2012 Ford Fiesta Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 274 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2012 Ford Fiesta, 44% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 42,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “transmission control” (7% of reports).
- 274power train complaints
- 42,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $4,350typical repair cost reported by owners
- 15%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Transmission control: mentioned in 19 of 274 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2012 Ford Fiesta at $4,350, and half of them between $2,800 and $4,850.
Based on 7 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2014–2023), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 211 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 274 complaints, 3 an injury.
Ford Fiesta power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Fiesta | 21 | 20% | 67,000 |
| 2018 Fiesta | 10 | 29% | 30,067 |
| 2017 Fiesta | 22 | 30% | 69,000 |
| 2016 Fiesta | 101 | 57% | 65,000 |
| 2015 Fiesta | 104 | 40% | 59,000 |
| 2014 Fiesta | 208 | 41% | 30,000 |
| 2013 Fiesta | 391 | 59% | 20,000 |
| 2012 Fiesta | 274 | 44% | 42,000 |
| 2011 Fiesta | 366 | 50% | 56,200 |
| 2002 Fiesta | 1 | 100% | 64,250 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train for the 2012 Ford Fiesta. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
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…
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…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2012 Ford Fiestas have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 274 owner complaints about power train for the 2012 Ford Fiesta (44% of the 617 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Ford Fiesta power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 42,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2012 Ford Fiesta?
Owners report a typical cost of $4,350 (half paid between $2,800 and $4,850), from 7 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2012 Ford Fiesta?
The most frequent phrase is “transmission control”, in 19 of 274 complaints.
Other 2012 Ford Fiesta problems
See all 2012 Ford Fiesta problems or power train problems across all Fiesta years.