AutoUtility currently tracks 35 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2018 Ford Fiesta. Powertrain & Transmission issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 10 complaints (28.6% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 4 filings cite a crash, 1 reports one or more fatalities.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
10 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
6 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
5 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
5 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"The back up camera quit working. The back seats are taller and it has made it very difficult to see if there are children behind my vehicle. I reported it to the dealership and now I have to pay $200.00 to have them check it."
"Back-up camera goes in and out intermittently, sometimes the image is very faint and then totally disappears into a black screen, or says it is not available at this time, then goes black. This started about 4 months ago and I have not been able to identify a triggering factor, rain nor heat does..."
"Purchased vehicle at the end of 2018 and this is the third time I have had to replace the horn. It's not a fuse, it's not wiring, it is the actual horn that either shorts or dies with no notice."
"Hello, I have zero idea why I am emailing, I may be secretly hoping for...anything. I drive a 2018 Ford Fiesta SE, I have owned it since 2019 as that is when I purchased it used. Over the weekend I experienced transmission issues and an auto shop informed me that I am in need of a transmission..."
"My engine has been malfuctioning over the following year. I've gotten repairs and it continues to do so. I'm asking for a recall."
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2019)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Ford Fiesta | 258 | 16 | 4 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Ford Fiesta | 178 | 10 | 0 | View 2016 Problems → |
| 2017 Ford Fiesta | 73 | 7 | 0 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Ford Fiesta Current Page | 35 | 4 | 0 | Current |
| 2019 Ford Fiesta | 97 | 13 | 3 | View 2019 Problems → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 16 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,WHEELS,SEATS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2018 Ford Fiesta
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2018 Ford Fiesta is Powertrain & Transmission, appearing in 10 records (28.6% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Electrical System (6) and Engine & Cooling (5).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 35 consumer defect complaints and 0 safety recall campaigns for the 2018 Ford Fiesta.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2018 Ford Fiesta, 4 filings cite a crash, 0 cite smoke or fire, and 0 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.