2012 Ford Fiesta Structure & Body Problems
NHTSA lists 175 Structure & Body complaints for the 2012 Ford Fiesta, 28% of all 617 complaints filed for the year, with a median failure mileage of 44,100. Two related recalls (20V331000 and 15V246000) address faulty door latches on this vehicle.
- Structure & Body complaints
- 175
- 28% of 617
- Crashes reported
- 2
- Fires reported
- 0
- Injuries reported
- 6
- Median mileage
- 44,100 mi
- Related recalls
- 2
Typical body and structure symptoms owners report
- Door latches fail to catch or hold, leaving front or rear doors ajar or unable to close, sometimes on multiple doors on the same vehicle.
- Doors have opened while driving after the latch mechanism detached, in one case at 45 mph.
- Owners report door latch parts being on back order for a month or longer, leaving the car undriveable in the meantime.
- The driver seat adjustment mechanism has broken, in one instance cutting a driver's finger on a sharp metal shard.
- Front seat heaters have overheated seats to 107 degrees, prompting owner complaints about a burn risk.
- The headrest position was described as causing headaches from a forward-leaning angle regardless of adjustment.
When 2012 Ford Fiesta body and structure complaints were filed
First complaint Oct 23, 2011, latest Sep 9, 2026.
Structure & Body recalls for the 2012 Ford Fiesta
- 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.
Structure & Body complaints by Fiesta model year
Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.
Frequently asked questions
- How many Structure & Body complaints does the 2012 Ford Fiesta have?
- NHTSA lists 175 Structure & Body complaints for the 2012 Fiesta, which is 28% of the 617 total complaints filed for that model year.
- Is there a recall for the 2012 Ford Fiesta door latches?
- Yes. Recall 20V331000, reported in 2020, and recall 15V246000, reported in 2015, both cover Structure & Body issues tied to door latches on the 2012 Fiesta.
- At what mileage do these structure and body problems typically occur?
- NHTSA data shows a median failure mileage of 44,100 for Structure & Body complaints on the 2012 Fiesta, though individual sample complaints range from very low mileage up to 50,000.
- Were there any crashes or injuries linked to these complaints?
- NHTSA records 2 crashes and 6 injuries associated with Structure & Body complaints on the 2012 Fiesta, and no fires.
- Is the 2012 Fiesta worse than other years for this problem?
- Among Fiesta model years, 2012 has the highest share of Structure & Body complaints at 28%, compared to 22% in 2011 and 18% in 2013, based on NHTSA data.