YearToAvoid

2017 Ford Fiesta Engine Problems

NHTSA lists 24 engine complaints for the 2017 Ford Fiesta, 32% of its 74 total complaints for the year. Owners report unexpected RPM surges, stalling, hesitation on acceleration, and failure to start, with a median failure mileage of 49,000 miles. No related recalls are listed for this component.

Engine complaints
24
32% of 74
Crashes reported
4
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
6
Median mileage
49,000 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical engine symptoms owners report

  • Engine RPM surges involuntarily while stopped, jumping from idle to 3,000-4000 RPM without pedal input.
  • Engine stalls unexpectedly in traffic, sometimes tied to manual transmission clutch engagement at low speed.
  • Vehicle hesitates or jolts violently during acceleration or deceleration, described by one owner as feeling like a hard gear-shift problem.
  • Engine fails to restart after routine service, in one case following an oil change where an untightened oil filter drained the oil completely.
  • Warning lights (check engine, oil light) appear alongside starting problems, with owners reporting the car turns over but will not start.

When 2017 Ford Fiesta engine complaints were filed

First complaint Aug 23, 2017, latest Sep 4, 2026.

2017 Ford Fiesta engine complaints: complaints filed per month2Aug 2017Apr 2019Oct 2019Mar 2021Oct 2022Feb 2024Mar 2025
24 complaints filed with NHTSA from Aug 2017 to Sep 2026; peak Aug 2019 (2).

Engine recalls for the 2017 Ford Fiesta

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Engine complaints by Fiesta model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 2011156 (21%)
  2. 201298 (16%)
  3. 2013136 (20%)
  4. 2014109 (22%)
  5. 201584 (33%)
  6. 201642 (24%)
  7. 201724 (32%)
  8. 20186 (17%)
  9. 201915 (15%)

Frequently asked questions

How common are engine problems in the 2017 Ford Fiesta?
NHTSA lists 24 engine complaints for the 2017 model year, making up 32% of the 74 total complaints filed for that year.
Is there a recall for the 2017 Ford Fiesta engine?
No related recalls are listed in NHTSA data for this engine complaint area on the 2017 Fiesta.
At what mileage do 2017 Fiesta engine problems usually appear?
The median mileage at failure among reported cases is 49,000 miles.
Did the 2017 Fiesta engine problems cause any injuries or crashes?
NHTSA data tied to this engine complaint area for the 2017 Fiesta includes 4 crashes and 6 injuries.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.