Ford Fiesta won't shift problems

Filed Feb 16, 2026 · Acceleration, Transmission · OH

The transmission does not shift properly.\n And causes it to overheat, this has been a known problem with Ford motor company. I have called and can get no help with them. The repair cost way more than my vehicle is worth. I can't find a transmission company to even do it. There have been buybacks and extended warranties for this very issue. However, my car has more miles. Than the extended more, she allows and Had I had known about this before the end of June of last year. They would have covered it, and I think this is unfair. I'm a [XXX] veteran that's disabled, and as far as the back up camera, it's been out Within a year of me purchasing the car and I have trouble with my neck and I needed the backup camera that's one of the reasons I bought the car and now they have waited so long that the transmission is having issues. And if I can't get that help, then they will waited until it won't even be necessary to work on the backup camera they've outlasted the car. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jul 23, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · OH

I am reporting a serious mechanical and safety issue involving my 2011 Ford Fiesta. After receiving a partially state-funded engine replacement in June 2025, my vehicle began experiencing serious transmission problems shortly after. Within a month, it went into limp mode multiple times, and warning lights appeared: the wrench light, incline warning, and “Transmission Malfunction – Service Now” messages. A diagnostic scan revealed multiple DTCs related to the Transmission Control Module (TCM), Input/Output Shaft Speed Sensors, and Clutch A disengagement (P286F) — which I understand are linked to known issues with this model’s transmission. These failures make the car dangerous to drive. The vehicle has lost power unexpectedly, putting me at risk of an accident. I’ve also been told by the repair shop that I may now need a new transmission and/or TCM, despite just receiving a major engine repair. I am unable to afford another large repair and this situation has severely impacted my ability to travel safely. I am requesting an investigation into the Ford Fiesta’s transmission problems and to confirm whether this should have been covered by a recall or warranty extension. I want to also add that my transmission clutch was repaired by Ford only 2 years ago. Please advise if this falls under known manufacturer defects or safety bulletins, and whether Ford Motor Company can be held responsible for the faulty transmission and associated safety risks.

Filed Jul 22, 2025 · Engine · CA

In May, my 2015 Ford Fiesta SE went into "limp mode" before reaching the speed limit of 25mph. Immediately afterwards it was taken into a local shop, Mobile Mechanic, where no codes were active and coolant level was between min and max level. Next day, car experienced misfiring check engine light and overheating before being looked at by a mechanic. Mechanic replaced spark plugs due to code reading misfiring in cylinder 3. Car still continued to misfire and due to slight lower level of coolant, Engine overheated and cracked a cylinder block in the 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine. This car is used to travel with two children under [XXX] and [XXX]. The beginning of June the car overheated on a hot day traveling home with the two kids and myself. We had to sit in the heat for close to an hour before temperature gauge returned to normal, I checked the coolant and it was still between min and max levels. On the same trip, it was on the verge of overheating again due to climbing the hill before our house. After finding out the cylinder block was cracked by my mechanic we discovered there has been a recall issue with the same engine, Recall 17S09, that began in January 2018, a month before I purchased my car from Redwood Ford in Ukiah California ([XXX]). I called W. C. Sanderson Ford in Healdsburg, California on July, 15th, 2025 to see if it would be possible to see if this recall was actually fixed on my vehicle, which they responded that the recall has nothing to do with my car and they can't do anything about my car. The representative specifically said that due to my car being 10 years old it has been disqualified of the recall and is no longer attached to my VIN. I have taken this car to the same local mechanic 4 times since the ending of May, 2025 for the same issues before we discovered the cracked cylinder block, mechanic took pictures of fluid and water inside cylinder 3. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Jul 8, 2025 · Transmission · 196,489 miles · NM

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated or jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal with the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the shift motor was defective. The contact was informed that the part was covered under warranty and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that after the repair, the check engine warning light returned while leaving the dealer parking lot. The contact continued driving the vehicle and the vehicle entered LIMP Mode while driving to the residence. The vehicle was returned to the dealer the next day and the contact was informed that the transmission control module was defective and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the repair was not covered under warranty and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair; the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance and the contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 196,489.

