2011 Ford Fiesta Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
100/100
#1 most-complained of 9 Fiesta years
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
The 2011 Ford Fiesta has a Complaint Index of 100, the highest of all 9 model years covered, and ranks worst overall (rank 1 of 9). Transmission & Powertrain complaints make up 50% of its 730 complaints, with a median failure mileage of 56,000 miles. NHTSA lists 3 recalls for this year.
- Complaints
- 730
- Recalls
- 3
- Crashes / fires
- 32 / 5
- Injuries / deaths
- 34 / 3
- NHTSA overall rating
- 4 / 5 ★
- EPA combined MPG
- 32
- 29 city / 37 hwy
Top 2011 Ford Fiesta problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Transmission & Powertrain366 (50%)
- Structure & Body161 (22%)
- Engine156 (21%)
- Electrical System98 (13%)
- Other65 (9%)
- Brakes39 (5%)
- Fuel System26 (4%)
- Steering26 (4%)
- Airbags23 (3%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires13 (2%)
What owners report
- Owners report the vehicle unexpectedly surging or lunging forward or backward, including while parked, leading to low-speed crashes.
- Several reports describe airbags failing to deploy in low-to-moderate speed collisions, sometimes resulting in injuries.
- One owner reported the transmission jerking the vehicle forward at 5 mph, causing it to crash into a ditch.
- A structure and body complaint describes minor collision damage escalating into a fire that totaled the car.
- An electrical system complaint describes the vehicle losing power and the heater shutting off before a fire started while driving.
2011 Ford Fiesta recalls
3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 20V331000Jun 8, 2020Structure & Body2,147,323 vehicles
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
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.
Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Remedy: 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.
- NHTSA 15V246000Apr 24, 2015Structure & Body456,440 vehicles
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
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.
Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Remedy: 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.
- NHTSA 12V488000Oct 5, 2012Airbags154,471 vehicles
Air bags
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.
Risk: An occupant in the right rear seating position will not have coverage from the side curtain air bag in a side impact collision when the front passenger seat is empty, increasing the risk of injury to the right rear occupant.
Remedy: 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.
2011 Ford Fiesta fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 29 MPG
- Highway
- 37 MPG
- Combined
- 32 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $2,050
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2011 compared with other Fiesta years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2011 Ford Fiesta reliable?
- Compared with other Fiesta model years, the 2011 ranks worst, with a Complaint Index of 100 and rank 1 of 9 years covered by NHTSA complaint data.
- What is the biggest problem with the 2011 Ford Fiesta?
- Transmission & Powertrain issues dominate, accounting for 366 of 730 complaints (50%), with a median failure mileage of 56,000 miles.
- Does the 2011 Ford Fiesta have recalls?
- NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2011 Fiesta, covering structure and body door latches (two separate campaigns) and an airbag software issue that could suppress deployment.
- How does the 2011 Fiesta compare to later years?
- Later years show improvement: the 2016 Fiesta has a Complaint Index of 38 and is rated Good, while the 2017 and 2018 have Complaint Indexes of 13 and 0 and are rated Best.
- How bad are the airbag problems in the 2011 Fiesta?
- Airbags account for 23 complaints (3% of the total) but are linked to 16 crashes and 1 fire, and one recall addresses software that could suppress airbag deployment.