Acceleration complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The transmission does not shift properly.\n And causes it to overheat, this has been a known problem with Ford motor company. I have called and can get no help with them. The repair cost way more than my vehicle is worth. I can't find a transmission company to even do it. There have been buybacks and extended warranties for this very issue. However, my car has more miles. Than the extended more, she allows and Had I had known about this before the end of June of last year. They would have covered it, and I think this is unfair. I'm a [redacted] veteran that's disabled, and as far as the back up camera, it's been out Within a year of me purchasing the car and I have trouble with my neck and I needed the backup camera that's one of the reasons I bought the car and now they have waited so long that the transmission is having issues. …
My 2019 does not have cruise control installed in it, as a newer model vehicle I feel that it should have came with a cruise control. It's hard to control the speed and keep it steady due to not having a cruise control. It also causes my car to use a lot more gas than it should.
On July 15th 2019, my son was going around a sharp right corner when the car sped up out of control and crashed into a utility pole head on. My son was driving on a city street and was going approximately 30 miles an hour. He's uncertain what caused the sudden acceleration. The car was totaled and my son has a severely broken foot.
When I moved gearshift from park to drive, car accelerated violently. I do not believe I accidentally used the accelerator, this occured in parking lot.after moving about 20 feet I hit a heavy gate with enough force to do extensive damage to car including bent chassis.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that the transmission was not working as designed. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle accelerated abruptly. While changing gears at low speed, the vehicle was shaking and shuddering. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the RPM raised up to 3,000 RPM. While attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle failed to move. Additionally, while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle accelerated. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was previously taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that a vapor valve replacement was needed. The vehicle was repaired but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, no cause for the failure was found. The mechanic informed the contact that it was possibly the battery and the key fob battery that had caused the issues. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where the key fob battery was replaced. The contact replaced the battery independently. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
I was driving my car one night and in the mist of driving , it was jerking really bad and the acceleration was going in and out . The car came to a complete stop and even though it was on and running it wouldn't move as if it was stuck , luckily before someone hit me behind it jumped back into to gear and started to move a little until it started to jerk again. I didn't go anywhere but 2 mins down the street and back home. Once I got home and was ready to leave again it wouldn't start anymore and now I no longer have a car and I haven't even had it long. I took the car to Ford and it was stated that it's a recall on something to do due with my transmission and on the paper the same exact things that I was experiencing was on the recall possible symptoms.
Tl* the contact rented a 2015 Ford Fiesta. While attempting to park and releasing the accelerator pedal, the brake pedal was depressed but the vehicle independently accelerated. As a result, the contact drove over the parking divider. The contact depressed the brake pedal again and the vehicle came to a stop. The vehicle was taken to the contact's residence where it was towed to the rental company. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 6,300.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Fiesta years have acceleration problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2011 (57), 2013 (43), 2012 (40), 2014 (25) and 2015 (13) model years. Acceleration complaints make up 8% of all complaints for the 2011.
Is there a recall for Ford Fiesta acceleration problems?
No. NHTSA lists no speed control & acceleration recall for any Ford Fiesta model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Ford Fiesta acceleration problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 32,000 miles; 66% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the accelerator pedal (2 mentions), followed by the cruise control (1).
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.