Used 2012 Ford Fiesta Consumer Reviews
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Automatic transmission is a disaster
pintodw, 06/07/2014
2012 Ford Fiesta SE 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 5M)
13 of 15 people found this review helpful
I bought this car for good gas mileage as I have a lengthy commute. The vehicle performed well for the first 5K miles but since then I have been in and out of the dealership with automatic transmission problems. My Fiesta now has 23K miles and has been to the dealer five times for transmission work. The last two visits have resulted in major repairs in an attempt to fix the problem and still the problem persists. The transmission shudders, hesitates, and lurches in stop and go traffic or when slowing then starting up again such as at a stop light or stop sign. The dealership has acknowledged there is a problem with this transmission but thus far has refused to replace the transmission. Avoid
What you see is not what you get.
jstrand, 03/24/2014
2012 Ford Fiesta SE 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 5M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
The tranny in this thing sounds like it is going to give out. My car grinds in reverse and in drive. It is especially bad in the morning. I have brought it into the dealership multiple times and each time they tell me this is normal.
2012 Ford Fiesta for sale near you
3 of 119 listings
- SE SedanMSRP: $3,999216 mi away
- SE 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $4,998230 mi away
- SE 4dr HatchbackMSRP: $4,991260 mi away
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Great little car for commuting.
kgr132, 09/28/2016
2012 Ford Fiesta SES 4dr Hatchback (1.6L 4cyl 5M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
Buy one with a 5-speed manual transmission. I've had mine for nearly 5 years and 96,000 miles with virtually no maintenance other than routine oil changes, brakes (once) and tires (once). Everyone I've met who said that their Fiesta was a bad car had one with the poorly designed "automatic", i.e. dry clutch assisted manual, transmission that tended to leak oil onto the clutches and shift poorly. My 5-speed stick-shift has had no powertrain issues at all. I'm still getting 36 MPG driving a 60/40 highway/city commute. Even the original clutch is still smooth. The only parts of the car that are showing their age are the driver's seat and the floor mats. The driver's seat back is caving in a bit so it's lacking a little in the lumbar area now, but, hey, the car was under $20k out the door when new even with nearly all of the available options. All-in-all it's holding up very well for an econo-box commuter car. Just don't try to use the back seat for anyone over 4 feet tall.
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Shifting/ automatic
ldouglass, 09/06/2012
2012 Ford Fiesta SE 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl 5M)
5 of 5 people found this review helpful
I bought this car in May of 2012 with only 5 miles on it. At first I loved it but after I hit around 4,000 miles I noticed the car wouldn't shift properly. When I brought it into the dealer they said it was normal for this car. I don't care if it is normal or not. It is dangerous. Sometimes it won't shift very well at all. Hesitating and feels like it will stall at any minute. Hills are the worst, very hard to get up them. I feel this car will cause an accident for some. I don't recommend it. Not only does it spit and sputter shifting up but you can also hear the clunking of the transmission when it shifts down. I have a feeling there will be a recall on this car.
2012 Ford Fiesta one happy dude
phillylmbs, 09/27/2011
2012 Ford Fiesta S 4dr Sedan (1.6L 4cyl 5M)
13 of 16 people found this review helpful
Purchased my Fiesta in Sept 2011...I actually had to order this car because they don't stay on the lots very long. I drove this car from Abilene Texas to Dallas which is a three hour drive and boy does this car zip around. It actually exceeded my expectations on the highway. After three hours it gets a bit uncomfortable driving. I didn't buy the car for long distance anyway. I purchased it to save gas and get back and forth to work... a round trip of 40 miles. It's great on gas and it's a fun car to drive. Very manuverable vehicle...I can now park in tight spots with ease. Ford finally made a vehicle with style, character and zip. It's been two weeks only but I love this car.