10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
30,632 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2014 Ford Fiesta:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #191

Jul 082024

Fiesta

  • 168,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the "Transmission Hot" message was displayed, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted after the engine cooled down. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the dual clutch transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 168,000.

- Evanston, IL, USA

problem #190

Nov 012014

Fiesta

  • 70,000 miles
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.

- Medford, MA, USA

problem #189

Mar 192024

Fiesta

  • 55,465 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated the vehicle was taken to the dealer for a transmission diagnostic test that was requested by the manufacturer; however, the contact felt that the dealer had not performed the diagnostic test because the dealer only identified general maintenance issues unrelated to the transmission. The contact was informed by the dealer that the lower dog bone mount was detaching from the engine torque restrictor. The contact also stated that the vehicle was making a rubbing noise and the RPM sensor continued to fluctuate while driving or slowing down during acceleration. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle rolled back while on an incline. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,465.

- Pikesville, MD, USA

problem #188

Jan 292024

Fiesta

  • 26,000 miles
The contact's husband owns a 2014 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The dealer determined that there was a defect with the transmission. The contact was provided an estimate for a rebuilt transmission. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 26,000.

- Norwood, PA, USA

problem #187

Oct 082023

Fiesta

  • miles
This car has a standard transmission and a hydraulic clutch. The synchronizer for low gear lets it pop back out of gear. This is extremely dangerous if you are pulling out into a busy lane of traffic. It throws the shift lever back out of gear with a lot of force. I have had the hydraulics bled but plan to take it to a dealer soon. There are others listed on YouTube as having the same problem.

- Shawnee, KS, USA

problem #186

Sep 162023

Fiesta

  • 38,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle started to jerk and made an abnormally loud sound while shifting gear. Upon arriving to her destination and attempting to reverse into a parking space, the vehicle failed to shift into reverse. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the clutch and transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 38,000.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #185

Aug 032023

Fiesta

  • 122,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. Several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that he waited for several minutes to restart the vehicle after which the warning lights turned off; however, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a transmission specialist where the contact was informed that the vehicle was included in Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M01 and 14M02 and advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed, and that the transmission and the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was included in the Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02 but not included in Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M01. The contact was then provided a case number and referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

- Aurora, CO, USA

problem #184

Oct 032023

Fiesta

  • miles
I was driving on the highway on October 3 and suddenly my vehicle stalled on me. When I pressed the gas pedal, the vehicle no longer moved. I had the vehicle towed to my house and had a mechanic do a diagnostics. The mechanics thinks the issue could be the computer or the transmission not communicating with the computer. The vehicle can no longer shift gear and it can not crank as well. It is very dangerous for a vehicle to stall in the middle of highway like this. The 18 wheeler behind me barely missed me and it could have been a fatality if I was hit in the rear. Thanks god I managed to pull to the center median and had a friend come help towe the vehicle to my house.

- Melissa, TX, USA

problem #183

Sep 072023

Fiesta

  • 53,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fiesta. The contact received notification of Customer Satisfaction Programs: 14M02 (Transmission Control Module Extended Warranty Coverage) and 19N08 (Transmission Clutch Shudder - Transmission Clutch Warranty Extension). The contact stated while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact pulled over to the side of the roadway and parked the vehicle. The failure nearly caused a crash. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the TCM and clutch needed to be replaced; however, the contact was informed that only Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02 (Transmission Control Module Extended Warranty Coverage) was covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer informed the contact that Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N08 (Transmission Clutch Shudder - Transmission Clutch Warranty Extension) had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.

- Garrison, MD, USA

problem #182

Apr 012023

Fiesta 4-cyl

  • 121,539 miles
My vehicle was serviced by elk grove ford service dept. only 250 miles ago and the vehicle is back in for more service. time before did the same thing said the problem was this and when they repaired they called and said this is now wrong, I keep asking why no answer. Now the vehicle had to be taken in and I believe because I have put in complaints before that they are f with me and messing with me I told them elk grove ford [XXX] that the engine light came on and the wrench light on the engine came on, they called me and told me around march 30th that it needed this and that, they came back now and said the power train control module is needed and they cant find any part for it I found a part the advisor said the parts person looked half a day I don't believe them as see that the pcm can maybe reset they have not said to me if they tried resetting the pcm and I would like the part number. I feel I am being set up for more charges as if they would have check the wrench lamp I would not have two charges, they keep repairing items that I believe did not need to be replacement as the plugs were working find. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- Sacramento, CA, USA

problem #181

Jan 242023

Fiesta

  • miles
My 2014 Ford Fiesta started to "Smoke". There was a smoldering Electrical short emitting smoke from fusebox. The car would not Start after this incident. I have a letter from Ford indicating the Fusebox had a recall on this Issue due to a corrosion defect. I took it to local Ford dealer who Confirmed recall/defect

- Elyria , OH, USA

problem #180

Jun 212014

Fiesta

  • miles
My 2014 Ford Fiesta has a manuel clutch that has malfunctioned since I purchased the car new in September, 2013. The problem began when there was approximately 20,000 miles on the vehicle. The car would sometimes stall out and other times it would not properly go into gear. I would have to shut down the engine to get it into gear. I called the Ford dealership and they informed me to bring the vehicle into the dealership. They said they found nothing wrong. The clutch has continued to malfunction occasionally up until the last 6 months. Now it has become dangerous. The car will not go into gear properly most of the time. While running, the clutch will keep pulling even though it is pushed all the way down to the floor of the car. I was in a line of traffic and almost hit the vehicle in front of me because it kept pulling. I had to shut the car off and restart it to stop the pulling. There are no warnings of any kind prior to the failure or during the failure. This is putting my life and others at risk. I only have 94,000 miles on it and it is too dangerous to continue to drive. There should have been a recall on this problem by Ford. It is available for inspection. I have not had it repaired as of now.

