Which Years Of Used Ford Fiestas Are Most Reliable?
Buying a small, compact car makes the most sense for many people when the main purpose is daily driving and occasional errands. Although SUVs are more popular and offer better utility, they’re also expensive. So you can find many people that gravitate towards small cars; they’re affordable and fuel-efficient too. One of your best options when buying a used compact car is the Ford Fiesta.
The Ford Fiesta was introduced in 1976 and was unceremoniously axed with its 2019 model. Regarding small cars, the Ford Fiesta was a best-seller and retained market dominance for most of its run. Thanks to its affordable pricing, well-appointed interiors, agile handling, and excellent fuel economy.
THE FORD FIESTA YEARS TO AVOID
If you’re interested in purchasing this vehicle for yourself, it’s critical to invest in the best year. Here at CoPilot, we can help tell you about the Ford Fiesta years to avoid and which ones to buy. Get the most value for your investment.
If you’re buying a used Ford Fiesta, you should know which years are safe to buy in terms of reliability. So for today’s post, we’ll walk you through the recent generations of the Fiesta and determine which is the most reliable Ford Fiesta year and which models to skip. Let’s dive right in.
2011-2019 Ford Fiesta (6th Generation)
While the Ford Fiesta has had some excellent iterations over the years, we highly recommend focusing your search on its sixth and last generation. While the Ford Fiesta enjoyed a good deal of reliability over the years, some models are simply more reliable than others.
Avoid: 2011 Ford Fiesta
When a vehicle generation debuts, the first model year, in general, tends to be the most problematic – that’s certainly the case with the 2011 Ford Fiesta. According to CarComplaints.com, the 2011 Ford Fiesta has accumulated over 1k complaints and three recalls under its belt. As a result, it became a recipient of the website’s “Beware of the Clunker” badge.
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The number one complaint about this compact car was its transmission. Many frustrated owners expressed discontent with the Fiesta’s transmission system, with symptoms like gear slippage, jerking/shuddering, hesitations, knocking noises, and failure. A disappointed Fiesta owner wrote:
“My car is NOT a manual, however it seems to want to be!! If I depress the brake pedal, it rolls backwards!! While driving, it jerks and sputters and only on occasion!! It is very nerve racking to turn left through a busy intersection as it feels like it is going to stall. I’m so disappointed in this cute little car.”
Just for the widespread transmission issues alone, this is not the most reliable Ford Fiesta year you’re looking for.
Avoid: 2012 Ford Fiesta
Unfortunately, the 2012 Fiesta shared the same major issues as the 2011 model; it could be a rehash. Although it didn’t receive the same number of complaints as the previous model, the 2012 Ford Fiesta also struggled with transmission problems. CarComplaints say the 2012 Fiesta has almost 900 complaints, three recalls, and three ongoing investigations.
Yet again, the faulty transmission was the bane of the 2012 Ford Fiesta. Many reports detailed how the transmission has lost power, stuttered excessively, or failed to go in reverse. With so many reports of transmission issues, this one’s an automatic avoid for us.
Avoid: 2013 Ford Fiesta
The 6th-gen Fiesta can’t seem to get a break in its third model year. As per CarComplaints, the 2013 Fiesta collected over 1k complaints and three recalls. As you might have guessed, the 2013 Fiesta also suffered from dreaded transmission issues that impacted its predecessors. With over 20 written reviews, owners complained about the slipping and chugging transmission. For that reason, we can’t recommend the 2013 Ford Fiesta.
Avoid: 2014-2015 Ford Fiesta
While these two models aren’t as problematic as the previous years, we can’t overlook the fact that they received too many complaints. Like a bad joke, the 2014 and 2015 Fiesta models also had significant transmission problems, with multiple reports of intermittent shuddering during acceleration. It’s common to see comments such as this:
“I bought this car a couple weeks ago used and the transmission seems to shudder or shim after its been driven for a while, and today it seems to be getting worse, and I’ve read a lot of people are complaining of the same issues on these cars. I love my new used car, but not this problem.”
Please save your money and instead choose from the models we’re featuring below.
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Buy: 2016 Ford Fiesta
The 2016 Ford Fiesta marked the time when the compact car has finally turned it around after several years of transmission issues. Just to be clear, the 2016 Fiesta was not exempted from the transmission woes, but it’s way less prevalent in this model year.
As per CarComplaints, this small, compact car received only 206 complaints and no recalls. Furthermore, it’s also a proud recipient of the website’s “Seal of Awesome” badge. With a price range between $3,995 to $20,718 (depending on mileage), the 2016 is the most reliable Ford Fiesta year and offers tremendous value.
Buy: 2017 Ford Fiesta
2017 is another excellent year for the Ford Fiesta. Mainly because it’s when Ford has seemingly stamped out the transmission issues that plagued many Fiesta years. That said, the 2017 Ford Fiesta only has 78 complaints and received the “Seal of Awesome” from CarComplaints. There were still a few reports of jerking and shuddering of the transmission, but they’re too uncommon to be considered severe. A used 2017 Fiesta may cost you between $5,995 to $20,998, depending on the mileage.
Buy: 2019 Ford Fiesta
Just when things seemed to be going right for the small and cute Fiesta, Ford had to pull the plug on its production. It’s quite a shame because the 2019 Ford Fiesta is an excellent compact car that’s competent, practical, and value-oriented. As for its issues, the 2019 Fiesta was not spared from reports of transmission faults, but they’re far from widespread. Based on what we’ve seen, the 2019 Fiesta should be a safe bet as far as the transmission is concerned.
Its performance and handling will not blow you away. Still, the 2019 Fiesta is an excellent daily driver with top-notch fuel economy – easily earning the distinction as the most reliable Ford Fiesta year.
What Reddit Says About the Best Year of the Ford Fiesta:
The beloved but now defunct Ford Fiesta was a top-notch choice in the subcompact car market, but how reliable is it? Let’s check out a couple comments from Reddit owners:
On how the DCT transmission can be problematic in a Fiesta:
Comment
byu/Blanket_Boi27 from discussion
inFordFiesta
Another advice to stay away from the automatic transmission:
Posts from the whatcarshouldibuy
community on Reddit
Conversely, this person had a pleasant experience with their Fiesta:
Comment
byu/kcchiefsfan96 from discussion
inFordFiesta
On how the Fiesta can be a reliable car with proper TLC:
Comment
byu/kcchiefsfan96 from discussion
inFordFiesta
Overall, the Fiesta can be a dependable compact car provided that it’s well taken care of. However, some folks are saying the automatic transmission can be unreliable long-term.
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