2019 Ford Fiesta Problems

What owners report

Most owner complaints about this model year center on the rearview camera, which owners describe as intermittently blank, flickering or distorted in reverse, along with long waits for the recall remedy. Transmission complaints are the second theme, with owners describing hard or delayed shifts, shuddering and loss of power on the automatic. Brake concerns, including sticking calipers and ABS module problems, are reported by a smaller group, often at low mileage.

1. 1
   Back-over prevention (rear camera)

   Rearview camera blank, flickering or distorted

   • 47 complaints (45%)
   • median 51,000 mi at 6.7 yrs old (17 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2025–2026

   Owners describe the rearview image going blank, flickering, appearing inverted or showing a "camera unavailable" message when reversing, sometimes intermittently and sometimes persistently. Many say they received notice of a recall but were told the remedy parts were not yet available, and some report waiting many months. A few complaints describe backing into another vehicle or object while the display was not working. Reported across a wide mileage range, from under 10,000 to over 150,000 miles, and in several complaints linked to a recall notification.

   Recall 25V695000Recall 24V951000

   What to check: Ask whether the rearview camera recall work has been completed and get it in writing; test the camera in reverse, including at night, and confirm the image is stable and right side up.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was suppose to get a 2nd letter about the recall for the rear view camera to be fixed yet I never got the letter I got the 1st one but not the 2nd one I have been to the dealership they said to me it would be this month but now talking about not till December yet I heard from other ppl has gotten their fix why is it taking so long for me to get my letter”

   NHTSA complaint #11766293, filed 2026-09

   “Due to distorted camera image, that has been in our ford fiesta 2019 car for few years now, my daughter-in-law got to a parking accident that is going to insurance now. We have been contacting multiple times ford service to complete the recall. It is unfair that this kind of issue is not fixed and causing safety concerns.”

   NHTSA complaint #11767047, filed 2026-09
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Automatic transmission shudder, delayed engagement

   • 18 complaints (17%)
   • median 63,500 mi at 3.6 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe the automatic transmission shuddering or jerking when shifting, hesitating or refusing to accelerate from a stop, and sometimes failing to engage reverse. Some complaints mention hard downshifts with the check engine light, a "transmission hot" message, or a diagnosed clutch, half shaft or control module problem; dealers in some cases reset the transmission or advised that a part was unavailable. Most often reported between roughly 30,000 and 110,000 miles, with some complaints noting the behavior began around 50,000 miles.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test drive from a cold start and through stop-and-go traffic, paying attention to shuddering, hesitation and reverse engagement; ask for service records showing any transmission clutch, control module or software work.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2019 Ford Fiesta automatic does not shift gears properly, my car would not reverse and therefore caused a small fender bender. It has no speed and runs rough”

   NHTSA complaint #11399639, filed 2021-03, 35,000 miles

   “Transmission won’t change gears like normal, ford told me it was the way i drive and nothing was wrong it just needed to be reset. later it started to completely go out and not change at all so i took it to another shop and it is the control module (computer?) on the transmission. and did the exact same thing ford did (reset it) and it’s changing out the people said it will mess up again but the part isn’t available so i can’t get it fixed.”

   NHTSA complaint #11483479, filed 2022-09
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brakes dragging, locking or delayed

   • 15 complaints (14%)
   • median 17,000 mi at 2.0 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners report the brake pedal feeling delayed or going near the floor, brakes locking up while driving, and calipers sticking so the vehicle drags or will not roll. Some complaints describe ABS module failure and, in a few cases, swollen or corroded caliper components; dealers or shops in some cases replaced calipers, pads, rotors or the ABS module, and parts were sometimes on back order. Reported from about 2,600 to around 80,000 miles, with several complaints at low mileage.

   Recall 19V629000

   What to check: Have the brakes inspected for dragging or heat damage, check whether the caliper recall applies to the VIN, and ask for records of any caliper, ABS module or brake fluid service.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On monday december 2, 2019 on my way to work I was going straight on the street with heavy traffic and seen that there was needed to be a stop up front so I slowly stepped on the brakes and nothing was happening and then I pressed on the brakes firmly and the pedal went nearly to the floor and I got into a accident due to the fact that the brakes failed”

   NHTSA complaint #11286770, filed 2019-12, 2,670 miles

   “Upon stopping when applying the brakes they locked up. There were no warning lights on. It was diagnosed by an independent auto repair shop, not drivable I had it towed to the Ford Dealership. The ABS module, and calipers have failed. I learned there was a recall on these parts but do not apply to my specific vin #. The ABS module is on national back order, likely a month out. I have paid for the part. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11622915, filed 2024-10
4. 4
   Air bags

   Airbags not deploying in a crash

   • 7 complaints (7%)
   • median 40,800 mi at 4.5 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 7 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2023

   Several owners describe front or dash airbags not deploying in collisions, including frontal impacts and a rollover, while in one case only a side airbag inflated. Complaints describe the vehicles being towed and, in some cases, totaled, with no warning light reported before the crash. Reported between about 20,000 and 91,000 miles, in crashes at various speeds.

   What to check: Check for any airbag warning light or stored airbag fault codes, and ask whether the vehicle has been in a reported crash with prior airbag or body repair.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Lost control of car. First impact was a tree stump as car was turning, hit tree stump. She went forward and hit head on stirring wheel. Air bag at steering wheel did not inflate or deploy. Only side door on left side filled with air.second impact car tilts over then airbag on side door inflate. The car was in motion, on a residential street.”

   NHTSA complaint #11245817, filed 2019-08, 30,000 miles

   “The contact owned a 2019 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, a deer simultaneously jumped in front of the vehicle. As a result, the vehicle crashed into the deer. The front driver’s side air bag deployed; however, the front dash air bag failed to deploy. The contact’s wrist, neck, and shoulder were sore. No medical attention was required. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total loss by the insurance company. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11516949, filed 2023-04, 40,800 miles

Buying note. On this model year, confirm in writing whether the rearview camera recall remedy has been performed, and test the camera and transmission carefully on a test drive. A pre-purchase inspection that covers brakes, coolant level and any stored airbag or transmission fault codes is worth the cost.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.