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Which year to buy
Bar height: serious owner complaints to NHTSA for that year per car on the road, against this model's usual year.
2012AVOIDSerious complaints 2.5× usual, mostly power train and structure Extended coverage
475 serious complaints of 617, the most about power train (274) and structure (128); per car on the road, 2.5× this model's usual year. 3 recalls. NHTSA investigation EA15002: door latch failure. NHTSA investigation RQ19005: door latch failures.
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2012 ford fiesta. While driving 20 mph, the vehicle jerked violently and the transmission malfunction light illuminated. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the power train, Jun 2016
“This morning when I was going to drive to work, I found the front right door does not close. I tried to close it several times but failed. The door just didn't stay shut. This is not the first time this happened to me. About 8 months ago, the door at back right side had the same issue. It caused me $400 to fix that.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the structure, Apr 2015
Fixes and extended coverage
- Extended coverage This extended warranty coverage will address intermittent symptoms of loss of transmission engagement while driving, no-start, or a lack of power. Ford is extending the warranty coverage on the DPS6 automatic transmission TCM to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of… (14M02, Jul 2021)
- Extended coverage Customer satisfaction Program 14M01 - Supplement #5 Certain 2011 thr ough 2014 Model Year Fies ta and Focus vehicles equipped with a DKPS6 Automatic Transmission Transmission Clautch Shudder/Transmission Input Shaft Seal warranty Extension (14M01S5, Mar 2016)
- Extended coverage Certain 2011 through 2015 Model Year Fiesta and 2012 through 2014 Model Year Focus Vehicles Equipped with a DPS6 Automatic Transmission - Transmission Control Module Extended Warranty Coverage (19N07, Aug 2019)
- Extended coverage Certain 2011 through 2014 Model Year Fiesta and Focus Vehicles Equipped with a DPS6 Automatic Transmission - Transmission Clutch Shudder / Transmission Input Shaft Seal Warranty Extension (14M01, Aug 2019)
- Extended coverage Ford fiesta 2011-2015 extended warranty for the automatic transmission control module. (15-0017, Feb 2015)
- Repair program This customer satisfaction program updates the TCM software in affected vehicles to provide improved detection and over warning of electrical circuit failures in the TCM. (20B22, Sep 2020)
From the manufacturer's bulletins filed with NHTSA. A dealer can look up whether a car has had the work done or is still covered.
617 owner complaints · 3 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 32 mpg · NHTSA: 4 of 5 stars · 2012 trims and features
Verdicts computed from NHTSA owner complaints, defect investigations and recalls. Cars on the road from New York State registrations. (How we judge.) Data checked 2026-10-06.
Trims and features
Engines: 1.6L 4-cyl, 120 hp · Drive: FWD
2012 Fiesta trims
| S | SE | SEL | SES |
|---|
base price, seating and driver-assistance equipment from NHTSA's vehicle database (vPIC), as Ford reports it. Tech and comfort features (CarPlay, heated seats, sunroof) for Ford aren't in our data yet. "—": not verified in our sources. "Varies": standard on some versions of the trim.
Year by year
| Year | Engines | Drive | Fuel economy | Crash rating | Recalls | Owner complaints | Most-reported problem | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 1.6L 4-cyl, 120–197 hp 1.6L 4-cyl turbo, 120–197 hp manual available | FWD | 28–31 mpg | 4 of 5 | 3 | 105 | Back over prevention (31) | Yes |
| 2018 | 1.6L 4-cyl, 120–197 hp 1.6L 4-cyl turbo, 120–197 hp manual available | FWD | 29–31 mpg | 4 of 5 | 0 | 35 | Power train (10) | Yes |
| 2017 | 1.0L 3-cyl turbo, 123 hp 1.6L 4-cyl, 120–197 hp 1.6L 4-cyl turbo, 120–197 hp manual available | FWD | 29–35 mpg | 4 of 5 | 0 | 74 | Power train (22) | Yes |
| 2016 | 1.0L 3-cyl turbo, 123 hp 1.6L 4-cyl, 120–197 hp 1.6L 4-cyl turbo, 120–197 hp manual available | FWD | 29–35 mpg | 4 of 5 | 0 | 178 | Power train (101) | No |
| 2015 | 1.0L 3-cyl turbo 1.6L 4-cyl, 120–197 hp 1.6L 4-cyl turbo, 120–197 hp manual available | FWD | 29–35 mpg | 4 of 5 | 4 | 258 | Power train (104) | No |
| 2014 | 1.0L 3-cyl turbo 1.6L 4-cyl, 120 hp 1.6L 4-cyl turbo, 120 hp manual available | FWD | 29–35 mpg | 4 of 5 | 7 | 502 | Power train (208) | No |
| 2013 | 1.6L 4-cyl, 120 hp manual available | FWD | 32 mpg | 4 of 5 | 3 | 667 | Power train (391) | No |
| 2012 | 1.6L 4-cyl, 120 hp manual available | FWD | 32 mpg | 4 of 5 | 3 | 617 | Power train (274) | No |
| 2011 | 1.6L 4-cyl, 120 hp manual available | FWD | 31–33 mpg | 4 of 5 | 3 | 730 | Power train (366) | No |
Owner complaints are unverified reports to NHTSA, counted as filed: older years have had longer to collect them and sales aren't adjusted for, so see Which year to buy for a fair comparison. Most-reported problem: the component named in the most complaints that year. Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Apple.
