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2011 Ford Fiesta: common problems and reliability
· MK7One of the worst Fiesta years.
One of the Ford Fiesta years to avoid. All Fiesta years
730 owner complaints, most about power train. 3 recalls.
Should I buy a 2011 Fiesta?The 2011 Ford Fiesta has 730 owner-filed NHTSA complaints and 3 recalls on record. The most-reported areas are power train and structure. Owners most often flag powershift automatic transmission shuddering, jerking, and hesitation at low speeds.
Safety record for the 2011 model year
Source: NHTSA complaints and recalls filed for 2011 Ford Fiesta vehicles (US, public record).
The Year Score compares this year with other Fiesta years only. How we score it
Is 2011 a good year for the Fiesta?
Across the 11 Fiesta model years we track, complaint volume runs from 1 (2002) to 730 (2011). With 730 complaints, the 2011 Fiesta sits above the model's median of 178.
These are raw NHTSA complaint totals, not adjusted for how many cars sold or how long each model year has been on the road. Older and higher-selling years accumulate more complaints.
Where owners report problems
Recalls affecting the 2011 Fiesta
latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Campaign 20V331000Ford 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.
latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Campaign 15V246000Ford 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.
air bags
Campaign 12V488000Ford 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.
What owners report on the MK7 Fiesta
Owners overwhelmingly describe the automatic PowerShift dual-clutch transmission as the defining flaw of this generation, with shuddering, jerking, and hesitation at low speeds being very frequent complaints.
- Very frequentPowerShift automatic transmission shuddering, jerking, and hesitation at low speeds
- Very frequentTransmission clutch failure requiring replacement
- RecurrentTransmission control module (TCM) failure and recalls
- RecurrentScraping or clunking noise during gear changes
- RecurrentTransmission input shaft seals leaking fluid onto the clutch
Owner insights for the MK7 Fiesta. Read the full MK7 owner report.
Typical used price
Used Fiesta listings typically run $7,095–$10,612 across 2011 to 2019 model years.
Other Fiesta model years
Compare every Fiesta year side by side to see how 2011 ranks against the rest.
Compare the Fiesta against its rivals
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