2017 Ford Fiesta

Showing the 2017 Fiesta SE. We haven't verified this trim's engine; the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
29–35 mpgcombined; city 26–31, highway 33–41; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$9,280–$11,200U.S. average; Ohio $8,290–$10,010 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
4 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
0none on file
Owner complaints
74filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2017 Fiesta. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 74 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Fiesta. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Power train22000
Engine19205
Fuel/propulsion system12000
Unknown or other8001
Electrical system7000
Service brakes5213
Engine and engine cooling4000
Fuel system, gasoline4000
Vehicle speed control4201
Wheels4000
Steering3213
Air bags2204
8 more parts
Electronic stability control (ESC)2101
Seats2000
Structure2000
Exterior lighting1000
Forward collision avoidance1000
Seat belts1103
Suspension1000
Visibility/wiper1000

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 2011730
  2. 2012617
  3. 2013668
  4. 2014503
  5. 2015258
  6. 2016178
  7. 201774
  8. 201835
  9. 2019105

Every Fiesta year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2017 Fiesta. NHTSA's recall lookup checks a specific VIN.

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 93 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2017 Fiesta, the latest on Aug 25, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: electrical system (46), equipment (41), power train (11), engine and engine cooling (9), engine (5).

NHTSA defect investigations

Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.

InvestigationPartOpenedStatus
Engineering analysis EA26004
Timing Belt Failure
Engine and engine coolingJul 31, 2026Open
NHTSA's record and documents
Preliminary evaluation PE25020
Timing Belt Failure
Engine and engine coolingDec 18, 2025Closed Jul 31, 2026
Upgraded to EA26004
NHTSA's record and documents

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2017 Fiesta.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2017 Ford Fiestas for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax

These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.

Specs

EPA class: subcompact cars. EPA greenhouse gas score: 7–8 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Fiesta
Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cylAutomatic (AM-S6)Regular Gasoline27 / 37 / 31
Fiesta
Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cylManual 5-spdRegular Gasoline27 / 35 / 30
Fiesta SFE
Front-Wheel Drive
1.0 L, 3 cyl, turboManual 5-spdRegular Gasoline31 / 41 / 35
Fiesta ST
Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turboManual 6-spdRegular Gasoline26 / 33 / 29

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data