2012 Ford Fiesta Problems, Recalls & Reliability
833 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Ford Fiesta, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 3 defect investigations. It scores 72/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 43,500 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2012 Ford Fiesta sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 2017–2019.
Avoid
Where 2012 sits among all Fiesta years
What owners report
“Loss of power transmission shudder 100,500 miles now started as a small issue at about 94,000 but not constantly, its bad now”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Fiesta
“Passenger side front door will not shut due to faulty latch mechanism. Vehicle was not driven due to this safety issue until repaired.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Fiesta
“Door latch failures x 3 after replacement of all per recall notice 15v-246. (12/2015)”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Fiesta
“Low beams don't work, replaced bulbs and didn't fix checked relay and it was corroded and one of the pins is now stuck in the box. It was stationary”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Fiesta
“Dp26 automatic Transmission seals leak contamination of clutch. Constant problems with transmission.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Fiesta
“2012 ford fiesta. Consumer writes in regard to defective door latch. The consumer has contacted the dealer several times for repairs and informed by the dealer that parts were not available.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2012 Fiesta
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 643 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 45,345 miles. Half of those reports fall between 27,000 and 75,000 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
86 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and engine — are on file for the 2012 Ford Fiesta. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2012 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 2012 Ford Fiesta reliable?
The 2012 Ford Fiesta drew 833 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 72/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).
What are the most common 2012 Ford Fiesta problems?
The top reported problems for the 2012 Ford Fiesta are transmission & drivetrain (276 complaints), body & structure (129), and other (93).
At what mileage do 2012 Ford Fiesta problems show up?
Owners most often report 2012 Ford Fiesta problems around 45,345 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 27,000 and 75,000 miles.
Does the 2012 Ford Fiesta have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 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.