2011 Ford Fiesta Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,039 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2011 Ford Fiesta, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 100/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 58,084 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2011 Ford Fiesta sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2017–2019.
Avoid
Where 2011 sits among all Fiesta years
What owners report
“The car has had several transmission issues, without warning - the car would idle by itself when i was parked or at a stop sign. When driving the car would speed up without stepping down on the gas. In recent reviews it looks like the 2011 ford fiestas has defected transmissions?”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Fiesta
“Driver side door will not latch randomly came open during driving and now door will not shut”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Fiesta
“There was a transmission failure, electrical problems, and brake problems. The engine dies while driving. Although seven years old, it has less than 40,000 miles on it from it being worked on constantly. It is useless as a vehicle.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Fiesta
“Car shudders excessively on acceleration. Will also lurch forward during acceleration. Grinding noises when car is on low speed (1-20 mph). Rear taillights stopped working without warning.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Fiesta
“The transmission had a recall they "fixed" it but it's still having a lot of the same problems and jumps out in traffic and affected the motor mounts. Also there's a recall on the door handles which was never fixed.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Fiesta
“The engine light has been on and then goes off. The vehicle slows down in traffic on the street or highway and jerks when taking off. It drags upon take off and you can hear a rattling sound under carriage”— owner report to NHTSA, 2011 Fiesta
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 810 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 60,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 33,700 and 85,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified the agency on April 23, 2015, that they are recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured July 1, 2012, to May 31, 2013, and 2012-2014 Fiesta vehicles manufactured February 1, 2012,…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace all four door latches with an improved part, free of charge. Interim notifications were mailed to owners on June 5, 2015. The recall began on…
Ford is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Fiesta vehicles, manufactured from November 3, 2009 through September 21, 2012. The vehicles fail to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 208, "Occupant Crash Protection." The passenger…
Fix: Ford will notify owners and dealers will reprogram the vehicle's software free of charge so that it no longer suppresses the passenger side curtain air bag when the front passenger seat is empty, and…
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 20V177000.
Led to recall campaign 15V246000.
Led to recall campaign 20E010000.
Technical service bulletins
85 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and electrical — are on file for the 2011 Ford Fiesta. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2011 Fiesta TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2011 Ford Fiesta reliable?
The 2011 Ford Fiesta drew 1,039 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 100/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).
What are the most common 2011 Ford Fiesta problems?
The top reported problems for the 2011 Ford Fiesta are transmission & drivetrain (366 complaints), body & structure (126), and engine (120).
At what mileage do 2011 Ford Fiesta problems show up?
Owners most often report 2011 Ford Fiesta problems around 60,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 33,700 and 85,000 miles.
Does the 2011 Ford Fiesta have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2011 Ford Fiesta. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.