The automatic transmission is problematic in shifting, decelerating then accelerating with no response. There is the sound of loose nuts and bolts inside the transmission while backing up. There are times (numerous) when you let off a little on the gas, and then go to accelerate and nothing happens for a second or two....little scary and dangerous to say the least. Odd shifting times during normal city street speeds. Feels like the transmission is trying to "find a gear". Service writer at encinitas ford says these signs are "normal" for that style of transmission. Now I see tons of complaints online about the 2011-2013 fiesta transmissions problems, especially the transmission "going out" and "repairs" done at the various dealerships where nothing has changed with the way the transmission is working. Please help out on this...I do not want to have an accident due to these odd problems! [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
2011 Ford Fiesta transmission complaints
Page 12 of 13: complaints 311 to 340 of 366, newest first, as owners wrote them.
In february 2012, my ford fiesta (automatic dual-clutch transmission) had barely 15,000 miles on it. The dealership found a transmission leak when I took the car in for regular maintenance, and the dealership kept the car to work on it for two weeks. On march 17, 2013, I was about to return home from an out of town trip when the car gave a 'transmission malfunction' message, at which point the transmission began making grinding noises when trying to shift, jerking, and then it wouldn't go in reverse. I had to call roadside assistance to have my car transported to a local dealership to have the car fixed. The ford dealership still has not been able to tell me the specific problem with the vehicle or what is being done to fix it. This car has 28,870 miles on it at this time.
While accelerating to get on the highway, the car lost power and I had to coast to the shoulder. Turning the car off and restarting it got it to re-engage the transmission again. The dealership told me that it is a bad transmission, that I was loosing one of the clutches (this is an automatic, dual-clutch transmission). While ford offered me $600 off a new transmission, I didn't have the money to put a new transmission in, and I continued to drive the car. On march 4th, while driving about 40 MPH in town, the car again lost power. I coasted to the shoulder, parked the car and attempted to restart it. This time it would not start and could not be shifted out of park. After about an hour, the car made some mysterious clicking sounds and I was able to drive the car to the dealership. The dealership could not determine the problem, but decided to reprogram the transmission control module with an update. Exactly a week later (march 11th), the car lost power while at a stop light, leaving me stranded in the middle lane of a 3-lane major city road at rush hour. I put it in neutral and pushed the car out of the street. Once again, it refused to restart and once I placed it in park, the transmission was stuck there. It never did recover and had to be dragged onto the tow truck bed. This time the dealership tells me that not only are the transmission clutch plates bad, but now the transmission control module is also done. The car has 92,000 miles on it now, the majority of which (85% or so) are highway miles (I live over 70 miles from where I work). I am waiting for a new transmission to come from the factory. I was told yesterday (3/20/2013) that the transmission is on backorder. I can only conclude that either the new transmissions are being retooled before being released, or there are so many faulty transmissions, they can't keep up with the demand.
Over the past 1 1/2 months my vehicle has stalled on the freeway 6 times. Each time the "wrench" light came on, the display read "engine malfunction" and "service now". When this would happen, the engine tachometer would first drop to 1000 RPM and the accelerator would become non-responsive. Soon after that the engine would just rev as if it were in neutral; then "bam" the transmission would engage abruptly and make a loud bang noise and lag when shifting. This has become a major concern as I have had people almost run into the rear of me because of my decline in speed. The only way to get the vehicle back to normal operation is to completely pull to the side of the road and turn the car off for a few seconds and restart it, unfortunately by doing this it resets the fault codes and does not retain the information for the dealership to be able to diagnose. I had brought the car to the dealership and left it for a week. They installed a "flight recorder" and drove for over 114 miles to try to reproduce the problem; but could not. I had pick ed up my car dissapointed that they could not reproduce the problem and as a result could not fix it. When I drove my vehicle that same day to work, it happened again at only 26 miles after their testing. I have seen on other web sites that this seems to be a common problem with other 2011 ford fiesta's, I only hope ford comes up with a fix for this issue soon as it seems to me to be a program issue with the vehicles computer.
While pulling out into traffic, transmission shuddered and failed to operate causing traffic to come to a halt. This was the first incident. Several times afterwards, transmission would shudder and vibrate while shifting gears. Took to dealership in november of 2012 when this first occurred and they updated the transmission program. This update did not fix the problem. Returned to the dealership on february 22, 2013 for the same problem and they're reply was, "this is normal". This is not normal, this car is a death trap. I only drive this vehicle about 9 miles to work a day and I feel very unsafe driving it.
Numerous times when driving my 2011 ford fiesta the RPM's shoot way up and the car won't accelerate when I hit the gas. Even while driving at a speed of 45mph and try to go faster the car stalls and wont accelerate at all and get quite scary when this happens, especially on a highway when you could cause an accident. I have been driving and this happens and I have had to put it in park turn it off and turn it back on to get it to accelerate normally again.
Vehicle: 2011 ford fiesta, manual trans., fwd. Road conditions: snow covered 1-2", no ice underneath, no slush buildup. Incident: at stop sign waiting to turn left onto road. Oncoming traffic in either direction is thru, no stop. No oncoming traffic. Accelerating across two lanes to turn left- divided 4 lane municipal road 40mph speed limit. Midway across road, front wheels began to slip, traction control activated and removed power. Car stopped in middle of road. Was unable to move vehicle in 1st/2nd/3rd gear without traction control removing power. In first instance, oncoming traffic had to stop while I exited vehicle and pushed vehicle into median where traction was found. This happened twice. After second occurrence, determination was made to only turn right to not place self at risk of accident. Follow-up research: early production ford fiesta are incapable of deactivating traction control. Later models do and in the 3rd printing of the owners manual it is recommended to turn off traction control in snow or mud. This action would allow wheels to spin to pavement and generate sufficient traction to maintain or begin vehicle motion. Additional information: above research was obtained by discussion with ford technical support/engineering. They also advised that it was not possible to retrofit my vehicle with the capability to deactivate traction control. I have had vehicles in the past of similar weight/powertrain/profile which were equipped with one-touch buttons to disable traction control when in the appropriate situations. These cars were very capable in 1-2" of snow with the traction control disabled. I have advised ford that I intended to provide this report to the federal safety agency and they likewise said they intend to self-report it as well. Recommendation: I believe this to be a safety issue that needs to be addressed by whatever means the federal safety agency has available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford fiesta. The contact stated that while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle hesitated. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the vehicle was unable to be repaired due to the vehicle having a dual transmission and that at 3,000 miles engine power would decrease. The manufacturer had not been notified. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 2,900.
After having no problems with this car for the first 16000 miles it now jerks and the trans feels as if your driving over rumble strips when accelerating from a stop; bumping and jerking. Seems like it cant shift gears and has no acceleration. The car performs worse the hotter the engine gets. This car rides anything but smooth. Always feels like its going to stall.
Numerous occasions while accelerating and decelerating the 2011 ford fiesta started to stall, jerk and buck like a bronco. It seemed as though it was not getting power to the transmission or drive train momentarily. This has been an ongoing off and on for about a year. We recently took it to the sunrise ford dealership, fort pierce, fl, and the service rep claims they could not find anything mechanically wrong. This vehicle is used to transport young children and adults. I expect the ford manufacturer to either remedy the issue or buy the vehicle back for what we paid for it!!! It could cause an accident because when it bucks it also slows down in 45-50mph traffic, and the traffic is bumper to bumper at times and we could get rear ended!!! Something needs to be done immediately. Should I also find an attorney that will represent us should ford motor be liable???
2011 ford fiesta. Consumer writes in request to initiate safety recall for "bucking and jerking" problem while driving. *tgw the consumer stated the bucking and jerking when slowing down and coming to a stop. At the last moment the transmission would drop into the lowest gear while the engine was still reducing its RPM. The engine is the pulling against the braking action when the RPM's bump up to 16-18 RPM. The consumer was informed by the dealer, that they were aware of the situation, but they couldn't do anything about it. They also stated it may require reprogramming a control module, which they couldn't do, unless ford initiated it.
I bought the car new and have taken it to two separate dealerships to correct this issue and it continues. Initially, the transmission light came on and the car began having trouble shifting. After the first repair, the car began shaking uncontrollably. The second repair corrected the shaking, but now (at 15,755 miles) the car will (1) make grinding metallic noises when shifting, (2) fail to shift on any incline (instead it revs to approximately 2500 rpms and "sticks" there), (3) jolt forward when the brake is applied as if the accelerator was pressed down, and (4) roll backwards on hills as if it is a manual transmission. I understand that (4) can be common among newer automatics that attempt higher fuel economy. However, numerous times the speed at which the car rolls back has incurred a safety risk. This seems to be another indication of an issue with the transmission.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford fiesta. The contact stated that while traveling 3 MPH the vehicle erroneously accelerated causing another vehicle to crash into the vehicle. The driver and passenger of the contact's vehicle suffered whiplash. The vehicle was able to be driven away from the scene. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was found that the transmission had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the issue. The failure mileage was unavailable and the current mileage was 42,000. Mailed 02/18/15*lj the consumer stated even after the engine was overhauled because the mechanic claimed oil leaked onto the internal clutched caused slippage, he continued to experience problems. The consumer believed the problem was with the fuel injection system. Updated 03/29/16.
