The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for recall repairs; however the issue persisted. After the repairs, while mother was driving on the highway, the vehicle stalled. The clutch became inoperable. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not further diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.
Ford Fiesta stalling problems
396 of the 3,179 owner complaints about the Ford Fiesta describe engine stalls while driving, most of them for the 2011 model year.
- owner complaints
- 396
- worst model year
- 2011
- typical repair cost reported
- $500
- typical mileage
- 50,000
By model year
Often reported together
Jerking 89Shudder 52Check engine light 49Hesitation 41Grinding brakes 38Won't start 28Transmission failure 25Loss of power 21
Trouble codes mentioned
P1450 2P0456 2P2837 1P2832 1P0884 1P06B8 1
What owners say
Per my phone call today(2026/05/13)to [XXX] @ [XXX] (PhoneReference #XXX): I have written an explanation which is too lengthy to fit herein. I shall email it to [XXX] AFTER filing this form and receiving a Written Form Reference #. I shall supply the Written Form Reference # in the email. Summary of 5 above specific requests: 1. Car did not accelerate, engine semi-stalled (although did not stop running completely). Could be engine, transmission, electrical, cruise-control, other, or some combination of two or more of the foregoing. Dealer may still have the car, or it may have been sold/disposed-of to a party unknown to me. 2. Fortunately, since I did NOT test pulling out into traffic, and waited till highway was mostly clear prior to testing acceleration, no one was at risk. However, the problem is that there ARE instances where risk of serious-injury/death is real. 3. No. Salesperson later reported that Dealer felt that there was no problem. Consequently, I believe the Dealer was unable to reproduce the problem. 4. Not to my knowledge. 5. No. P.S. The below form asks for speed, but does not accept various speeds, which were 0, about 20mph, about 30mph. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I have come to find that this vehicle suffers from premature slave cylinder failure, there are roughly 62,000 miles on the vehicle. Typical failure is reported to Ford between 70,000 and 80,000 miles. First symptoms appeared at roughly 58,000 miles. As I am a single father and a full time communications worker, I was not able to address this issue immediately upon discovering the initial symptoms as it would need further diagnosis. Clutch hydraulic fluids appear to be well sealed and clean. The design flaw with this system should be relatively obvious to a major automobile manufacturer such as Ford. The excessive temperatures caused by the transmission can and will affect any hydraulic systems severely. There are no avenues in which the temperatures can escape due to the bell housing of the transmission encasing the slave cylinder. In my experience as a prior automotive technician, most manual transmission automobiles place the cylinder in a more reasonable location, for example, beside the break booster in a 1991 Dodge Stealth. When observing the firewall in this location on this model of vehicle I can confidently say there is enough room to place a clutch slave cylinder in this location. The current placement appears to be for no other reason then planned obsolescence. Vehicle has stalled in traffic multiple times, cannot complete shifts due to clutch pedal sticking to floor. Inability to properly operate transmission as expected per mileage with a manual vehicle is a safety hazard. This is a safety concern due to limited ability to engage warning lights being that the shifter needs to be operated as well as the vehicle needing to be steered. Inability to depress the clutch to mechanical certainty limits the drivers ability to confidently navigate to a safe area to assess the vehicle's possible malfunctions. This limits the ability to warn other motorists on the roadways, which can cause accidents that may also cause injury/fatality depending on the speeds driven.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was pushed to the side of the road on several occasions. The vehicle was able to restart after 10 minutes; however, the failure recurred upon resuming driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed. The mechanic related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 15B22 (Transmission Control Module Reprogramming for Overt TCM Failure Warning). The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was scheduled for the vehicle to be repaired under Ford Campaign Number: 15B22. The contact stated that upon towing the vehicle to the dealer, the dealer refused to service the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 106,902.
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked, and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle stalled while driving. The contact waited for a short while and was able to restart the vehicle. The contact was able to move over to the side of the road. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while attempting to reverse out of a parking space, the vehicle failed to function while in reverse(R). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission PTU had failed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that recently while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact was able to pull into a parking lot. An unknown warning light was illuminated. The contact turned off the vehicle and waited for a while and was able to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that while attempting to enter the driveway, the vehicle failed to respond while in reverse(R) and failed to move while in drive(D). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle warranty had expired in March 2025. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 123,000.