Filed Mar 24, 2025 · Transmission · NH

Driving at highway speed, the vehicle began to switch between the 5 and 6 gear without warning several times, and a message "TRANSMISSION FAULT SERVICE NOW" appeared on the car's dashboard display. The car then started hard-shifting, would not shift into some of the gears, and would not move in reverse. The car had poor acceleration and limited power and it was difficult to pass and keep up with other road traffic. Dealer estimate $4400 for clutch repair internal to transmission.

Filed May 9, 2024 · Transmission · 160,000 miles · IN

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of a failure with the transmission. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into second gear and was stuck in first gear. The contact stated that there was transmission fluid coming from the transmission. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence however, the failure persisted. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

Filed Mar 5, 2024 · Engine · 106,000 miles · TN

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine overheated due to a loss of coolant. The vehicle went into Limp Mode. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to be driven to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine oil pump was faulty, and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the federal safety agency Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

Filed Dec 9, 2023 · Electrical, Transmission · MO

we broke down in hopskinville kentucky at a gas station. had problems with going into drive and reverse. not wanting to shift. got it going on highway. wouldnt shift into gears lost of power. engine roars loudly and has difficulty shifting to higher gears when we attempt to accelerate. It feels like gears ears slipping or catching when speeding up or slowing down.Unpredictable shifting Trouble shifting into higher gear Trouble downshifting Getting stuck in the same gear. yes it has cause it would not shift and be stuck in the road.. took it to lovegreens in kirksville MO back at home. been nothing but issues and problems. they have lied to us and the ford customer service. they never ran a test on my vehicle they told ford that they havent done a test cause i was trying to get a loaner vehicle,. it has not been inspected. none of the lights came on until we experence the breakdown in kentucky. made it to athens alabama then had it trailered back to kirksville mo due to it almost causins a wreck. lovegreens said they have fixed the recall of the tcm but it was never fixed. i asked ford if i can get a diagnostic test if i can take it to another dealership for the recall... they would not honor it due to lovegreens claiming they fixed the tcm. 2 weeks later i went to pick the vehicle up it was stuck in first gear and it would not shift out of 1st gear. put it in L and then back to drive still would not shift gears. i decided to park it and i havent drove it since.

Filed Oct 25, 2023 · Transmission · AZ

The transmission on this vehicle has several issues. It is available for inspection. 1. The transmission gets stuck in park. The dealership was able to reproduce. They replaced shifter mechanism, but issue returned several days later. The only way to prevent this was to disengage the brake lockout, which is a safety issue. 2. The transmission occasionally does not detect that it is in park when turning the car on as displayed on the cluster. This prevents ignition. Some combination of rocking the car or shifting out of park and back into park generally corrects this, but this is a stranding safety issue. 3. Occasionally the transmission will not shift into reverse. Shifting into and out of park and restarting the engine several times generally fixes this, but can be a safety issue when trying to park or make a multi-point turn as it can leave the car blocking traffic. There are no malfunction lights associated with any of these issues.

Filed Jun 15, 2023 · Transmission · FL

I purchased the car at a buy here, pay here. I drove off the lot with a picture of an engine on my dashboard. I drove my vehicle for 6 months with it feeling like it was jerking. I had trouble excelling. It was stall at stop signs and red lights. I broke down at a red light. When I turned the car on, it would not move from park. It was Stuck and so was I on the highway at a light. It took 15 hours for triple A to arrive. I tried to move the car off the road the best I could but it would not shift into Neutral. I had the car sent back to the lot where I make my payments to. They sent my car to a transmission shop. They said the transmission was a double shifting transmission and the control module has 4. There are 77,000 on back order for this part. I assumed that the dealership would put me in a new vehicle but they are refusing to. With the part being on back order, this recall can not be fixed for a long time. Don’t they need to put me in a vehicle until the one I pay for is fixed? They told me I need to put another down payment on a new car. I thought that recalls of any sort must be fixed and if they don’t get it fixed, they have to put me in a different vehicle.