABOVE 10 MPH. AN AMBULANCE GOT BEHIND US TO ESCORT US OFF THE FREEWAY. CAR IS CURRENTLY AT DEALER FOR REPAIR. A MESSAGE WAS LEFT THAT ITS THE ACCELERATOR PEDDLE THAT'S THE PROBLEM AND FORD IS SENDING OUT A NEW ONE. *TR