2011 Ford Fiesta Problems: 17 Known Issues

On the 2011-2019 Ford Fiesta 1.6L Ti-VCT, the Ford Fiesta equipped with the DPS6 PowerShift dual-clutch automatic transmission is one of the most complained-about vehicles in recent history. The dry dual-clutch design causes severe shuddering, jerking, hesitation, and complete loss of power during acceleration. The clutch plates overheat and wear prematurely, often before 50,000 miles. The Transmission Control Module (TCM) software frequently fails to adapt properly, causing delayed shifts, harsh engagement, and rollback on hills. Ford faced a class-action lawsuit involving nearly 1.5 million vehicles and a federal settlement was reached.

On the 2011-2015 Ford Fiesta 1.6L Ti-VCT Duratec, the DPS6 PowerShift's Transmission Control Module, mounted on the transmission and exposed to heat, fails electrically. The car suddenly loses drive while moving, will not start, drops into limp mode, or the cluster throws a transmission fault with stored U0101 (Lost Communication with TCM). Ford acknowledged it with Customer Satisfaction Program 14M02, extending TCM coverage on 2011-2015 Fiestas to 10 years / 150,000 miles. A replacement TCM must be programmed to the car by a Ford dealer, and parts shortages in 2019-2021 left owners waiting weeks.

On the 2011-2019 Ford Fiesta, manual-transmission Fiestas (5-speed B5/IB5; 6-speed B6 on the ST) commonly develop clutch judder, a soft/sinking pedal, and inability to select gears when the concentric slave/release cylinder or clutch master cylinder fails. Owners report the clutch going to the floor when stopped and gears becoming impossible to select, sometimes temporarily restored by restarting. Because the slave cylinder is inside the bellhousing, replacement requires removing the transaxle, so labor is significant. Contributing factors include worn or dislodged master-cylinder internals, contaminated hydraulic fluid, and normal clutch wear producing judder on take-up.

On the 2011-2019 Ford Fiesta, fiestas can display 'Power Steering Assist Fault — Service Required' and lose electric power-steering assist, sometimes intermittently while driving. This is a safety-relevant electrical/steering failure.

On the 2009-2013 Ford Fiesta, mk7 Fiestas produce a pop, clunk or knock felt through the steering wheel during slow, parking-lot-speed turns. The noise comes from the sliding (slip) joint in the steering column intermediate shaft, where a plastic bushing wears and allows play. Ford issued TSB 11-10-28 for 2011-2012 US Fiestas built on or before Aug 15, 2011, and UK owners on Ford Owners Club report the identical 'steering column knock' on 2009-onward cars. Dealers sometimes misdiagnose it as strut mounts or drop links; an electronic listening tool (chassis ears) clipped to the column bracket confirms the source.

On the 2011-2015 Ford Fiesta, ford recalled over 2 million vehicles including 2011-2015 Fiesta sedans and hatchbacks because of faulty door latches that can break internally. When the latch fails, the door may not close securely or may open unexpectedly while the vehicle is moving. The problem is caused by a pawl spring tab that can fracture inside the latch mechanism, particularly in warm climate states where heat accelerates material degradation. Ford issued multiple recalls (20S15, 20S30) to address this safety hazard.

On the 2011-2019 Ford Fiesta, the drive-by-wire electronic throttle body (ETB) develops an internal electronic/motor fault (not just dirt) that causes the powertrain control module to command reduced power. The car drops into limp mode with a wrench/powertrain-malfunction light, often storing throttle-position or actuator-control codes.

On the 2011-2013 Ford Fiesta, on 2011-2013 Fiestas built Nov 3, 2009 through Sept 21, 2012, the restraints control module software suppressed the passenger-side curtain airbag whenever the front passenger seat was unoccupied. In a side impact with an empty front seat, a right-rear passenger has no curtain coverage. Ford recalled 154,471 vehicles (Ford campaign 12C26, NHTSA 12V488). There is no driver-visible symptom — no warning light — so the only way to know is a VIN recall check.

On the 2009-2019 Ford Fiesta, rear wheel bearings on the Mk7-generation twist-beam Fiesta (including the ST) wear prematurely, producing a hum or drone that rises with road speed and changes pitch when the car is loaded in a corner. Ford Owners Club, FiestaSTOC and fiestastforum all carry multiple threads, with ST owners reporting replacement as early as 47k miles. The bearing is pressed into the hub rather than sold as a bolt-on unit on the ST, and the noise is commonly misdiagnosed as tire noise until it becomes loud.

On the 2008-2019 Ford Fiesta, the suspension coil springs fracture, typically near the bottom coil, often triggered by corrosion at the spring seat combined with road-input stress from speed bumps and rough surfaces. A snapped spring can cut into the tire and causes uneven ride height, a lean to one side, clunking/creaking, and unstable handling.

On the 2009-2017 Ford Fiesta, on Mk7 and Mk7.5 hatchbacks (2009-2017) the exterior tailgate release button sits directly below the rear wiper spindle. Water and grit run down through the wiper hole, pool around the switch, and corrode its contacts. The result is a hatch that will not open from outside (owners crawl through from the rear seat), or a 'boot open' warning and interior light that stay on because the latch microswitch signals the body control module incorrectly. Ford released a modified switch with better sealing; Ford Owners Club and TalkFord threads document it across many cars.

On the 2011-2019 Ford Fiesta, fiesta SYNC/MyFord Touch and SYNC 3 systems commonly freeze, randomly reboot, drop Bluetooth pairing, and lose Apple CarPlay connectivity. Symptoms include black screens, disappearing menus, unresponsive buttons, and USB ports that stop charging.

On the 2011-2019 Ford Fiesta, diesel Fiestas frequently suffer diesel particulate filter (DPF) blockage and incomplete/failed regeneration, especially on cars used mainly for short, low-speed journeys that never reach regeneration temperature. Soot accumulates, the DPF warning light appears, and the car may enter limp mode or dump excess fuel into the oil during failed active regens (raising oil level and diluting it). Underlying triggers are often other faults — a leaking/faulty injector, stuck EGR, blocked intake, or failed DPF differential-pressure/EGT sensor — so the blocked DPF is frequently a symptom rather than the root cause.

On the 2009-2019 Ford Fiesta, fiestas fitted with rear discs (ST, Titanium and higher EU trims) suffer seized rear caliper slide pins and stuck parking-brake actuating levers. Road salt corrodes the pins and the lever pivot, so the pad drags constantly: rapid inner-pad wear, a hot wheel and burning smell after driving, pulling under braking, and in the UK a frequent MOT failure for handbrake imbalance. FiestaSTOC and TalkFord threads describe repeated recurrences when only the pads were changed. Base models with rear drums are not affected in the same way, though their handbrake cables can also seize.

On the 2009-2019 Ford Fiesta, on Fiestas with manual HVAC, blower speeds 1-3 run through a resistor pack in the passenger footwell while speed 4 is fed 12V directly. The resistor's thermal link burns out, leaving the fan working only on full blast. The failure is very common on Mk7/Mk7.5 cars and often recurs within months if the underlying cause — a stiff, high-current blower motor or a blocked pollen filter starving the resistor of cooling air — is not addressed. Ford Owners Club and TalkFord have many threads on it.

On the 2011-2019 Ford Fiesta, the EVAP canister purge valve sticks open, causing difficulty fueling (pump nozzle keeps clicking off), rough idle, and check engine light. Very common on the 1.6L engine.

On the 2008-2019 Ford Fiesta, the plastic-geared window motor cog and the regulator's lift cables/clips wear or break, causing the window to fall inside the door, stick partway, or move only after repeated button presses.