RoadVitals

2016 Ford Fiesta Driver assistance Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the driver-assistance system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Driver assistance reportsComplaints 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.
13
Latest Jul 16, 2025
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
7%
of 178 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
3
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2016 Ford Fiesta submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 13 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.

Owner reports naming driver-assistance

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Jul 16, 2025

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, no cause for the failure was found. The mechanic informed the contact that it was possibly the battery and the key fob battery that had caused the issues. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where the key fob battery was replaced. The contact replaced the battery independently. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID
11674129
Incident
Jun 16, 2025
Driver assistanceEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed May 2, 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that the transmission was not working as designed. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle accelerated abruptly. While changing gears at low speed, the vehicle was shaking and shuddering. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the RPM raised up to 3,000 RPM. While attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle failed to move. Additionally, while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was previously taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that a vapor valve replacement was needed. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.

NHTSA ID
11520069
Incident
May 2, 2022
Mileage
112,000 mi
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Jun 3, 2022

Transmission control module failed and driving is unsafe as lurching pick up in traffic and complete failure of transmission. No reverse or forward gear.

NHTSA ID
11467336
Incident
Apr 26, 2022
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Apr 28, 2022

Defected transmissions were installed on these cars. Ford recalled the least number with the least loss, but they kept the rest with their defected transmissions which cost more money than the car’s value. Ford sold their cars with defected transmissions and they knew it!

NHTSA ID
11462557
Incident
Apr 3, 2022
Driver assistanceEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Apr 7, 2021

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY MY CARS THROTTLE BODY STOPPED FUNCTIONING. HAVING TO TRY AND PULL OVER I GOT STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND STARTED IT AGAIN AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE. DURING THE SAME TRIP HOME I GOT STUCK ON A SMALL TWO LANE BRIDGE TWICE FOR THE SAME REASON. AFTER GETTING OFF THE BRIDGE IT HAPPENED A FOURTH TIME ON THE HIGHWAY AGAIN DOING 70MPH.

NHTSA ID
11406957
Incident
Apr 7, 2021
Mileage
51,000 mi
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Dec 10, 2019

WE TRIED TURNING THE CAR ON. THE LIGHTS STARTED BLINKING RAPIDLY THE. IT SAID THE TRACTION CONTROL WAS OFF. EVEN THOUGH WE DID NOT TURN IT OFF. WE JUMP STARTED THE CAR AND IT WENT ON BUT ONLY FOR THE DASHBOARD TO SAY 'TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION SERVICE NOW'. WHEN DRIVING ON THE STREET AND FREEWAY TO THE NEXT EXIT. IT FELT AND SOUND LIKE THE ENGINE IS REVVING THE ENTIRE TIME NO MATTER WHAT SPEED. THE RPM IS RUNNING HIGH GOING STRAIGHT PAST 3

NHTSA ID
11288286
Incident
Dec 10, 2019
Mileage
50,495 mi
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Jul 27, 2019
Crash reported

FORD DEALERSHIP "FIXED" THE TRANSMISSION ON 7-24-19 EXCEPT IT'S NOT FIXED. AT A STOP WHEN PRESSING THE GAS THE CAR WON'T MOVE THEN SUDDENLY LAUNCH FORWARD RANDOMLY. IT ALSO STILL LOSES ALL ENGINE POWER WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THESE WERE THE SAME SYMPTOMS AS BEFORE THE "FIX". THIS ISSUE HAS CAUSED A MINOR ACCIDENT AS WELL. WE GOT LIGHTLY REAR ENDED WHEN A LIGHT TURNED GREEN, WE STARTED MOVING FORWARD AND AT ABOUT 7-10MPH WE LOST ALL POWER AND THE PERSON BEHIND US COULDN'T STOP QUICK ENOUGH. DAMAGE WAS MINOR, JUST SOME CHIPPED PAINT BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE.

