Vehicle turned off on highway, jerks while shifting, and transmission hot light turns on
- NHTSA ID
- 11773706
- Incident
- Oct 20, 2026
Owner-reported complaints naming the powertrain system, filed with NHTSA
Data refreshed
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2015 Ford Fiesta submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 93 reports on file name it.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
The 25 most recent of 93, in the owner's own words
Vehicle turned off on highway, jerks while shifting, and transmission hot light turns on
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.
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.
No
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
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.
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.
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 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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.
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.
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.
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.
Clutch and actuators diagnosed as needing to be replaced. This was a recall / campaign from ford . I did not own the vehicle when recall was sent out in 2019. The new clutch has not been installed and now needs to be . Also, Very low mileage on this vehicle . Ford should stand by its product and replace the recall free of charge .
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the RPM increased but the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving, the check engine warning light illuminated and then disappeared. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the transmission control module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact pulled over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the failure persisted. The “Service Transmission” warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The vehicle was not 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 approximately 149,000.
Ford Dealership determined the TCM is the culprit for my transmission issues. The check engine light is illuminated. Car revs up but goes no where. There is an active extension warranty issued by Ford but for some reason my VIN is not included.
Transmission control module for a 2015 Ford Fiesta Is admitted by Ford as faulty, and a known issue. This part has had to be replaced several times, And there's no guarantee on durability Or that there won't be future issues. Ford has admitted safety issues include loss of transmission engagement while driving, lack of power and slow or delayed shifting, No start, shuddering, stalling, slipping, ECT.
I’ve owned my 2015 Ford Fiesta for about 7 years now. Within the first year, I contacted the Ford dealership explaining noises when driving and my dual clutch shifting gears. I sent them video sound recordings. They said it was typical of this transmission. The car has never felt smooth but “ok enough,” until 18months ago when I reported gears slipping. No error codes were detected but parts of my clutch were replaced. Now, 16,000 miles later I brought my car into ford dealership saying I felt the gears slipping. They diagnosed a few other maintenance pieces like brakes and tires but said nothing was detected with the transmission and clutch. 3 weeks later, I was driving on a highway - lake shore drive in chicago, and my check engine light came on. My car would not change gears or accelerate past the 30mph I had been going. I felt like I was in neutral. I exited, fearing an accident. In stop and go traffic I used my hazard lights because I could not accelerate at each stop sign. I made it to a safe spot to pull over and then realized i could not reverse! I had my car towed to the ford dealer from 3 weeks prior. At this point they could read a few clutch error codes but cannot be certain of the actual cause. In order to do so, they need my consent of a possible $1500 service charge for investigating the issue. Ford costumer service line has said “oh wow, we’re glad your weren’t in an accident. I’m Sorry, your car does not meet criteria for any support from Ford.” Ford has knowingly kept these faulty transmissions on the road and now they are telling me that they will not help look into my vehicle’s transmission and safety issues. This seems unreasonable when the issue is clearly linked to the faulty dual clutch Powershift system. 1.5 million Ford Fiestas may still be registered and driven with Ford offering nothing other than “I’m really glad you dodged an accident and made it off the highway.”
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle began to lose forward momentum. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and stopped the vehicle but did not turn off the vehicle. The contact attempted to shift into reverse(R) but the vehicle only revved while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact attempted to shift into drive (D) and the vehicle revved but did not move forward. The contact turned off the vehicle and had it towed to a dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed by the dealer and determined that the TCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired by the dealer under Customer Satisfaction Program: 14M02 Transmission Control Module (Power Train). The vehicle had been repaired. The contact was called by the dealer, prior to retrieving the vehicle, and was informed that the actual failure was the clutch, however the dealer advised that the vehicle was no longer under warranty coverage for Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N08 Transmission Clutch Shudder (Power Train). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000.
Ford Fiestas such as my vehicle as well as Ford Focus have been shown to have transmission issues and Ford has failed to perform a widespread recall. I bought my vehicle a year and a half ago from a Ford dealership and it has less than 75,000 miles and now has a transmission issue(transmission clutch shudder diagnosed by Ford dealership) that could cause the vehicle to suddenly stop moving or slip gears. No warning lights have come on. While researching this issue I found that a previous lawsuit regarding the failed part on my car did not include my vehicle and many others that have the same issue.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate as the transmission warning light would intermittently appear on the instrument panel. The vehicle was initially taken to the dealer where the battery was replaced but the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle would fail to start up after multiple attempts as both oil and transmission fluid had begun to leak from the vehicle. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed back to the dealer where they diagnosed the vehicle with a heating system failure. The contact inquired about the fluid leakage and was informed that no fluid leaks were found. The contact was forced to take the vehicle back to the dealer for a third time as the failure persisted and the dealer confirmed the transmission fluid leak and other transmission failures. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that there were no recalls on the vehicle. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.
While driving vehicle, engine began to rev and became unresponsive to gas pedal. After slowing to a stop, vehicle began to respond to gas pedal and transmission began shuttering violently. Took to local mechanic and he won’t work on it because he said it is a “pattern problem “. $250.00 to diagnose the obvious. Someone could be killed when the transmission suddenly stops working like that in freeway traffic.
The Vehicle made a loud noise and jolted, the check engine light came on and the screen said "Transmission fault service immediately." I had the car checked by a local mechanic who advised me to contact Ford customer service since this has been a big issue with the Ford Fiestas. Customer service advised me to take the car to a dealership for testing, there they recommended that I have the entire transmission replaced but said it wouldn't fall under the warranty since it's the clutch that needs replaced. There are numerous customer satisfaction programs for the Ford Fiesta clutch and transmission (Campaign #s 16M02, 19N07, 19N08, & 14M02) but none of them include the VIN number on my vehicle.
TCM has now faulted twice on my Ford Fiesta. My Fiesta was built 7/9/2015. My TCM was replaced under standard power train warranty in 10/2019 at 47,000 miles. 02/2023 my TCM has faulted again at 68,500 miles and needs to be replaced. Ford extended its warranty on TCMs for their Fiesta models to 10 years 150,000 miles for fiestas built between 11/3/2009 and 6/30/2015. My car is out of the extended warranty build date parameters by 9 days, however now already needing 2 TCM replacements it is apparent my car does have defects and should be covered.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission slipped from drive(D) to neutral(N) and the vehicle shuddered significantly. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the failure had been reoccurring while driving and would persist at times while turning off and restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who informed the contact that the gear shifter failed, and the failure was related to an unknown Ford Campaign Number that had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
Data on this page last refreshed .