Ford Fiesta 2011–2019

6th generation (Mk6; sometimes numbered Mk7) · B299 (hatchback) / B409 (sedan), Ford global B-car · 4,333 complaints, 3,342 with mileage

When failures happen

What fails, and when

By model year

Which systems, and when

Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 45,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.

The transmission and driveline accounts for 34.8% of complaints (1,508 reports, 1,194 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 41,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 12,000 and 72,000 miles.

A single system taking 34.8% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.

The engine accounts for 11.6% of complaints (503 reports, 377 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 48,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 14,000 and 78,339 miles.

Body structure accounts for 9.5% of complaints (411 reports, 356 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 45,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 34,012 and 64,000 miles.

Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 9.1% of complaints (394 reports, 261 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 50,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 25,000 and 70,000 miles.

The electrical system accounts for 7.8% of complaints (338 reports, 246 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 58,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 25,000 and 92,000 miles.

Throttle and speed control accounts for 4.5% of complaints (197 reports, 160 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 27,500 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 8,900 and 65,000 miles.

Differences between model years

Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2011 model year drew the most — 1,039 complaints — while 2018 drew the fewest at 46. The median year sits at 368.

That makes 2011 an outlier: roughly 2.8 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.

Recalls and what they cover

NHTSA records 12 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.

The campaigns cluster around latches and locks (5), the reversing camera and sensors (2), the fuel system (2). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.

Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.

Reported severity

Of the 4,333 complaints filed against this generation, 206 reported a crash; 43 reported a fire; 213 reported an injury; 13 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 4.8% of the total.

These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.

What this means if you are buying one

For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 18,000 and 73,824 miles, with a median of 45,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.

On inspection, the transmission and driveline and the engine are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The transmission and driveline in particular shows a median failure mileage of 41,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.

None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.

Documented problems

Recalls (12)

What owners reported