Ford · Fiesta · 2012
3
Recalls
615
Complaints
4/5
Safety Rating
The 2012 Ford Fiesta has 3 recalls and 615 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 4 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: power train (194 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
Frontal Crash Test

Side Crash Test

Overall Frontal Rating
Driver and Passenger Assessment
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Overall Side Rating
Side Barrier and Side Pole Tests
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Rollover Resistance
14.3% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
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 repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
Remedy Status
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 have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.
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 side curtain air bag will not deploy in the event of a side impact collision when the front passenger seat is empty. Although the side curtain air bag system was designed to suppress the side curtain air bag under this scenario, that information is not explained in the owner's guide for these vehicles as required by FMVSS No. 208.
Remedy Status
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 consistent with the description in the owner's guide. The safety recall began on October 26, 2012. Owner's may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.
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, to May 31, 2013. On April 30, 2015, Ford expanded the recall to cover an additional 119,567 vehicles, including certain model year 2011 Ford Fiestas manufactured from November 11, 2009, to May 31, 2013 and certain model year 2013 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured from February 1, 2012, to June 30, 2012. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
Remedy Status
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 December 18, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S16.
While driving, my son's car started to have issues when it was shifting gears (it's an automatic). Then a warning came up on the dash saying something like "Transmission malfunction, service immediately". We were on our way to a mechanic to pick up another vehicle so we left it with them. They confirmed the issue and stated it is related to the clutch system (which I believe is the dry clutch system that has been recalled with similar car models). We have not taken it to the manufacturer/Ford dealership yet, but are trying to figure out our options on this faulty transmission design. Not aware of any issues prior to this incident.
The drivers side door latch will not latch, the door will swing open because the latch is defective. I have seen that this is a common issue with this vehicle and has been recalled on other 2012 ford fiestas but mine has not been.
The door latches have a safety recall and needs to be fixed or observed to ensure proper road safety. In addition I cannot move onto my vehicle registration renewal until this recall is repaired. I do not see any visible malfunction but the doors do have to slam shut to ensure they are properly closed. No individuals have been put at risk. The problem has not been confirmed by a dealer or service center, nor inspected by any party. No warning signals, signs or lights appeared on the car telling me about the particular issue or area with issue.
I was driving to work this morning; the car made a horrible "clunk" when I accelerated to around 20 then lost power and nearly crashed. The car then displayed error lights (yellow CEL, yellow wrench icon, HEAD unit showed "transmission issue service immediately" This is a direct result of the DPs6 transmission put into all 7th gen Ford Focus/Fiesta models. This DCT transmission has been replaced 3 times for this particular car and failed the same manner each time - meaning 3 near accidents have occured because this transmission fails. Across the USA; more than 50 people have been injured as a result of this transmission failing.
My car has had transmission issues since I purchased the car, and the problems has gotten worse and now the car is not drivable. I have purchased parts after parts and still the problem. I have reached out to the company numerous times, and reached out to programs. Iam stuck without a car now.What do I need to do
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that upon taking the vehicle to a gas station for servicing, the contact was informed that the brake calipers were sticking, and the calipers and rotors were extremely hot. The calipers and rotors were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission axle shaft had damaged the splines. The dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
Transmission unexpectedly malfunctions. Car lost the ability to shift into reverse and even numbered gears. rough shifting when it can shift. slipping when attempting to drive. Unable to accelerate from a stop sign. Based on simple web searches, the Ford fiesta and Focus with the DPS6 transmission are notorious for defective transmissions.
While driving along the transmission slipped into neutral and would not move forward.Could have been hit from behind.
My brakes on my ford fiesta are not giving me enough pressure to stop on time , which is an hazard. The master cylinder and calipers have been replaced and my brakes are still not working properly and safely. The brake pads have been replaced , the rotors as well and nothing is still working. I’ve been driving like this for more than 6 months and it’s a hazard. I’ve taken it to different mechanics , etc nothing still not working. When pressing the brakes it’s no pressure and I have to mash it all the way to the ground which still feels Iike it does not want to stop for me.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle began to vibrate violently, after which the contact observed white smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The contact also stated that there was a coolant odor throughout the interior of the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The overheating and check engine warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
Air bag light on intermittently, then recently it's been continuously on
It is widely known that this vehicle has irreparable transmission problems. My car shudders, loses power, has issues shifting, etc because of known issues. It feels dangerous to drive at times. The dealer no doubt willingly sold it to me used knowing about the problem. I feel taken advantage of as I had to purchase the car during Covid when inventory was low and prices were high. I owe over twice as much on car than it’s worth. No one in their right mind would buy it. I’m on medical leave without pay and in no position to trade it. I bought it after all the class action suits were settled. It doesn’t appear to fall under lemon law. I’m basically waiting for it to completely break down. Praying nobody is hurt when it happens. I’m writing because I’m aggravated and feel I have no recourse.
TCM problem. Ford dealer won't replace the TCM module.
Driving down the street and car started bucking and shifting improperly. I took it in to the dealership and the said the tcm might be under warranty. Then they just said the transmission is bad
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while attempting to activate the headlights, the headlights failed to respond. The contact stated that several attempts were needed for the headlights to become operable. However, the failure reoccurred, and the low-beam headlights failed to function as needed. The contact checked the high-beam headlights and the high-beam headlights functioned properly. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 19B22 - Corrosion due to road salts in the Battery Junction Box (Electrical System, Visibility). The failure mileage was approximately 153,000.
2012 Ford Fiesta DPS6 Automatic transmission failed as described in Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 14M02 rendering the car unable to maintain speed on an interstate highway, leading to a significant collision risk. This transmission was recently replaced (2 years, 10k miles ago) due to the same issue with the previous transmission. The car displayed a "TRANSMISSION FAILED SEEK SERVICE" message or similar on the entertainment console with a wrench icon appearing on the dashboard. This is a known and widely reported issue with these vehicles, Ford has not offered a permanent solution.
I purchased a 2012 Ford Fiesta SE on 3/3/23 from Auto Nation Dealership in Florida. I started noticing the excessive jerking & hesitating when I hit the gas petal. I can't pinpoint exactly when it started but it got progressively worse. I scheduled an appt. with Mechanic for 7/26/23 after almost driving into car in front of me and concerned about getting hit from behind or even worse plowing into a pedestrian. The mechanic concluded problem with transmission- dual clutch B. After doing research I find out about ford recalls as a result of all the lawsuits and complaints on transmissions for this very vehicle. I then brought car to Ford and was told that the recall didn't apply to my specific issue and would require upwards of $4000 to fix either by replacing specific pieces within the transmission or installing a new transmission. They also classified the vehicle as "unsafe to drive" The bottom line is Ford knew the transmission was faulty when they manufactured the car. Whether it's electrical or mechanical they're splitting hairs at this point. It's a failure with their transmission period. I've read many complaints concerning the issue I'm facing, and consumers shouldn't have to dish out thousands of dollars to correct anything that involves the transmission. It's unacceptable that a car I've own for 4 months is sitting in my garage and deemed "unsafe" Any issues concerning the transmission should be included in the existing recall and Ford should take ownership and pay for any repairs.
The dual-clutch transmission on this 2012 Ford Fiesta has ceased to shift gears correctly once it heats up after driving briefly, and becomes unable to shift in reverse. The engine also seems to occasionally be overspeeding between gears. The transmission control module, though recalled, is functioning properly and has been determined to not be the source of the issue. A similar problem occurred approximately the week before this issue began when the transmission control module (TCM) began throwing faults. The TCM was reprogrammed and the car functioned normally for a week before the issue seemed to recur. When brought to the nearest dealership, they determined that the TCM was not the cause of the issue. The vehicle has well under 100k miles. The nearest dealership thought that shift fork B was frozen, which caused damage to the clutch. A second opinion from another mechanic said that this was a common problem with the 2012 Ford Fiesta. I contacted Ford Customer Care and was advised that the VIN of this vehicle was not included in the 2012 service update for these same issues. However, since it is displaying the issues addressed by that service update and is under 100k miles, it may need to be.
On a relatively short trip I experience problems with the automatic Transmission. It was not shifting properly. Downshift from high gear to low gear way to quickly. RPMS up above 2500. Also too many rpms at stop; had be sure to hold down brake. Very poor deceleration. Danger to merger. This happened one day before we received "Customer Satisfaction Program 14M02" from Ford. Which offered to replace TCM. Before contacting Ford dealer took to my mechanic who confirmed condition and said UNSAFE TO DRIVE. I then Called Ruge's Ford in Rhinebeck who said part is unavailable anywhere in United States. They are going to continue to try and locate a part
Car TCM blew and Leif Johnson refusing to schedule repairs with loaner car for fix.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2012 Ford Fiesta has 3 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 615 owner-reported complaints for the 2012 Ford Fiesta.
The 2012 Ford Fiesta received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2012 Ford Fiesta are power train (194 reports), structure (93 reports), unknown or other (55 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 3 recalls on record for the 2012 Ford Fiesta. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.