The car is at the dealer for the third time since the beginning of the month. While driving, all of a sudden the vehicle is not in "drive" anymore, and I have to coast to the side of the road, turn off car, and restart. It is as if the transmission just goes out. This can happen multiple times in one driving session and has happened on highway, on side streets, backing out of my driveway, etc. The engine light comes on repeatedly each time. Car also lurches and sounds as if it might stall at random times when accelerating. Each time, the dealer test drives after the "fix" have been from 0 miles to 6 miles, it does not seem like this test drive is long enough to see the issue. This problem is an extreme safety hazard to me and my family and I have lost faith in ford in fixing/dealing with this problem.
Transmission, which has never been smooth when accelerating form stop now stutters and shudders rapidly when accelerating slowly from a stop. Does not do it every time but does it frequently. I have had it in to the dealer to check it out and they say they have adjusted it but it continues to exhibit this odd behavior. The car did not do this in the first year of ownership. The dealer says the transmission is "quirky". The stuttering and shuddering is not, as far as I am concerned, normal for this transmission and needs to be repaired or the transmission needs to be replaced. The transmission does not function as promised!
Powertrain: have had chattering in lower gears of my 2011 ford fiesta se.....acts like is straining at times to go into gear.....have had it to dealership and they tell me it is normal....also contacted ford via email and they concur with the dealer..the dealer did some computer updates and when I got it back it still chatters...........what happens if it fails and ford refuses to do anything about the problem....as the extended warranty is only for 60,000 miles and I travel 60-90 miles a day back and forth to work what kind of dependable vehicle do I have.......
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford fiesta. The contact stated that after attempting to accelerate, the vehicle would hesitate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that it was a known problem and they would reprogram the computer. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 9,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford fiesta. While driving approximately 65 MPH, the engine began to roar and the vehicle exhibited an abnormal clicking before stalling. The engine warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel during the failure. The vehicle restarted after repeated attempts. In addition, the contact stated that when driving at various speeds, the transmission would exhibit hesitation. On a separate occasion the gear was shifted into drive when the transmission failed to operate. The failures recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer four times for the failure. The TCM and PCM modules were replaced and later, the computer system was updated. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 85. Updated 10/17/12*lj the consumer stated the vehicle would not move forward. The dealer replaced a cable. Eight months later, the check engine light illuminated. On another occasion, the vehicle would not start and when it did start it would stall, or just rev. The transmission module was replaced. Updated 10/18/12
The throttle body malfunctioned after only 17,600 miles. Also 29 parts needed to be replaced all at once under the hood. I have found several stories online of people getting multiple transmission replacements or other drive train components on their 2011 fiesta s.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford fiesta. The contact took her vehicle to the dealer for routine maintenance and was advised she had a transmission leak; however, they will not repair it until it gets worse. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 51,000.
Took car in to dealership for oil change, tire rotation, etc. And was told it had an oil leak and that they wouldn't fix it (it's still under warranty) until the leak became worse!
22 days plus additional 6 days: told by ford dealership mechanic that oil pan is leaking oil, and water pump leaking. Dye pen fluorescent light inspection shows front crank seal leak, inspection of engine block damaged threads. Replaced engine per ford, removed transmission from engine, disassemble engine from engine mount, mount new short block and install, reseal components, re-time engine, install engine to transmission assembly, rechecked for leaks coolant and oil. Ford fiesta broke down next day after I picked up car from ford shop for 22 days, automatic transmission would not go into drive, reverse or neutral, called tow truck for help to get vehicle back to ford mechanic, who still working on car. I am very disappointed with the quality of the 2011 ford fiesta, doesn't get 40mpg, gets 35mpg, does not accelerate when you need to kind of lags, then makes gurgling noise in the water pump. 2011 ford fiesta is not made in the USA and it shows, it's a lemon.
