2012 Ford Fiesta Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Fiesta years
- Far more complaints than other years 3rd of 11 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 617 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Fiesta. That ranks 3rd out of 11 Fiesta model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (274 complaints, 44%), typically at around 42,000 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 5 fires, 17 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
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- 617owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 Ford Fiesta problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 274 | 44% | 42,000 | “transmission control” (7%) | $4,350 |
| Structure problems | 128 | 21% | 44,200 | “door latch” (48%) | $560 |
| Unknown or Other | 78 | 13% | 55,500 | — | — |
| Engine problems | 68 | 11% | 39,798 | — | — |
| Electrical System problems | 66 | 11% | 79,255 | “low beam” (17%) | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages problems | 57 | 9% | 45,173 | “door latch” (58%) | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 40 | 6% | 27,550 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 22 | 4% | 111,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 15 | 2% | 61,932 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 15 | 2% | 17,050 | — | — |
| Steering | 13 | 2% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 1% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 8 | 1% | 27,250 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 7 | 1% | 67,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 1% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 6 | 1% | 29,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 1% | 11,600 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 0% | 3,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 0% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 0% | 96,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 2 | 0% | 2,503 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 0% | 112,900 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 0% | 49,881 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | 45,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Ford Fiesta recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: 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.
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 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.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: 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.
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 December 18, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15S16.
Air bags
Problem: 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.
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 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.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Door Latch Failures (RQ19005) — opened Dec 19, 2019, closed Feb 7, 2022, led to recall 20V177000.
- Door Latch Failure (EA15002) — opened Feb 27, 2015, closed Nov 13, 2015, led to recall 15V246000.
- Door Latch Failure (PE14028) — opened Sep 11, 2014, closed Mar 18, 2015, led to recall 20E010000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while entering the vehicle and closing the front driverâs side door, the door failed to latch properly. While driving 70 MPH, the front driverâs side door opened. The contact secured the door with a bungee cord and continued driving…
My daughter and 2 friends were driving on the highway, the dash flickers and goes back to normal, flickered again and the car started slowing down so she pulled over, ( car still moving) and puts the car in park but the car still continues to move. Passenger notices out the side mirror the car is…
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…
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…
Other Ford Fiesta years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 Fiesta | 105 | 3 |
| 2018 Fiesta | 35 | 0 |
| 2017 Fiesta | 74 | 0 |
| 2016 Fiesta | 178 | 0 |
| 2015 Fiesta | 258 | 4 |
| 2014 Fiesta | 503 | 7 |
| 2013 Fiesta | 668 | 3 |
| 2012 | 617 | 3 |
| 2011 Fiesta | 730 | 3 |
| 2002 Fiesta | 1 | 0 |
| 2001 Fiesta | 1 | 0 |
See all Ford Fiesta problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Ford Fiesta?
Owners most often report power train, structure, unknown or other problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 274 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Ford Fiesta?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 Ford Fiesta a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Fiesta model years, the 2012 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.