- Buckhannon, WV, USA

problem #179

Dec 162022

Fiesta

  • 70,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 MPH, she started to hear an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving to her residence. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the transmission and a clutch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called a local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The contact stated that the clutch was replaced three years prior by the local dealer. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

- Eden, NC, USA

problem #178

Jul 082017

Fiesta

  • 36,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at vehicle speeds, the transmission would shutter upon the depression of the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but the dealer failed to diagnose the failure. As the failure worsened, the vehicle would not accelerate above 20 MPH and would not operate while in reverse(R). The contact also stated the transmission warning light had appeared on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and this time the vehicle was diagnosed with a defective TCM(Transmission Control Module). The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

- Wytheville, VA, USA

problem #177

May 172022

Fiesta

  • miles
Clutch master cylinder and slave cylinder failure. Both leaked, clutch pedal ceased functioning while driving, leaving the car inoperable

- Mcfarland, WI, USA

problem #176

Nov 142021

Fiesta

  • miles
At the time of this complaint, the Ford Fiesta that's the subject of this complaint has received 1 whole new transmission and 1 TCM replacement within 2.5 years. The first two times there were warning lights, but now no warnings are showing. To put this issue into perspective, I have only owned this car for 2.5 years, and it was purchased from a dealership used (however the dealership never mentioned the rampant transmission issues or informed me of the recent lawsuits about the Ford Fiesta). The replacement of the TCM was completed on September 16, 2021. This repair took a month to complete. Now, after being repaired for a mere 2 months, the car is exhibiting the exact same behaviors as both previous occurrences. Both previous repairs were completed by professionals, and should have fixed the issue. However, the transmission issues continue to reoccur. At this point, the car has become a major safety concern. The transmission issues are becoming extremely frequent after the "repairs" and "replacements", and are sudden in occurrence while driving. There is no warning the gear will slip into what seems to be "neutral", or that it will fail to accelerate. Additionally, the car will randomly fail to respond to gas pedal presses, especially at intersections or on hills. I fear that this car is dangerous to drive, as the issues are so sudden in nature. I have tried to settle the issue with Ford directly, but they have ignored me every step of the way. At one point, they said they would try to start a buy-back process, but then refused to return my follow-up calls.

- Bel Air, MD, USA

problem #175

Aug 132021

Fiesta

  • miles
The DSP6 transmission is slipping out of gear and into neutral. This causes the car's momentum to fall below safe advised speeds on highways, and also can cause the car to jerk suddenly at intersections. Ford knows about this issue but is refusing to repair it.

- Blacksburg, VA, USA

problem #174

Jul 292021

Fiesta

  • miles
While I was driving on the interstate I was needing to shift into 5th gear, but it wouldn-??t take the shift. I had to drive in the lower gears and it caused backup because I was on a toll road but couldn-??t pick up speed. When I got to my destination, I realized I no longer had reverse. Mechanic says the transmission needs to be replaced bc it-??s too expensive and difficult to fix, but we can-??t find a transmission to fix it. He said he got it to go into 5th and reverse, but they don-??t work.

- Waco, TX, USA

problem #173

Jul 152021

Fiesta

  • miles
Clutch pedal intermittently depresses but does not return to raised position. Clutch pedal can manually be returned to standard position but is then sometimes -??sticky-?? after being depressed. Vehicle is a 2014 with less than 60,000 miles and is the 4th vehicle with a standard transmission I have owned. After reading on forums for this vehicle it appears that many people are having this exact same issue with the car and I suspect that it is a design defect.

- Tucson, AZ, USA

problem #172

Apr 132021

Fiesta

  • 61,750 miles
From a dead stop at 2045 hrs central time as. I was coming home from work I was stopped at a stop sign on northland avenue on the way to Florida avenue to my sons house. When I went to take a left hand turn onto meade street (located in appleton wis) I pressed the accelerator my engine reved but my car would not move. It lurched suddenly grabbing power then stopped in the middle of the intersection. I checked to see that it was in drive and not in any other gear. As I pressed the gas again the transmission and car struggled to engage what I could only imagine was the clutch. Finally I the car engaged and jerked me forward. I was very worried I was going to get hit stranded in the middle of an intersection ! this car was bought new off the lot!! it has 61,750 miles on it! I'm a 64 year old little old lady who takes care of her car! this is absolutely outrageous and uncalled for! please conduct an investigation into Ford 'non-serviceable' transmission! you can't even add fluid or check the level of the transmission fluid. I've told my son at times as well I've smelled what I thought was hot transmission fluid. The smell was distinct. This car has been maintained. I've never heard of a car you have to go to the dealer to get service for the transmission because it's sealed. Absolutely ridiculous and dangerous !!

- Appleton, WI, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »