Ford Fiesta Recalls

The Ford Fiesta has 21 recalls spanning 1978 through 2019, with the most serious recent issue being a fuel tank manufacturing defect on 2014 models where the tank can leak from its seam, creating a fire risk in the presence of any ignition source.

The 2019 model year has two issues: brake calipers assembled with incorrect fluid can cause the rubber seals to swell, making the brakes drag and overheat, and the rearview camera can display a blank or distorted image while reversing, reducing visibility behind the vehicle.

Stepping back to the 2014-2015 Fiesta ST, vehicles with the 1.6-liter turbocharged engine can overheat the cylinder head if coolant is low, cracking it and leaking oil onto hot exhaust components, which can start a fire. The 2014 model also has a separate fuel pump that can fail without warning and stall the vehicle. Door latches are a recurring theme across 2011-2015 production: a broken internal component can cause a door to appear closed while remaining unlatched, allowing it to swing open while driving. This affected 2011-2014 models across several overlapping recalls, including one covering vehicles where prior repair attempts did not fully resolve the problem, and a separate campaign for 2014-2015 models registered in warm, humid states where a different latch mechanism was used.

On the 2011-2013 models, the passenger-side curtain airbag will not deploy in a side impact when the front passenger seat is empty, leaving a rear-seat occupant on that side without protection. A related issue on 2011 models involves the restraint control module turning off the right-side curtain and front passenger side airbag when the passenger seat sensor reads the seat as unoccupied. The 2011 model year also has a door latch with a broken pawl spring tab that can allow a latched-looking door to open while driving, and a battery junction box that can corrode in road-salt regions, affecting electrical reliability.

The 2012 model has a battery junction box that can admit water and road debris, corroding components and causing the low-beam headlights and daytime running lights to switch off while driving.

Going back to the original 1978 model year, dealer-installed air conditioning kits on some vehicles had blower motor resistor wiring routed too close to the plastic blower housing; a jammed blower motor could generate enough heat to ignite the housing. The 1978 model also had steel wheels with mislocated valve stem holes that could allow air to leak at high speed, leading to steering pull, tire overheating, or tire failure.