RoadVitals

2015 Ford Fiesta Owner Complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full

Data refreshed

Complaints on fileComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
258
Latest Jul 15, 2026
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
16
Filed in the last 12 monthsReports filed with NHTSA in the trailing 365 days. Recent volume reflects attention and vehicle age as much as anything else.
10
Reports on file since Jan 20, 2015

What this page shows

Our database holds 258 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2015 Ford Fiesta. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Complaints, most recent first

Showing 1–25 of 258 · page 1 of 11

Fuel system
Filed Jul 15, 2026

Car sputters everytime I put gas in it. Sometimes shuts off. It’s every time I put gas. I’m not filling up the gas tank because I notice if I do fill it up. It gives me more problems .. occurring problem

NHTSA ID
11750704
Incident
Jul 14, 2026
Powertrain (other)
Filed May 28, 2026

The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for recall repairs; however the issue persisted. After the repairs, while mother was driving on the highway, the vehicle stalled. The clutch became inoperable. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not further diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000.

NHTSA ID
11740709
Incident
Nov 28, 2019
Mileage
20,000 mi
Engine
Filed Apr 30, 2026

I have taken the vehicle to 2 auto places both have confirmed it has engine failure. It only has 140,000 miles

NHTSA ID
11734975
Incident
Apr 30, 2026
ElectricalSuspension
Filed Apr 27, 2026

I was driving on the highway, and my car started shaking. All of the sudden I couldn't push on the gas anymore, and out of the blue a notification popped up on my screen that said "transmission failure, service immediately" and the car fully stopped working. I was forced to coast to the side of the highway, where I ended up in an incredibly dangerous spot. I had to call the cops, have them come so I wouldn't get hit (it was fully night time), and had to wait for a tow truck to come tow me and my car off the side of the highway.

NHTSA ID
11734158
Incident
Apr 25, 2026
EnginePowertrain (other)Steering
Filed Apr 27, 2026

I was driving for couple hours then my oil light came on check engine light came on. Vehicle started to shake very badly. I had to pull over and see what happened. I started the vehicle up again and the oil light and check engine light are still on. I know that these vehicles have the wet belt system on the automatics. But they don't have one for the manual transmission. There should be a recall for these just like the automatics.

NHTSA ID
11734102
Incident
Apr 5, 2026
ElectricalEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Mar 24, 2026

No

NHTSA ID
11726852
Incident
Mar 5, 2026
Powertrain (other)
Filed Feb 28, 2026

Transmission going out with car having only 71,000 miles on it .a know fact that Ford knew when I bought this car new .and going out when on freeways or just about anywhere could me in danger

NHTSA ID
11721112
Incident
Feb 28, 2026
Engine
Filed Dec 25, 2025

Low pressure oil light came on and I stopped driving it 18 miles later drove about 25-30 mph hoping it wouldn’t seize on me before I got home. because I figure the oil pump is clogged with timing belt fragments and I can’t afford to replace the timing belt right now. Afraid to drive it because I have read it could seize up the engine. 1.0 eco boost manual transmission. Car ran great and I had no issues with it until the low pressure oil light came on. Been sitting since March. I have started it 4 times since then and it has been moved around the yard but never ran longer than a few minutes. Still starts just afraid with the low pressure oil light on that it could seize up if I drive it again.

NHTSA ID
11707044
Incident
Mar 13, 2025
Engine
Filed Oct 25, 2025

This vehicle has experienced the exact issue of a Ford recall for other model year fiestas. The oil pump belt has experienced premature wear and failure, leading to a sudden loss of power. My local Ford dealer says that this vehicle should have been included in Ford recall #23S64 and that I should report this to NHTSA to document and hopefully expand the recall to all years that result in this issue.

NHTSA ID
11695600
Incident
Oct 24, 2025
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 11, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start as expected. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the Transmission Control Module. The contact was informed that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 140,000.

NHTSA ID
11686615
Incident
Jun 20, 2024
Mileage
140,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Aug 14, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that after the battery was replaced, the message "Transmission Malfunction Service Now" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the RPMs fluctuated, and the engine revved abnormally. Whenever the contact attempted to depress the brake pedal, the engine jerked, and the transmission failed to shift as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. Upon investigation, the contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02 (Transmission Control Module); however, the VIN was not included. The failure persisted, and the vehicle remained at the residence unrepaired. The contact had parked the vehicle out of safety concerns. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 199,000.

