Mechanical Changes/Improvements to FiST Through the Years?

[Intuit]

That's why I'm using Black Fire's Paint Sealant. Been using it since 2005. I'd like to get PPF on the nose, but, $1k+....

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

If I was confident that the structure-points on the body wouldn't rust out, I'd spring for it.

 

[Snrub]

Finally, I found a real mid year mechanical change. My wife and I both drive 2016 fiST's. Mine was a Dec '15 build and hers was built July '16. After measuring, hers has a 21mm front bar and mine has the 19mm bar.

Didn't the front bar upgrade for 2016+ come from the standard Fiesta, which is a 22mm bar?

This Ford North America document it indicates: 19-mm stabilizer bar.
https://media.ford.com/content/dam/...2016/2016-Ford-Fiesta-ST-Tech-Specs-FINAL.pdf

 

[Dpro]

This Ford North America document it indicates: 19-mm stabilizer bar.
https://media.ford.com/content/dam/fordmedia/North America/US/product/2016/2016-Ford-Fiesta-ST-Tech-Specs-FINAL.pdf

They changed the build spec in 16 for the 17 model year and switched to a 21mm bar. mid to late 16’s most likely wound up with the 21mm bars because of it.

 

[XR650R]

My '17 came without the glovebox stuff: no glovebox light, no LED over the glovebox in that little slit, no owner's manual strap and no pen holder. Were any of those parts put back in later years?

 

[Capri to ST]

The original post was edited to add a reference to a slightly more burbly muffler for the later year cars, as reported by member foodtruck.

 

[Dpro]

The original post was edited to add a reference to a slightly more burbly muffler for the later year cars, as reported by member foodtruck.

Interesting I did not experience that on my stock setup on my 2018

 

[emc2]

In this insane used car market, I've been trying to hold off on replacing my 2007 Mazda 6, but I think I may need to replace my car by next summer. I was originally considering a used 2016-2017 GTI or Focus ST but with the current ridiculous prices these choices are now beyond my budget and I will need to look into the FiST instead. What is the best model year to consider? I'm thinking that it would be the 2016 because of:
- 2014 have the stiffer suspension and are not as reliable (radiator, overheating issues etc.)
- 2015 still have some reliability issues (the earlier models) and still don't have the Sync 3
- 2016 have upgraded to Sync3 and still have the ambient lighting above the glove box
- 2017 no longer has the ambient lighting above the glove box

Hopefully used car prices start coming down by next summer. Some industry analysts are predicting that prices won't come down until 2026 due to the shortage in the supply of new cars over the past two years, translating to the shortage of used cars over the next several years.

 

[ztrahan]

In this insane used car market, I've been trying to hold off on replacing my 2007 Mazda 6, but I think I may need to replace my car by next summer. I was originally considering a used 2016-2017 GTI or Focus ST but with the current ridiculous prices these choices are now beyond my budget and I will need to look into the FiST instead. What is the best model year to consider? I'm thinking that it would be the 2016 because of:
- 2014 have the stiffer suspension and are not as reliable (radiator, overheating issues etc.)
- 2015 still have some reliability issues (the earlier models) and still don't have the Sync 3
- 2016 have upgraded to Sync3 and still have the ambient lighting above the glove box
- 2017 no longer has the ambient lighting above the glove box

Hopefully used car prices start coming down by next summer. Some industry analysts are predicting that prices won't come down until 2026 due to the shortage in the supply of new cars over the past two years, translating to the shortage of used cars over the next several years.

If you're handy and can follow a Youtube video, a lot of these issues aren't that big. I have a 2019 that had overheating issues, and while I got the thermostat replaced under warranty, I upgraded the radiator myself and it's been bulletproof 50,000 miles later (minus a blend door actuator replacement at 65k). Biggest necessity for me was Carplay and backup camera, so I bought a new 2019 vs used 2017 I was originally looking at.

 

[kivnul]

Carplay & backup camera are both easy additions to a 2016

 

[rallytaff]

In this insane used car market, I've been trying to hold off on replacing my 2007 Mazda 6, but I think I may need to replace my car by next summer. I was originally considering a used 2016-2017 GTI or Focus ST but with the current ridiculous prices these choices are now beyond my budget and I will need to look into the FiST instead. What is the best model year to consider? I'm thinking that it would be the 2016 because of:
- 2014 have the stiffer suspension and are not as reliable (radiator, overheating issues etc.)
- 2015 still have some reliability issues (the earlier models) and still don't have the Sync 3
- 2016 have upgraded to Sync3 and still have the ambient lighting above the glove box
- 2017 no longer has the ambient lighting above the glove box

Hopefully used car prices start coming down by next summer. Some industry analysts are predicting that prices won't come down until 2026 due to the shortage in the supply of new cars over the past two years, translating to the shortage of used cars over the next several years.

