Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Ford Fiesta owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the headlights failed to illuminate. The contact stated that later while driving, they then illuminated independently. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure became recurrent and the low beam headlights no longer illuminated and only the high beam headlights illuminated. The vehicle had not yet been taken to an independent mechanic or dealer for diagnosis or repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed that the diagnosis and repairs were the contact's responsibility and he was advised to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 140,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the low-beam headlights became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the USB port was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with corrosion and a fractured pin. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 91,000.
Due to the poor design of the fuse box located in the engine compartment, the relay (r11) responsible for switching on & off the low-beam headlights has corroded to the point that one of the pins is stuck in the fuse box & is flush with the surface of the box. Initially, this started with intermittent headlight failure--sometimes at startup & other times while driving at night or during inclement weather. The corrosion was missed when I took the car to a Ford dealership. Now, the low beams do not work at all due to the complete corrosion of the pin. This has lead to several unsafe situations. I have not been able to see & other cars have not been able to see me when my headlights stop working. I've had to drive with hazards instead of headlights at night to ensure others could see me while I moved my car from the highway to a safe parking spot. …
On 6/16/19 I was driving on the i89 in vermont and both of my headlights went out on the interstate. This scared me as I had no visibility on the interstate. My high beams were able to work, and eventually, I turned by low beams back on. They seemed to work. They then cut out again. This happened off and on for the rest of my drive home. Luckily I was able to make it back home. I took my car to the Ford dealership the next day. Today 6/19/19 they reported that there was corrosion in my fuse box, and they reported the cheapest option was $500 to clean the box, and replace the pins. I asked them what would stop the corrosion, they said there was no guarantee that the corrosion would stop. When I looked online it appears that several other people have had issues with this same problem. …
The exact time of the incident is unknown. I had not driven my car at night for at least two weeks before I tried to turn on my low beam head lights when I was parked in a friend's driveway at night. My car's low-beam headlights did not turn on. Upon further inspection it was discovered that the light bulbs were undamaged, but the relay had become corroded. When the relay was removed the corroded prong broke off (or otherwise remained) in the fuse box. Now there is no way to replace the relay, because of the prong in the fuse box. My low beams do not work. My turn signals and my high beams still function, but it is not safe to drive at night with only high beams. So, this is a safety issue. Below is a picture of the corroded relay prong in the fuse box. The prong is blue/green and is located in the upper left hand of the picture. …
I have performed routine maintenance on my car for years. The other day the headlights stopped working suddenly and without warning. The issue ended up being in the fuse box under the hood, which is allowing salt and sand to enter the fuse box without any filtration system of any sort. The low beam relay had completely corroded because of particles getting into the fuse box. We are lucky it is just the lights so far, but unfortunately one of the prongs for the relay was so corroded that it broke off inside the plug. Now, because of Ford's poor design of this device, we have to replace the whole fuse box and everything to which it is attached. This is at least a $1300 job. This could have been a different relay that controls a more essential function of the car but thank goodness we found it when it was affecting the headlights only.
2012 Ford Fiesta - low beam headlamps fail intermittently. They work sometimes and sometimes they don't. When they are working they can suddenly shut off. A little research shows that the low beam relay for the headlamp has some corrosion built up on it and is causing the issue. Haven't yet been able to repair it. This is happens while driving down the road. It happens on a city street and on the highway. The lose of headlamps while driving at night seems seems to be rather dangerous. I could understand if it was a bulb that went out but corrosion on the terminals of the relay might not be repairable within a reasonable cost.
This car has been a disaster from day one. The transmission issues that Ford is aware of have almost caused numerous accidents. The car bucks and carries on all the time. While stopped for a red light you push on gas and it doesn't move them all the sudden it darts into traffic. About 6 months ago low beams stopped working and nobody knows why. Then 2 weeks ago all the sudden car overheats and within 2 minutes dies causing $2000 worth of damage. Im told these are common and im lucky it didn't catch on fire. What's next. Fyi, the lights still don't work which causes a safety hazard. Why is this car not recalled??
The headlights do not work on the low beam setting. Found the headlight relay to have heavy corrosion. The front most terminal has corroded off of the relay entirely and is now stuck in the electrical box under the hood of the car. I noticed this condition when I was driving home on the highway in the early evening just before sunset. I was able to arrive at home before the lack of light caused any unsafe driving conditions. The fuse is designated r11 on the electrical box. Improper sealing of the electrical box has LED to moisture be aloud in causing damages. Faulty construction from manufacturer.
The low beam lights work intermittently. They shut off while driving. This causes an unsafe condition for the driver, passengers, pedestrians and oncoming vehicles. This happens both while the vehicle is stationary and in motion. It happens in all weather conditions and temperatures. It occurs both during city driving conditions and highway driving conditions. There seems to be a short between the headlight, the vehicle fuse box and the headlight on and off switch. The high beam system is not affected by this problem. Lights have been changed and fuses have been changed.
Headlight complaints in other Fiesta years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2012 Ford Fiesta?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the lights of the 2012 Ford Fiesta, 4% of the model year's 617 complaints. The component named most often is headlights (4 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Ford Fiesta headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights recall for the 2012 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 2012 Ford Fiesta headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 114,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 2 injuries to lights 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.