I own a 2014 Ford Fiesta. On June 23, 2025, I brought my car to McCarthy Ford in Chicago due to a check engine light and other concerns. I told them I didn’t know what was wrong and paid for a diagnosis on my car. They fixed the hood and only mentioned the issue with my catalytic converter, which I could not afford to repair at the time. However, they never mentioned or inspected the Transmission Control Module (TCM) even though my car was eligible for extended coverage under Customer Satisfaction Program 14M02, which expired a week later on June 30th, 2025. Shortly after that visit, I relocated to Phoenix, AZ, and the vehicle began showing clear TCM failure symptoms: loss of acceleration, inability to reverse, and the wrench warning light. Ford corporate told me only the original servicing dealership could escalate the case for goodwill repair, but despite multiple attempts to contact them, I have received no response. While the converter was noted, that is an emissions issue. My current problem is a known, unrelated transmission defect that has now left my car unsafe to drive. The failure occurred just days after the TCM warranty expired, and Ford’s system never flagged it during my visit. This is a serious safety issue that deserves further investigation, as it puts drivers at risk of stalling or losing control in traffic. I am requesting that the federal safety agency take action and require Ford to provide repairs or accountability for affected owners.
The transmission does not gear down when turning at an intersection at a green light, causing the transmission to stall and when pushing the gas pedal it just revs the engine and does not engage that transmission
Symptoms: No-start condition (wouldn't crank w/o jump); delayed or harsh shifting; lost power (stalled going up tiny hill). Warning lights: transmission malfunction - service now; check engine light. Our symptoms and warning lights are consistent with Ford's Fiesta Transmission Control Module recall, however the VIN for our car is not part of the original recall. We meet all of Ford's recall eligibility criteria: reported before June 30, 2025; vehicle is less than 10 years old; vehicle has fewer than 150,000 miles. By virtue of the symptoms, warning lights and meeting Ford's other criteria strongly suggest our VIN should be included in the recall.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the transmission was slipping, causing the vehicle to lost motive power or stall. The contact was able to coast over to the side of the road and waited approximately 10 minutes before restarting the vehicle. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart intermittently. The contact stated that DTC: PO606 was displayed; indicating a failure with the Powertrain Control Module (PCM). The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the PCM had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact found information about the Technical Service Bulletin: 16/0129 with the federal safety agency ID Number: 10109047 (Power Train) and the Customer Service Program: 14M02 with the federal safety agency ID Number: 10057231 (Power Train); however, the vehicle was not included. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The manufacturer transferred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.
The TCM was defective. It has been known that the TCM, transmission control modules are defective for Ford Fiestas and Focus. My daughter was driving the car and it stalled. If she was in heavy traffic are making a turn when this happened she could have been seriously injured. Ford said that they fixed this issue in the 2015 editions, that's why they stop the recall for 2016 models, but they really did not fix the problem. The vehicle was taken to a Ford dealership in Wisconsin and they confirmed all this information to me. And eight hundred dollars was paid to fix a problem that is on a recall for most models except the 2016, because they supposedly fixed the problem.
Related recalls
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Escape, 2014-2015 Fiesta ST, 2013-2014 Fusion and 2013-2015 Transit Connect vehicles equipped with 1.6L GTDI engines. If the vehicle is started and driven with an insufficient level of coolant within the engine cooling system, the engine cylinder head may overheat, crack and leak oil.
- Risk
- If the cylinder head cracks and leaks oil, the oil may contact a hot engine or exhaust component, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install a coolant level sensor and the supporting hardware and software, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed April 21, 2017. The recall began on January 5, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S09.
Recall number 17V209000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Fiesta stalling
Which Ford Fiesta years have engine stalls while driving problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2011 (96 complaints), 2012 (82 complaints) and 2013 (72 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix engine stalls while driving on the Ford Fiesta?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $500 (median of 7 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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