2016 Ford Fiesta · symptom sheet
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard
- 43owner reports
- 65,000median miles
- 2involved a crash
Newest report Nov 12, 2025 · checked Sep 9, 2026
101 of the 178 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 43 of those describe transmission shudder, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2016 Fiesta.
Tick what matches of 43 reports
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the clutch (9 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2016 model year as of Sep 9, 2026.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 50,000 and 85,000 miles, from the 30 reports that gave a mileage.
What owners wrote
“2016 ford fiesta se has had a transmission/clutch problem. It is doing everything that the recall says it's suppose to cover and Ford is not willing to honor and fix it. It's jerking, shaking, and not accelerating properly.”
Filed Feb 22, 2023
“Transmission control module failed and driving is unsafe as lurching pick up in traffic and complete failure of transmission. No reverse or forward gear.”
Filed Jun 3, 2022
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 2 of 43 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation.
Other problems on this car
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 33 reports