NHTSA ID
11680738
Incident
Aug 13, 2025
Mileage
199,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Aug 13, 2025

MALFUNCTION OF AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MODULE.REVERSE NOT ENGAGING.SLIPPING OF GEARS WHILE OPERATING.DIAGONISIS CONFIRMED AT PEORIA FORD PEORIA AZ ON 8/25.4 WEEKS AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED!!!!!!!!!! CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AT TIME OF MALFUNCTION.VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION NOT ABLE TO CONTROL AUTO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NHTSA ID
11680511
Incident
Jul 29, 2025
Powertrain (other)
Filed Aug 13, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start, and upon jumpstarting the vehicle, the message "Transmission Failure - Service Now" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the VIN was included in an unknown recall, and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the recall had expired. The dealer replaced the TCM at the contact's expense. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID
11680379
Incident
Jul 22, 2025
Mileage
125,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Aug 7, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the "Engine Malfunction Service Now" message was displayed on the instrument panel at start up. The vehicle was taken to dealer where the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the vehicle was included in Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02 (Transmission control module extended warranty coverage); however, the dealer refused to honor the warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided the same information as the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

NHTSA ID
11679056
Incident
Jan 1, 2024
Mileage
45,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 23, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road and turned off the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was restarted, and after several attempts, the vehicle started. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with TCM failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed of an unknown recall for the TCM however, the recall had expired. The contact had not received a recall notification. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

NHTSA ID
11675654
Incident
Jul 8, 2025
Mileage
120,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jul 22, 2025

In May, my 2015 Ford Fiesta SE went into "limp mode" before reaching the speed limit of 25mph. Immediately afterwards it was taken into a local shop, Mobile Mechanic, where no codes were active and coolant level was between min and max level. Next day, car experienced misfiring check engine light and overheating before being looked at by a mechanic. Mechanic replaced spark plugs due to code reading misfiring in cylinder 3. Car still continued to misfire and due to slight lower level of coolant, Engine overheated and cracked a cylinder block in the 1.0-liter three-cylinder EcoBoost engine. This car is used to travel with two children under [XXX] and [XXX]. The beginning of June the car overheated on a hot day traveling home with the two kids and myself. We had to sit in the heat for close to an hour before temperature gauge returned to normal, I checked the coolant and it was still between min and max levels. On the same trip, it was on the verge of overheating again due to climbing the hill before our house. After finding out the cylinder block was cracked by my mechanic we discovered there has been a recall issue with the same engine, Recall 17S09, that began in January 2018, a month before I purchased my car from Redwood Ford in Ukiah California ([XXX]). I called W. C. Sanderson Ford in Healdsburg, California on July, 15th, 2025 to see if it would be possible to see if this recall was actually fixed on my vehicle, which they responded that the recall has nothing to do with my car and they can't do anything about my car. The representative specifically said that due to my car being 10 years old it has been disqualified of the recall and is no longer attached to my VIN. I have taken this car to the same local mechanic 4 times since the ending of May, 2025 for the same issues before we discovered the cracked cylinder block, mechanic took pictures of fluid and water inside cylinder 3. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11675419
Incident
May 29, 2025
Engine
Filed Jul 22, 2025

In 2020, Documents were subpoened proving that Ford falsified doors and used a dangerous faulty transmission in Ford Fiesta and Focus Moodels from 2011-2015. There were so many lawsuits, they settled through arbitration. The judicial system only required an extended waranty- no recall or redesign. These vehicles are dangerous, and when transmission overheats, the cars stop in the middle of the road. Many will not go in Reverse. Ford is recouping their arbitration settlement money by continuing to sell these cars on the Used Car Market with the same DPS6 Transmissions which they knew were faulty and dangerous, and falsified documents about, with Clean Car Faxes, often low mileage- because heat starts transmission failure, and that is not fair. The pledge does not say...."WitH liberty and justice for ALL WHO CAN AFFORD IT!" I HAVE AMOST BEEN REAR-ENDED TWICE, because car stops when Trans gets hot. One driver of a 4'4 truck, speeding around a blind spot, swerved into oncoming lane, rolled down his window, pointed a pistol at me, cursing because I ALMOST made HIM WRECK! although my safety flashers were on. There are no shoulders on these rural roads. This car is DANGEROUS! WHY WAS FORD ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH THIS? Falsification of documents about a cars safety is fraud. There are tens of thousands with Clean Car Faxes still being sold unfairly to unknowing victims with modest incomes who TRUST CAR FAX DOCUMENTATION.

