What are the common problems with the 2016 Ford Fiesta?

Owners filed 178 complaints with NHTSA. The power train group is named in 101 of them, followed by the engine group and the electrical system group.

Does the 2016 Ford Fiesta have recalls?

The Recalls section of this page gives the count. The by-year fact gives the recall count for this model year.

Is the 2016 Ford Fiesta reliable?

The complaints on file number 178. The power train group is named in 101 complaints. These are unverified reports and are not adjusted for sales, so read them as a guide and not a verdict.

What is the gas mileage of the 2016 Ford Fiesta?

See the fuel economy section of this page, which is built from EPA data.

Is 2016 the best year for the Ford Fiesta?

See the by-year comparison section on this page, which sets the complaint counts of each year side by side.

2016 Ford Fiesta Problems, Recalls and MPG

NHTSA has 178 owner complaints on file for the 2016 Ford Fiesta^[1]. The power train group is named in 101 of them^[2].

178owner complaints^[1]

29–35MPG combined (EPA)^[3]

4★NHTSA overall rating^[4]

Problems
Recalls
Fuel economy
Safety
Engine and size
By year
Verdict
FAQ

Most reported problems

Here are the complaint groups, biggest first, based on what owners reported to NHTSA.

Power Train. 101 complaints^[2]. In the stories we read, owners describe clunks when shifting, shuddering after a stop, and hesitation before the car suddenly surges forward.
Engine. 34 complaints^[5]. Owners describe the car stalling or dropping its revs at idle, hesitating under load, and overheating while driving.
Electrical System. 26 complaints^[6]. Owners describe batteries that die or fail again soon after a replacement, warning lights that come on, and lamps that do not work.
Unknown Or Other. 22 complaints^[7]. These reports do not fit a single named group.
Speed Control. 11 complaints^[8]. Owners describe pressing the pedal and getting no response, then a sudden lunge forward.
Fuel/Propulsion System. 11 complaints^[9].
Structure. 8 complaints^[10].
Steering. 7 complaints^[11].

Recalls

NHTSA's records show 0 recalls for the 2016 Fiesta^[12].

Fuel economy

EPA ratings depend on the engine and drive. Annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not prices when the car was new.

Version	City / highway / combined MPG	Annual fuel cost
Fiesta FWD, 1.6L 4-cyl, Automatic (AM-S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[13]	27 / 36 / 30	$2,250
Fiesta FWD, 1.6L 4-cyl, Manual 5-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[14]	27 / 35 / 30	$2,250
Fiesta SFE FWD, 1.0L 3-cyl turbo, Manual 5-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[3]	31 / 41 / 35	$1,900
Fiesta ST FWD, 1.6L 4-cyl turbo, Manual 6-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive^[15]	26 / 32 / 29	$2,300

Safety ratings

Version	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR FWD^[4]	4	4	5	4	14.3%
5 HB FWD^[16]	4	4	5	4	14.3%

Engine and size

Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles.

Engine	Horsepower
2016 Ford Fiesta with 1.0L 3-cylinder^[17]	120 hp
2016 Ford Fiesta with 1.6L 4-cylinder^[18]	120 to 175 hp

How 2016 compares with other years

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA for each Fiesta model year. The 2016 is highlighted^[12].

Show the numbers

Model year	Complaints	Recalls
2011	730	3
2012	617	3
2013	668	3
2014	504	7
2015	258	4
2016	178	0
2017	74	0
2018	35	0
2019	105	3

NHTSA's counts for the Fiesta show 178 complaints and 0 recalls for 2016^[12]. Among the 9 model years listed, 3 have fewer complaints than 2016 and 5 have more^[12]. The fewest complaints are for 2018 (35) and the most are for 2011 (730)^[12]. These counts are not adjusted for sales, so treat them as a rough guide. The chart above shows every year.

Should you buy a used 2016 Fiesta?

The complaint record for this Fiesta leans toward drivetrain behavior, with the power train group far ahead of the others^[2]. Engine and electrical reports follow^[5]^[6]. These are unverified owner reports^[1]. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold. Check the recalls and year comparison sections on this page before you buy, and have any car inspected first.

