Sixth generation (facelift)
2016 Ford Fiesta
The most reported problem on the 2016 Ford Fiesta is transmission shudder, with 43 complaints, usually around 65,000 miles.
- 178owner complaints
- 0recalls
- 10involved a crash
- 60,000median miles at failure
Newest report Jul 31, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
What is your Fiesta doing?
Each one opens a sheet built from the owner reports of that problem on the 2016 model year.
Is the 2016 Ford Fiesta reliable?
The 2016 Ford Fiesta has 178 owner complaints on file with NHTSA, below the median of 232 for 2016 sedans on this site. Of the 6 Fiesta model years since 2014, it has the 3rd most complaints. Complaint counts rise with sales as well as faults, so read what owners report below before deciding.
At a glance
- Next to the 2017
- At 16 complaints for each year on the road, the 2016 runs 2.2 times the 2017 (7). That's the only adjacent model year with enough complaints to set beside it.
- Top problem
- Transmission shudder leads with 43 of the 178 complaints (24%), ahead of stalling at 33. A quarter of the 30 owners who gave a mileage for transmission shudder saw it by about 50,000 miles, and half by about 65,000.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 13 of the 178 complaints (7%) report a crash, a fire or an injury, about the 6% typical of vehicles on this site. Counted separately (one report can carry more than one), 10 reports mention a crash, 1 mentions a fire and 10 people were hurt. The reports record 1 death. The most crash reports, 3 of 10, fall under seat belt.
- Recalls behind the top problems
- There's no recall on file for this model year, so the problems above are owner complaints with no campaign behind them.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2022 at 29 and have dropped every year since, to 14 in 2025. None has come in so far in 2026.
When each problem shows up
Each bar covers the middle half of the mileages owners reported for that problem. A quarter saw it earlier, a quarter later. The tick is the median. Most reported: transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard, 43 complaints.
middle half of reports, median tick. The heavier grey bars have 75 or more reports.
Behind you
Around your mileage
Ahead of you
How this compares
178 complaints is 1.4 times fewer than the median 2016 model on this site and 1.3 times fewer than the median 2016 sedan. Among the 4 Fiesta model years here it ranks 3rd for complaints. Counts follow sales volume as much as reliability, so a truck that sells 700,000 a year draws more reports than a sedan that sells 200,000.
Service bulletins for the 2016 Ford Fiesta
Ford filed 110 bulletins and other notices with NHTSA that list the 2016 Ford Fiesta. 22 of them deal with a problem owners have reported on this car. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard 1 bulletin · 43 complaints
SOME 2011-2015 FIESTA VEHICLES BUILT ON OR BEFORE 10/15/2014 AND 2012-2016 FOCUS VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A DPS6 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION MAY EXHIBIT EXCESSIVE TRANSMISSION CLUTCH SHUDDER ON LIGHT ACCELERATION.
Engine stalls or loses power while driving 4 bulletins · 33 complaints
SSM 47927 2017 F-Super Duty, 2016-2017 Expedition/Navigator, 2016-2018 Focus/Fiesta - Radio Reverting To AM Or FM After Vehicle Shut Down and Start Up Some 2017 F-Super Duty, 2016-2017 Expedition/Navigator and 2016-2018 Focus/Fiesta vehicles may exhibit a concern where ...
Some 2011-2016 Fiesta and 2012-2016 Focus vehicles equipped with a DPS6 transmission may exhibit intermittent concerns of loss of transmission engagement while driving, intermittent no start or a loss of power.
2 more on this problem
DPS6 - no satart and/or transmission engagement or loss of power with DTCS u0100, U00101, U1013, U3003 AND/OR P0606
DPS6 - NO START AND/OR TRANSMISSION ENGAGEMENT OR LOSS OF POWER WITH DTCS U0100, U0101, U1013, U3003 AND/OR P0606 ISSUE Some 2011-2016 Fiesta and 2012-2016 Focus vehicles equipped with a DPS6 transmission may exhibit intermittent concerns of loss of transmission engagement while driving, intermittent no start or a loss of power.
Transmission jerks, lurches or bangs into gear 2 bulletins · 12 complaints
Some 2016-2017 Fiesta ST vehicles may exhibit a clunk noise while shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. To correct this condition replace the front left C1BZ-3B437-A and right C1BZ-3B436-A half shafts. Refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 205-04.
CLUNK NOISE SHIFTING FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR
Battery dies or the car will not start 4 bulletins · 10 complaints
Some 2016-2021 Ford or Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 or SYNC 4 may exhibit a blank screen or other various SYNC symptoms only when the vehicle is in transport mode.
Some 2016-2018 Ford or Lincoln vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 may exhibit a blank screen or other various SYNC symptoms only when the vehicle is in transport mode.
2 more on this problem
Some vehicles may exhibit a no start condition with an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) and a DTC P161A after PCM replacement. This may be due to the parameter reset procedure not being properly completed.
SOME 2016-2017 FORD OR LINCOLN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SYNC 3 MAY EXHIBIT A BLANK SCREEN OR OTHER VARIOUS SYNC SYMPTOMS ONLY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN TRANSPORT MODE. THIS IS CONSIDERED NORMAL DUE TO THE POWER SAVING FEATURES ENABLED WHILE IN TRANSPORT MODE.
Check engine light or misfire 8 bulletins · 8 complaints
Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025.
Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTC) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025.
6 more on this problem
Some 2013-2019 vehicles equipped with a EVDC air conditioning (A/C) compressor may exhibit poor A/C performance/improper climate function and/or a diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P06A0 in the powertrain control module (PCM).
Some 2016-2019 Fiesta vehicles built on or before 19-Feb-2019 may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P0128 stored in the powertrain control module (PCM).
SOME 2016-2017 FIESTA VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 1.0L GASOLINE TURBO DIRECT INJECTION (GDTI) ENGINE AND BUILT ON OR BEFORE 6-JAN-2017 MAY EXHIBIT AN ILLUMINATED MIL WITH DTC P04DB (CRANKCASE VENTILATION SYSTEM DISCONNECTED) STORED IN POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE ...
SOME 2015-2016 FIESTA WITH 1.6L TIVCT ENGINE MAY HAVE A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WITH DTC'S P0351 AND/OR P0352 WITH POSSIBLE RUNS ROUGH, HARD OR NO START. FOLLOW PPT JE FOR NORMAL DIAGNOSTICS. IF LIGHT FLASH IS INCONSISTENT OR DIM IN STEP JE4;
DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) P081C UNABLE TO CLEAR
1.6L GTDI Lack of power with MIL Illuminated - DTCS P0234, P0245, P0246 And/Or P0299. Some 2013-2016 Escape 2014-2016 Fiesta ST, and 2013-2014 Fusion vehicles equipped with a 1.6L Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection (GTDI) engine may exhibit a lack of power concern ...
Seat belt or seat problems 1 bulletin · 6 complaints
Some vehicles may have a concern where the safety belt retractor webbing does not extract from the stowed position or exhibits excessive pressure on the occupant during use.
Engine overheats or leaks coolant 2 bulletins · 5 complaints
2014-2017 Fiesta, 2015-2018 Focus, 2018-2019 Ecosport vehicles equipped with a 1.0L EcoBoost engine may exhibit coolant consumption,white smoke and/or a runs rough condition.
High Speed Cooling Fan Relay Replacement REASON FOR THIS PROGRAM In all of the affected vehicles, an incorrect high speed cooling fan relay was installed.
Complaints filed by year
29 complaints came in 2022. Owners file in waves when a problem gets press or an investigation, so a spike measures attention as much as failures.
NHTSA investigations
Timing belt failure. Open.
NHTSA summary
Timing belt failure. Closed jul 31, 2026.
NHTSA summary
Recalls that include the 2016 Ford Fiesta
Whether your car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
No recalls on file for this model year.
Guide NHTSA has an open investigation on this car. What the investigation stages mean
Questions
What is the most common problem on the 2016 Ford Fiesta?
Transmission shudder, with 43 of the 178 complaints. Owners who gave a mileage for it put the median at about 65,000 miles.
At what mileage do 2016 Ford Fiesta problems start?
Of the 118 complaints that give a mileage, a quarter came by about 41,000 miles and half by about 60,000.
Is the 2016 Ford Fiesta better or worse than the 2017?
Counted per year on the road, the 2016 has more complaints than the 2017: 16 a year against 7.
How many 2016 Ford Fiesta complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
13 of them (7%). The typical vehicle on this site is at 6%.
Is there a recall for transmission shudder on the 2016 Ford Fiesta?
No recall on file for the 2016 Ford Fiesta is on the same system as transmission shudder. Another recall may still cover your car, so check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.