2011 Ford Fiesta Air bags Problems
- Complaints
- 23about this part
- Share
- 3%of 730 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 46,000miles
- Trend
- FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 23 complaints about the air bags of the 2011 Ford Fiesta, 3% of the 730 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 46,000 miles. 16 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“On august 5 I fell asleep and ran into the back of a truck stopped at a light. My knee air bag deployed but the steering wheel bag did not and the shoulder belt did not deploy causing me to hit the steering wheel very hard bruising my sternum and causing surrounding muscle inflammation that is still sore today.”
NHTSA complaint #11363779, filed 2020-10, 180,000 miles“I was in an accident with my 2011 Ford Fiesta and I was hit on the driver side of the back of the car. The car slammed into me and caused my car to spin and then the car flipped and rolled. The car landed upright into a muddy, grassy field. The air-bags did not open upon impact. I was traveling on the interstate going 60 MPH. The car that hit me must have been going 85 MPH.”
NHTSA complaint #11141903, filed 2018-10, 67,900 miles“My car was not part of the airbag recall, so I did not worry about it. A few days ago I was in an accident, the damage was significant and the car totaled, there were several hits as the car was being bounced from one vehicle to another at highway speed, one of those vehicles being a semi. Not a single airbag deployed and as a result all those in the Fiesta got injured, one had to be taken to the er/icu and remains in a bad condition.”
NHTSA complaint #10821908, filed 2016-01, 60,000 miles“Vehicle was in a minor 'fender bender' during rush hour - stop and go - traffic. Airbags did not deploy and damage to the 2011 Fiesta ses was fixable. Very minimal damage (dent) to car in front of my vehicle. My vehicle went from fixable to igniting and a total loss.”
NHTSA complaint #10461636, filed 2012-06, 73,000 miles“I was rear ended by a Ford f350 so hard that I hit the car in front of me, a honda accord. The back of my 2011 Ford Fiesta is smashed in and the front of the car, is smashed in. The back window is scattered, the sunroof slider fell back into the car, the front right wheel (passenger side) is bent, and the car does not turn on. I understand in rear end crashes the air bags usually do not go off, but when I hit the car in front of me, the air bags should have gone off.”
NHTSA complaint #10664866, filed 2014-12, 17,200 milesRelated recalls
- 12V488000Oct 5, 2012Ford is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Fiesta vehicles, manufactured from November 3, 2009 through September 21, 2012. The vehicles fail to comply…Covers: Ford Fiesta 2011–2013
Related service bulletins
- 10038965Apr 1, 2011Comm-trans lund: some 2009-2011 models may have the air bag inicator flashing with a stored trouble code. This is a software problem.
Air bags: other model years
Other parts of the 2011 Ford Fiesta
366 complaintsBody and structure
125 complaintsEngine
108 complaintsElectrical system
96 complaintsOther or unknown
68 complaintsVehicle speed control
57 complaintsLatches, locks and linkages
41 complaintsFuel system
26 complaintsSteering
26 complaintsElectronic stability control
18 complaintsBrakes
17 complaintsEngine cooling
12 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2011 Ford Fiesta
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology