Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Ford Fiesta owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My 2011 Ford Fiesta shudders, has sudden or Delayed Acceleration,delays in downshift, difficulty stopping/braking,it hesitates when changing gears.also has harsh engagement.I purchased from a private owner in 2021. I have contacted Ford Motor Company Headquarters. I have taken it to my local Ford Dealership,told them what it does, they would not drive it so they could see what it does and how dangerous it can be at times. All they said was "oh it's the TCM and we got them back ordered for 6 mths" But if I want to pay for and order the part and just leave my car setting at the Ford Dealership until the part comes in I can do that. Then pay God only knows how much for them to put the part on. This is the only vehicle I have right now. I told them that. They said "oh we can't give ya no loaner car for that long. …
Upon acceleration from a stop the transmission seriously shutters and stalls the vehicles engine seriously putting the occupants life and safety at risk as well as others. I also noticed that the vehicle shutters badly at speeds 3mph through 25mph bucking and stalling the engine all the way through making driving the vehicle a real danger and threat to the safety of others on the road. This is a serious and dangerous situation I've been placed in and by this vehicle being my only source of transportation endangers my life and safety and the safety of others on the road due to the stalling and hesitation upon entering traffic it's deadly. Weather conditions also contribute to the life threatening dangers while traveling. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Ford Fiesta. While waiting at a red light, the vehicle spontaneously accelerated and rear ended a utility vehicle. The contact depressed the brake pedal down to the floor, but the vehicle kept accelerating on its own. The contact opened the driver side door and ran to the sidewalk. Directly behind the contact was a fire truck and the occupants witnessed the entire crash. The contact was advised to leave the vehicle and the fire department was able to turn off the engine. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact also stated that the TIPM was replaced twice. The first time was by huntersville Ford in huntersville, north carolina in August of 2015. The second time was by salisbury Ford in salisbury, north carolina in August of 2016. The huntersville Ford dealer also replaced the clutch twice. …
Takara recall I've owned this death trap since 2012 and has had the dual transmission replaced at least twice.. It has always jerked and stalled out on me while traveling through intersections, pulling off from stop signs/red lights, and while driving up hills. It's embarrassing, but most of all unsafe for me, my children, and other drivers.
On several occasions over the last winter I turned left from my driveway. As I attempted to accelerate the vehicle briefly slipped out of gear. The vehicle is controlled by an automatic transmission, but slipped from gear, leaving me in the road, unable to move forward. This has happened on several occasions. My transmission has also failed several times at red lights. I will step on the gas, and there are several seconds of hesitation, where my vehicle will not move. Then it lurches forward. Ford has sent a letter explaining there have been defects with the transmission, but I have called 3 different dealerships, and they refuse to fix the problem unless it occurs during a test drive by their technicians. If the problem does not occur during their test drive they will charge me over $100 for the diagnosis. …
When I purchased my vehicle new I had several problems with the transmission. After several trips to joe cotton Ford in carol stream, il there was no remedy besides removing the cables from the battery to reset the vehicle's computer. On September of this year I received a letter from Ford motor co. To advise that they need to do a software update due to a TCM circuit failure. I took my vehicle to friendly Ford 333 e irving park, roselle, il, on Monday November 11, 2019, so they can rectify the problem. Prior to taking my vehicle to the dealership I removed the battery cables. Apparently the dealership was not able to install the new software. The service advisor advised me that the card code reader was not able to identify the error message and they had to charge me. My vehicle was at the dealership for several days and they loaned me a car while it was in service. …
I have had the TCM on this vehicle replaced twice after transmission malfunction light suddenly came on. It came on a third time and the issue still causes transmission malfunction indicator to illuminate, however this time it is my dual clutch. Same symptoms in the vehicle every time. With no warning, the vehicle will suddenly lose power, fail to change gears, shutter forward after stopping, come to a complete stop in the middle of driving. Two days ago driving uphill, my vehicle, with no warning at all, started going in reverse, down the hill. I am in the middle of a class action suit with Ford that is taking forever to settle. I have tried to get Ford to replace my clutch, but they claim it is not part of the extended warranty like the TCM is now, even though it causes the same issues with the vehicle. …
Ive taken my car to the dealership around 4 times for the same problem. The fourth being the worst. The car will shudder, shake, over rev, low power when taking off and lack of powersteering and brakes. Its had its TCM reprogrammed to no avail! Clutch has been replaced to no avail. Third time it stared again and had to get the car reprogrammed again. The last time the car would not drive over 30 MPH without shaking shuddering and trying to find the right gear. Couple of times the car stopped while driving!! Dealership replaced the TCM .on about the fourth time in. My wife drives our kids to school in this car and I have not confidence in its ability to sustain and deliver my family safely to their destinatation. Im currently making payments and have also tried to talk to Ford about a buy back or replacement and they said I don't meet or qualify for the california lemon law. …
The vehicle was purchased brand new. We have already taken it to Ford repair shops a number of times for replacement parts, repairs, recalls, etc. Recently, the vehicle would not start (among other continuing problems with shaking while braking, jerking when shifting gears--both of which we've already had worked on several times) so we had it taken to a Ford dealer near where we live. We found out the problem is with the transmission control module. It turns out that Ford has a csp for this problem. However, we did not know about it and by the time we started having problems, we were past the mileage for the warranty coverage. I am extremely displeased with this vehicle and the customer service we have received. I believe it is bias and discriminatory to repair problems you know about only if they are on vehicles with mileage under 150,000. If there is a known problem. …
I have been dealing with transmission issues since I bought the vehicle. The first time it happened I was doing 50 MPH and it shifted out of gear. This was quite disturbing. I took it in to Ford and they told me it just needed the program updated. Then during the winter it wouldn't go into gear at all, not forward, reverse or anything. Once again I took it in and they said it was the programming. They programed it again. So back in feb it happened again, and I did then receive a letter stating there was some issues, so I was given a 100,000 mile warranty on fixing the issue. Well I told them to replace the TCM, but once again they love to reprogram. So my oldest son is in need of a vehicle and he was driving it up in madison wisconsin on the most crazy freeway and it decided to lose the power doing more than 50 MPH. My son was so stressed and was almost hit by a semi. …
Acceleration complaints in other Fiesta years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2011 Ford Fiesta?
NHTSA has 57 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2011 Ford Fiesta, 8% of the model year's 730 complaints. The component named most often is accelerator pedal (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Ford Fiesta acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for the 2011 Ford Fiesta, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2011 Ford Fiesta acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 57,000 miles, and 23% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to speed control & acceleration problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.