The vehicle experienced a sudden transmission failure while driving. Before the failure, the car began shuddering and hesitating during acceleration. It then started making loud metal grinding noises from the transmission area and eventually lost the ability to move properly when placed in Drive or Reverse. This created a safety risk because the vehicle could not accelerate normally in traffic and became difficult to control. The issue appears related to the transmission and/or clutch system. Warning messages and abnormal shifting behavior occurred prior to the failure. I previously asked a dealership in 2020/2021 to inspect and repair the transmission issues while the vehicle was still under warranty, but they stated the problem was not “bad enough” at that time and did not perform any repairs. The vehicle is currently inoperable due to this malfunction.
Ford Fiesta shudder problems
327 of the 3,179 owner complaints about the Ford Fiesta describe shudder or vibration when accelerating, most of them for the 2013 model year.
- owner complaints
- 327
- worst model year
- 2013
- typical repair cost reported
- $2,000
- typical mileage
- 40,000
By model year
Often reported together
Jerking 86Hesitation 54Stalling 52Grinding brakes 39Check engine light 34Slipping 33Loss of power 29Transmission failure 21
Trouble codes mentioned
P087E 1
What owners say
PowerShift dual-clutch transmission, slipping, bucking, and shuddering during acceleration. Subject of a class-action lawsuit.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving 25-30 MPH, the vehicle was shuddering as if it would stall, and the vehicle made an abnormal whining sound. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while driving over a speed bump. The contact had noticed that the failure mostly occurred while driving at low speeds and while the RPMs were low. Additionally, the contact stated that the transmission was slipping while driving and making right turns. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission clutch assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer determined that the failure was related to an undisclosed recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that no assistance could be provided unless the VIN was added to the unknown recall. The failure mileage was approximately 71,600.
Car shudders with noises on the transmission, not going on reverse and sometimes can not go on driver or forward too, car has codes for transmission clutches
The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shuddering. The contact stated that previously it was difficult to shift out of park(P). Additionally, the contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The message "Turn Vehicle Off - Transmission Overheating" and "Transmission Malfunction - Service Now" were temporarily displayed. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the clutch pads had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 132,000.
Transmission control module for a 2015 Ford Fiesta Is admitted by Ford as faulty, and a known issue. This part has had to be replaced several times, And there's no guarantee on durability Or that there won't be future issues. Ford has admitted safety issues include loss of transmission engagement while driving, lack of power and slow or delayed shifting, No start, shuddering, stalling, slipping, ECT.
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal shuddering sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 70,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH, and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended and the vehicle started shuddering. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway to restart the vehicle, but the failure reoccurred. The messages "Mobilizer Malfunction" and "Engine Service" were displayed on the instrument panel. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 138,000.
For as long as I've had my car - 2017 till now - it's had what I term a "hiccup" after receiving gas. The engine would slightly shudder for the first 5-10 minutes after I filled the car with gas. This was not from overfilling the tank as I never max out the tank. I didn't think much about this until a few months ago. A few minutes after filling my car with gas, the engine shuddered severely and the RPM dropped to zero. This caused the engine to die and left me unable to exit from the turn lane. No warning lights appeared on my dash. I turned on the hazard lights and rolled down the window, but eventually all the lights inside the car died. I was stuck in a left turn lane, unable to move. I had to stick my hand out the window to direct other cars to drive around me. I requested a tow via my car insurance company and the drive arrived within ~15 minutes. The tow truck driver was able to restart my car and we towed it to the local Ford Service center. I explained the issue to the service department, but they were unable to replicate the issue and thus did not resolve it. Since then, the same issues has occurred every time I refill the gas tank. Regardless of how much gas is added or how full the tank was after receiving gas. After adding gas, I have begun immediately parking at the gas station to wait out the engine shudders. They do stop after ~10 minutes, but during that time they have caused the engine to die again. In the past weeks, I've also begun to observe a minor engine shudder even when stopped at a red light. I have never observed a warning light. Online research has shown a number of other people experiencing this issue. It seems the likely cause is a faulty fuel vapor purge valve. This valve may be allowing liquid fuel to flow to the engine, causing the engine to shudder and die. I will be taking my car to a different service center in hopes of the issues being resolved and not getting stranded again. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
It is widely known that this vehicle has irreparable transmission problems. My car shudders, loses power, has issues shifting, etc because of known issues. It feels dangerous to drive at times. The dealer no doubt willingly sold it to me used knowing about the problem. I feel taken advantage of as I had to purchase the car during Covid when inventory was low and prices were high. I owe over twice as much on car than it’s worth. No one in their right mind would buy it. I’m on medical leave without pay and in no position to trade it. I bought it after all the class action suits were settled. It doesn’t appear to fall under lemon law. I’m basically waiting for it to completely break down. Praying nobody is hurt when it happens. I’m writing because I’m aggravated and feel I have no recourse.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Ford Fiesta shudder
Which Ford Fiesta years have shudder or vibration when accelerating problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2013 (93 complaints), 2012 (80 complaints) and 2011 (71 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix shudder or vibration when accelerating on the Ford Fiesta?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $2,000 (median of 15 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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