NHTSA ID
11675245
Incident
Jul 17, 2025
Powertrain (other)
Filed Jul 21, 2025

The transmission control module (TCM) on my 2015 Ford Fiesta was failing at 81,000 miles. It was difficult to accelerate the car even at low speeds (25-30 mph) and my check engine light was on. I took my vehicle to the nearest Ford Dealership (Big Star Ford in Manvel, TX) who assessed my vehicle and determined the TCM needed to be replaced. They replaced the part but told me it was not under the 14M02 warranty. My check engine light did come on once back in May and the car was struggling to speed up but when I took it to a car shop the check engine light was not on and the mechanic said it was fine.

NHTSA ID
11675178
Incident
Jun 21, 2025
Transmission
Filed Jul 21, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle failed to properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local O'Reilly's and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The contact was informed that the VIN was not eligible for Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02 (Extended Warranty Coverage for TCM) related to the failure. The failure mileage was 79,000.

NHTSA ID
11675002
Incident
Jul 18, 2025
Mileage
79,000 mi
Engine
Filed Jul 7, 2025

There is a recall (Recall no. 17V209000) that my VIN should have been included in but is not. My vehicle was not equipped with a coolant level sensor from the factory and does not alert to low coolant levels in the vehicle, which can lead to overheating, engine damage, and potential engine fire. The recall fix is a new updated coolant tank design, the inclusion of a coolant level sensor, and a software update for the function of said sensor.

NHTSA ID
11671521
Incident
Jul 1, 2025
Filed Jul 2, 2025

the manufacture have fixed the car the recall yesterday.

NHTSA ID
11670725
Incident
Jul 2, 2025
ElectricalEngine
Filed Mar 27, 2025

The contact's wife owns a 2015 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling or driving below 20 MPH, the vehicle sputtered and then shut off with the battery and check engine warning lights flashing on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the VIN. The contact asked for an estimate for a diagnostic test but was denied service. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer then referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.

NHTSA ID
11651154
Incident
Jan 1, 2024
Mileage
112,000 mi
Engine
Filed Mar 12, 2025

On 3/10/2025, when driving my 2015 Ford Fiesta SE, I experienced a sudden failure consisting of a "lurch", lost all drive power to the vehicle, and had to use inertia to steer myself out of traffic to the shoulder of the road. After exiting the vehicle, I inspected all tires (no issues) and popped the hood (no visible issues like smoke). I requested emergency roadside assistance to tow my vehicle to the nearest mechanic shop. After troubleshooting the vehicle, the shop confirmed that all fluid levels were okay and the timing belt had failed, specifically noting that the manufacture-recommended PMI is at 150,000 miles and my vehicle only had 118,579 miles. What component failed = Timing belt. Is it available for inspection = It can be. How was safety at risk = Losing all mechanical power while going up a grade in heavy traffic. Has the problem been confirmed = Yes, by an independent service center. Has the vehicle been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance = No, but I did call Ford's service line to notify them; no action taken on their part. Any warnings = No sounds, no transient loss of power, no warning lights; just a sudden "bang" and "lurch".

NHTSA ID
11647958
Incident
Mar 10, 2025
Engine
Filed Feb 3, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that during cold weather conditions, the check engine and the low oil pressure warning lights illuminated intermittently. The failure had become constant over time. The contact who is a certified mechanic, diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the camshaft had failed due to a camshaft position timing performance bank code. The contact replaced the spark plugs and, while doing so, noticed oil in the thread of cylinder #3 spark plug. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (engine and engine cooling). The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V209000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.

NHTSA ID
11640431
Incident
Sep 3, 2024
Mileage
85,000 mi
Interior & seats
Filed Jan 16, 2025

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the front passenger's door latch failed to latch as needed, and the front passenger's door failed to close securely. The contact used duct tape to prevent the door from opening unexpectedly. The contact stated that the failure started shortly after the vehicle was purchased. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics however, the failure was not duplicated. The dealer was made aware of the failure and provided the contact the cost for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 89,072.

NHTSA ID
11636261
Incident
Nov 23, 2020
Mileage
89,072 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

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