I have a various problems with the transmission. It keeps having a grinding noise like it has a hard time going into gear. I have noticed that the problem is worse when trying to quickly stop as well as accelerating right after. The transmission problem is currently keeping the fiesta in the shop right now but the dealership is saying that this problem is normal and there is no repair is available at this time. I have also had problems with the window not rolling up right. This was fixed but I think that over time it will start to be a problem again. The final problem is the sound system not being properly wired as I plugged my phone to charge and the radio stopped getting reception.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford fiesta. The contact stated that while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle surged forward and hesitated as if the vehicle was going to stall. In addition, the vehicle was slow to respond to acceleration and would often surge forward abnormally while accelerating at various speeds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they advised the contact that there was a leak in the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired correctly and was inspected three times but the dealer was not able to provide a permanent remedy for the failure. The failure mileage was 3,000 and the current mileage was 4,086.
At crossroads ford,prince george,virginia: this 2011 ford fiesta...service engine soon light came on..dealership checked car tsb(power train central module-for transmission) only re-set/re-programmed transmission computer.(april 25,2011. On november 4,2011...I took vehicle back to morganton n.c.ford dealership.. My fiesta would not start and after 4 attempts to start the car it hesitated and started it jerked and sounded like it was badly missing....when driven to dealership the vehicle service engine light came on...it would not shift gears properly and the rpms went to 3000rpms before shifting into any gear. Dealership stated vehicle didn't have a problem and again re-programmed and up-dated the transmission computer. I was very upset. In december 22,2011: transmission gears not shifting properly. I took vehicle to local morganton,n.c. Ford dealership...they tested the PCM..it passed.tested TCM passed all controls. Then tried to tell me...it was only a low-battery problem...but had to re-set the transmission computer a third time.then on february 25,2012...fiesta hatch-back lock would not lock to stay shut. I promptly took vehicle to morganton,n.c. Ford dealership and the car is still there to be repaired and a part is on order. To fix this lock. I was given a rental vehicle. I intend to sue ford motor corp via n.carolina lemon law I am a very-dissatisfied customer>..my car is a piece of crap.
I brought the car 6 months ago. In the beginning the car was hesitant after acceleration and lacked power on hills. About a month ago it started to make clucking noises. After the car started, it refused to engage in any gear. I would able to reverse and then finally drive after the car warmed up and numerous restarted. This happened numerous occasions and I attempted to fix the problem 3 times at the dealership. The dealership did not find anything wrong with the car on their diagnostics and they were unable to replicate the problem at the dealership. Finally, the dealership said the issue is the battery is low. Don't think this would solve the problem through...
At a complete stop to turn right with brake pressed, the accelerator would not work as I took my foot off the brake and pressed the gas pedal. I was able to coast off the street turning right until eventually the car would accelerate. Very scary.
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 driving 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 me over $175 and did absolutely nothing I could tell except offer to replace the tranny 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. 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 were oem parts. I asked kline?s to check the VIN to make sure ford would cover it, never checked it but said it would be covered to 36,000 miles and bring it in anyway. 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. 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.
I recently purchased a brand new 2011 ford fiesta. In the past 5 months I have taken it to the dealership I purchased it from 5 times because the transmission makes a loud grinding noise and lurches forward when I am on a hill or in stop and go traffic. I have contacted ford directly and got the same response as when I took it to the dealer. They both say it is "normal". After contacting ford directly the service manager at my local ford contacted me and went on a test drive with me where he said he both heard and felt what I was talking about. He then took a car right off the lot for a test drive and told me that one did not do any of the things mine is doing. A couple hours later I get a call from him stating ford has told him this is normal for the car to make these noises and lurch forward and that there is nothing else they can do for me. Assuring me that the car is under warranty and that if the transmission fails it will be covered. I drive 70 miles a day in rush hour traffic on hills and to me this is a huge safety concern. There are many people that have complained to ford about the same problem so they did the tsb for this issue and it made the problem worse now when I am on a hill the car rolls back and the grinding noise is worse. I took the car back right after they performed the tsb and told them and they are still saying this is normal.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 ford fiesta. The contact stated the wrench and oil light illuminated simultaneously. According to the owner's manual, that indicated that the engine oil had expired. Upon driving to the dealership, the transmission failed to shift over and the vehicle stalled. There was gas in the vehicle. The dealer reset the light. However, the engine light continued to illuminate. Updated 02/01/12*lj updated 02/08/12
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