Apple lists CarPlay for: Fiesta 2017–2019 (Apple).
Every NHTSA-rated version: crash ratings, safety tech, recalls, complaints
| Year | Version | Stars | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Ford Fiesta 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 3 | 105 |
| 2019 | Ford Fiesta 4 DR FWD | 4 | No | No | 3 | 105 |
| 2018 | Ford Fiesta 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 0 | 35 |
| 2018 | Ford Fiesta 4 DR FWD | 4 | No | No | 0 | 35 |
| 2017 | Ford Fiesta 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 0 | 74 |
| 2017 | Ford Fiesta 4 DR FWD | 4 | No | No | 0 | 74 |
| 2016 | Ford Fiesta 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 0 | 178 |
| 2016 | Ford Fiesta 4 DR FWD | 4 | No | No | 0 | 178 |
| 2015 | Ford Fiesta 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 4 | 258 |
| 2015 | Ford Fiesta 4 DR FWD | 4 | No | No | 4 | 258 |
| 2014 | Ford Fiesta 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 7 | 502 |
| 2014 | Ford Fiesta 4 DR FWD | 4 | No | No | 7 | 502 |
| 2013 | Ford Fiesta 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 3 | 667 |
| 2013 | Ford Fiesta 4 DR FWD | 4 | No | No | 3 | 667 |
| 2012 | Ford Fiesta 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 3 | 617 |
| 2012 | Ford Fiesta 4 DR FWD | 4 | No | No | 3 | 617 |
| 2011 | Ford Fiesta 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 3 | 730 |
| 2011 | Ford Fiesta 4 DR FWD | 4 | No | No | 3 | 730 |
Source: NHTSA.
Every EPA-rated version: engines and combined mpg
| Year | EPA model | Engines | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Fiesta FWD | Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 1.6 L Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L |
30–31 |
| 2019 | Fiesta ST FWD | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Turbo | 28 |
| 2018 | Fiesta FWD | Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 1.6 L Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L |
30–31 |
| 2018 | Fiesta ST FWD | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Turbo | 29 |
| 2017 | Fiesta FWD | Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 1.6 L Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L |
30–31 |
| 2017 | Fiesta SFE FWD | Man 5-spd, 3 cyl, 1.0 L, Turbo | 35 |
| 2017 | Fiesta ST FWD | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Turbo | 29 |
| 2016 | Fiesta FWD | Auto (AM-S6), 4 cyl, 1.6 L Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L |
30 |
| 2016 | Fiesta SFE FWD | Man 5-spd, 3 cyl, 1.0 L, Turbo | 35 |
| 2016 | Fiesta ST FWD | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Turbo | 29 |
| 2015 | Fiesta FWD | Auto (AM6), 4 cyl, 1.6 L Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L |
30 |
| 2015 | Fiesta SFE FWD | Man 5-spd, 3 cyl, 1.0 L, Turbo | 35 |
| 2015 | Fiesta ST FWD | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Turbo | 29 |
| 2014 | Fiesta FWD | Auto (AM6), 4 cyl, 1.6 L Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L |
30 |
| 2014 | Fiesta SFE FWD | Man 5-spd, 3 cyl, 1.0 L, Turbo Auto (AM6), 4 cyl, 1.6 L |
31–35 |
| 2014 | Fiesta ST FWD | Man 6-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L, Turbo | 29 |
| 2013 | Fiesta FWD | Auto (AM6), 4 cyl, 1.6 L Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L |
32 |
| 2013 | Fiesta SFE FWD | Auto (AM6), 4 cyl, 1.6 L | 32 |
| 2012 | Fiesta FWD | Auto (AM6), 4 cyl, 1.6 L Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L |
32 |
| 2012 | Fiesta SFE FWD | Auto (AM6), 4 cyl, 1.6 L | 32 |
| 2011 | Fiesta | Auto (AM6), 4 cyl, 1.6 L Man 5-spd, 4 cyl, 1.6 L |
31–32 |
| 2011 | Fiesta SFE | Auto (AM6), 4 cyl, 1.6 L | 33 |
Source: fueleconomy.gov.