I have a 2014 with 101,000 miles on it now. NEVER had an overheating problem with the stock radiator which I changed out for the Mountune one a few months ago. I changed out the stock suspension for H & R coilovers which are pretty stiff, even for my old 74 yr old body, but I'm used to it after 8yrs!

 

[Intuit]

Carplay** & backup camera are both easy additions to a 2016

** Those sold with navigation.

 

[kivnul]

I didn't think navigation was required for those. Camera is just a Forscan edit + wiring/camera, Carplay a Sync3 update and replace a USB port. Not sure I want to go down the rabbit hole of research on this. My car does have NAV so I cannot directly refute.

 

[dhminer]

My 2016 has had 0 unscheduled maintenance aside from the dumb ass blend door actuator. Upgrading to CarPlay was easy and mine did not have factory navigation. I haven’t bothered with a camera because the car is so tiny and has good visibility out there back so I can’t see any use for one. Nor did it ever overheat on the stock radiator, aside from a self inflicted overhead where I didn’t fill the overflow up enough and it sucked some air in during a hill climb.

 

[emc2]

I have a 2014 with 101,000 miles on it now. NEVER had an overheating problem with the stock radiator which I changed out for the Mountune one a few months ago. I changed out the stock suspension for H & R coilovers which are pretty stiff, even for my old 74 yr old body, but I'm used to it after 8yrs!

I've been seeing a few 2014 models with low mileage for sale lately. I wonder if it would be worth pulling the trigger on those older models. There would be savings of $3000 - $4000 compared to 2016-2017 models with similar mileage, but is it worth the risk of potentially getting a less reliable car as 2014s are known to have more potential issues than 2016-2017?

 

[Intuit]

I didn't think navigation was required for those. Camera is just a Forscan edit + wiring/camera, Carplay a Sync3 update and replace a USB port. Not sure I want to go down the rabbit hole of research on this. My car does have NAV so I cannot directly refute.

Updating non-nav is risky; impossible with OEM provided methods.

 

[Intuit]

Taken from this thread...
https://www.fiestastforum.com/threads/new-fiesta-st-owner-in-houston.30922/post-496510
...at some point during the manufacture of the 2016 model year, they started building a wind deflector into the molding behind the side mirrors.

My 2016 model Oct 2015 manufacture doesn't have it.

M-Sport Fan's with a Aug 2016 manufacture date has it.

 

[Capri to ST]

Taken from this thread...
https://www.fiestastforum.com/threads/new-fiesta-st-owner-in-houston.30922/post-496510
...at some point during the manufacture of the 2016 model year, they started building a wind deflector into the molding behind the side mirrors.

My 2016 model Oct 2015 manufacture doesn't have it.

M-Sport Fan's with a Aug 2016 manufacture date has it.

View attachment 56099

View attachment 56100

Thanks for updating this old thread. I edited the original post to add this change to it.

 

[Dialcaliper]

Taken from this thread...
https://www.fiestastforum.com/threads/new-fiesta-st-owner-in-houston.30922/post-496510
...at some point during the manufacture of the 2016 model year, they started building a wind deflector into the molding behind the side mirrors.

My 2016 model Oct 2015 manufacture doesn't have it.

M-Sport Fan's with a Aug 2016 manufacture date has it.

View attachment 56099

View attachment 56100

Interesting find. My car is mfg January 2016, and does not have it (nor most of the other updates generally attributed to the 2016 ST200 revisions that I’ve discovered). It seems like they must have literally pushed the last car off the line in February 2016, and the next car after they restarted had all the features of the new revision.

It doesn’t seem to have been subject to the cooling system recall though. My guess is it’s anything that might have required reconfiguring the manufacturing line for. It did have the late model EVAP harness (with Venturi), at least until I swapped it out.

 

[Capri to ST]

Interesting find. My car is mfg January 2016, and does not have it (nor most of the other updates generally attributed to the 2016 ST200 revisions that I’ve discovered). It seems like they must have literally pushed the last car off the line in February 2016, and the next car after they restarted had all the features of the new revision.

It doesn’t seem to have been subject to the cooling system recall though. My guess is it’s anything that might have required reconfiguring the manufacturing line for. It did have the late model EVAP harness (with Venturi), at least until I swapped it out.

My car was manufactured in July or August of 2016, and does have the wind deflector as shown in the picture below. I have noticed when I open the windows there is very little air buffeting,so it helps.

 

[Capri to ST]

The original post was amended to add some material about the suspension changes from '16 on. @Dialcaliper recently posted a link to some Ford promo material about the European ST200 model.The suspension changes for that model were reportedly incorporated into all the cars, so I've added a quote from the Ford material to the discussion about suspension changes.