Frequently asked questions

What are the common problems with the 2016 Ford Fiesta?: Owners filed 178 complaints with NHTSA^[1]. The power train group is named in 101 of them^[2], followed by the engine group^[5] and the electrical system group^[6].
Does the 2016 Ford Fiesta have recalls?: The Recalls section of this page gives the count. The by-year fact gives the recall count for this model year^[12].
Is the 2016 Ford Fiesta reliable?: The complaints on file number 178^[1]. The power train group is named in 101 complaints^[2]. These are unverified reports and are not adjusted for sales, so read them as a guide and not a verdict.
What is the gas mileage of the 2016 Ford Fiesta?: See the fuel economy section of this page, which is built from EPA data.
Is 2016 the best year for the Ford Fiesta?: See the by-year comparison section on this page, which sets the complaint counts of each year side by side^[12].

Keep exploring

Other model years of the Ford Fiesta

2011 730 complaints, 3 recalls
2012 617 complaints, 3 recalls
2013 668 complaints, 3 recalls
2014 504 complaints, 7 recalls
2015 258 complaints, 4 recalls
2016 this page
2017 74 complaints, 0 recalls
2019 105 complaints, 3 recalls

Compare all model years of the Ford Fiesta

Other Ford models from 2016

2016 Ford Fusion 1,724 complaints, 13 recalls
2016 Ford Mustang 379 complaints, 5 recalls
2016 Ford Transit Connect 104 complaints, 10 recalls
2016 Ford Edge 926 complaints, 7 recalls
2016 Ford Escape 1,162 complaints, 4 recalls
2016 Ford Expedition 217 complaints, 3 recalls

All Ford models

Similar cars from 2016: compact cars

2016 Chevrolet Cruze 250 complaints, 4 recalls
2016 Honda Civic 1,083 complaints, 5 recalls
2016 Hyundai Accent 102 complaints, 0 recalls
2016 Kia Forte 138 complaints, 1 recall
2016 Lexus GS 10 complaints, 2 recalls
2016 Mazda 3 104 complaints, 6 recalls

All compact cars we cover

Facts and sources

NHTSA has 178 owner complaints on file for the 2016 Ford Fiesta (10 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 10 injuries, 1 deaths reported). NHTSA vehicle records
101 complaints name the power train component group (5 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 67,000). NHTSA vehicle records
EPA rating for Fiesta SFE FWD, 1.0L 3-cyl turbo, Manual 5-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 31 city / 41 highway / 35 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $1,900. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, 4 DR FWD: overall 4 stars, frontal 4 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 14.3%. NHTSA vehicle records
34 complaints name the engine component group (0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 55,000). NHTSA vehicle records
26 complaints name the electrical system component group (0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 55,500). NHTSA vehicle records
22 complaints name the unknown or other component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 41,000). NHTSA vehicle records
11 complaints name the speed control component group (3 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 25,000). NHTSA vehicle records
11 complaints name the fuel/propulsion system component group (0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, median mileage at failure 57,165). NHTSA vehicle records
8 complaints name the structure component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, median mileage at failure 52,000). NHTSA vehicle records
7 complaints name the steering component group (1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, median mileage at failure 4,230). NHTSA vehicle records
Owner complaints and recalls for every Ford Fiesta model year (chart above). NHTSA recall database
EPA rating for Fiesta FWD, 1.6L 4-cyl, Automatic (AM-S6), Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 27 city / 36 highway / 30 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,250. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Fiesta FWD, 1.6L 4-cyl, Manual 5-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 27 city / 35 highway / 30 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,250. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
EPA rating for Fiesta ST FWD, 1.6L 4-cyl turbo, Manual 6-spd, Regular, Front-Wheel Drive: 26 city / 32 highway / 29 combined MPG; EPA estimated annual fuel cost $2,300. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, 5 HB FWD: overall 4 stars, frontal 4 stars, side 5 stars, rollover 4 stars; rollover risk 14.3%. NHTSA vehicle records
EPA Test Car List, 2016 Ford Fiesta with 1.0L 3-cylinder: rated 120 hp. www.epa.gov
EPA Test Car List, 2016 Ford Fiesta with 1.6L 4-cylinder: rated 120 to 175 hp depending on version. www.epa.gov

Complaints submitted to NHTSA by owners; unverified reports, one complaint can name several components. Complaint counts are not normalized by sales; compare years of the same model, not different models. EPA annual fuel cost uses EPA's current fuel price assumptions, not the price when the car was new. Horsepower is the rating listed for EPA test vehicles. Dimensions are Canadian-market specifications and can differ slightly from US models.

2016 Ford Fiesta: problems, recalls and fuel economy