NHTSA ID
11235271
Incident
Jul 26, 2019
Mileage
25,000 mi
BrakesDriver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Jul 25, 2019

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD FIESTA. WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO LUNGE FORWARD WITHOUT WARNING. AT TIMES, WHILE APPLYING PRESSURE TO THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL AND THEN SLOWLY PICK UP SPEED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED DURING THE FAILURES. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WHILE IN DRIVE, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO GALPIN FORD (1000 SANDRETTO DR, PRESCOTT, AZ 86305, (877) 826-2935) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A FAULTY TRANSMISSION. SINCE OWNING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT HAD THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL MODULE REPLACED TWICE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES AND PROVIDED THE REPAIR COST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000.

NHTSA ID
11234912
Incident
Oct 15, 2015
Mileage
39,000 mi
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Jul 24, 2019
Crash reported

SINCE WEEK 1 THE CAR (WHEN AT A STOP AND IN GEAR) IF YOU PRESSED THE ACCELERATOR AT ANY LEVEL THE CAR WOULD DO NOTHING THEN AFTER ROUGHLY 3-6 SECONDS IT WOULD RANDOMLY LAUNCH FORWARD. IT WOULD ALSO SEEMINGLY GO INTO NEUTRAL ON THE HIGHWAY WHICH LED TO A COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. THIS ALSO HAPPENS WHEN ON A NORMAL ROAD AT ANY SPEED AND IS COMPLETELY RANDOM AND ONE TIME AT A RED LIGHT WE BEGAN TO ACCELERATE THEN POWER SUDDENLY CUT OUT AND WE GOT REAR ENDED LIGHTLY. I TOLD PETER'S FORD IN NASHUA NH DURING OUR 1ST 3 OIL CHANGES ABOUT THE ISSUE AND WAS TOLD IMPLICITLY THAT IT WAS COMPLETELY NORMAL AND I SHOULDN'T WORRY ABOUT IT AS IT WILL JUST GO AWAY ON ITS OWN. ESSENTIALLY I WAS BRUSHED OFF DESPITE 3 COMPLAINTS THAT NEVER LED TO THE DEALER CHECKING THE CAR. THESE ISSUES HAVE BEEN CONSTANT SINCE WE BOUGHT THE CAR BRAND NEW IN 2016.

NHTSA ID
11234469
Incident
Jul 1, 2018
Mileage
25,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Jul 16, 2019

WHEN I STEP ON THE GAS, THE CAR SPORADICALLY WILL NOT GO. SO I WILL STEP ON THE GAS LITTLE BIT MORE AND THE CAR WILL STILL NOT GO. SO I WILL STEP ON THE GAS A LITTLE MORE AND THEN SOMETHING WILL ENGAGE AND I WILL SHOOT FORWARD. THIS HAPPENS IN PLACES WHERE IT COULD BE CATASTROPHIC. FOR EXAMPLE, ONCE I WAS AT A STOP SIGN AND THIS WAS HAPPENING AND BECAUSE MY CAR WASN'T MOVING, ANOTHER CAR STARTED TO GO AND MY CAR FINALLY ENGAGED AND SHOT FORWARD AND I NARROWLY MISSED HITTING THAT OTHER VEHICLE

NHTSA ID
11232611
Incident
Jul 16, 2019
Mileage
25,000 mi
Driver assistancePowertrain (other)
Filed Jul 16, 2019

LUNGES FORWARD ANY TIME IT WANTS, ANYPLACE IT WANTS TOO.

NHTSA ID
11232499
Incident
Jun 30, 2016
Mileage
16,546 mi
Driver assistanceEngine
Filed Jul 16, 2019

MY CAR STALLS WHEN I COME TO A RED LIGHT ..ITS LIKE IT DONT WANA MOVE..SLOW ACCLER ATION

NHTSA ID
11232239
Incident
Apr 13, 2019
Mileage
60,000 mi
Driver assistance
Filed Nov 2, 2017
Crash reported

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD FIESTA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED SPONTANEOUSLY AND STRUCK A TREE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000.

NHTSA ID
11042671
Incident
Dec 2, 2016
Mileage
5,000 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.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .