Future-proofing reliability

[GreenEnvyFiST908]

Hey all! Been a while since I last posted on here. From all owners of Fiesta STs. What are some maintenance items/common failure points on these cars as well as issues you have experienced on your STs? I’m really starting to love this car and I want to keep it in excellent shape for a long time coming. Thanks in advance!

 

[Intuit]

What year, what mileage?
Buy Dorman brand blend door actuator on driver side.
Buy replacement lug nuts.
Rest of the stuff, just leave it alone and it'll be fine.
Follow the maintenance schedule in the manual.
DRL is a good defensive safety related investment. Blind spot warning doesn't hurt either.

EDIT: I also see that you're up North which means, rust. Salt-Away marine product has helped.

 

[GreenEnvyFiST908]

What year, what mileage?
Buy Dorman brand blend door actuator on driver side.
Buy replacement lug nuts.
Rest of the stuff, just leave it alone and it'll be fine.
DRL is a good defensive safety related investment. Blind spot warning doesn't hurt either.

I have a 2014 with 68,000 kilometres (around 40,000 miles) I’m slightly concerned about long term reliability because Ford, need I say less. But I adore this car and that’s why I bought it

 

[Intuit]

Some of the 14 and 15 had issues with heat.
Look for signs that it's been modified. Other than what I edited in above, should be fine.
Follow the maintenance schedule.
Salt-Away (I hope) has been helping stave off rust.
Discussing which wax/ceramic/polymer/etc to use is a lot like discussing which oil to use.
A good set of dedicated Winter tires is another safety related investment that pays for itself, in helping to prevent wrecks.

 

[Intuit]

BTW, a LOT of people confuse the ST with the standard Fiesta. The ST has a completely different drivetrain and suspension versus the standard Fiesta... and the only thing that gave the standard Fiesta a bad name was the automatic PowerShift transmission. It's an automatically shifted manual transmission. When this "automatic" transmission begins to behave like a manual with jerky shifts, rough shifts, delayed shifts, shutters, etcetera, people think there's something wrong with it and will fail... which is only natural given that they haven't been told just what it is, what to expect and how not to operate the accelerator.

 

[GreenEnvyFiST908]

I th

BTW, a LOT of people confuse the ST with the standard Fiesta. The ST has a completely different drivetrain and suspension versus the standard Fiesta... and the only thing that gave the standard Fiesta a bad name was the automatic PowerShift transmission. It's an automatically shifted manual transmission. When this "automatic" transmission begins to behave like a manual with jerky shifts, rough shifts, delayed shifts, shutters, etcetera, people think there's something wrong with it and will fail... which is only natural given that they haven't been told just what it is, what to expect and how not to operate the accelerator.

I thought the 1.6 in the ST was the same as in the Ford Escape of this era? Maybe I’m wrong but thats what I thought I heard.

 

[Ford ST]

I th

I thought the 1.6 in the ST was the same as in the Ford Escape of this era? Maybe I’m wrong but thats what I thought I heard.

It is the same. It was also used in the Ford fusion the only thing different is the tune.

Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

 

[GreenEnvyFiST908]

It is the same. It was also used in the Ford fusion the only thing different is the tune.

Sent from my LG-LS997 using Tapatalk

I see, it’s just from what I see I don’t see those cars at the top of reliability standards, so I expect the Fiesta ST to be around the same. I have a hard time knowing what to believe with these cars because I either see people get high mileage beating the snot out of the car every day with zero issues whatsoever and on the other side I see people getting horrible luck with transmissions, turbos blowing up, and all sorts of weird issues. It’s like there is no in between with these cars haha

 

[Ford ST]

Well the earlier models of the 1.6 did have some issues with the cylinder head cracking. Not much you can do about that don't overheat the car. The transmission yeah it could be better way too many people have had issues with the input shaft bearing. Paint corrosion is a common problem.

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[Intuit]

I see, it’s just from what I see I don’t see those cars at the top of reliability standards, so I expect the Fiesta ST to be around the same. I have a hard time knowing what to believe with these cars because I either see people get high mileage beating the snot out of the car every day with zero issues whatsoever and on the other side I see people getting horrible luck with transmissions, turbos blowing up, and all sorts of weird issues. It’s like there is no in between with these cars haha

The Escape also has the automatic transmission. Re Fiesta ST, keep in mind that a lot of people treat it like a "tuner car" and therefore do a lot of, "modding". Also keep in mind that the reliability of any manual transmission rests heavily upon the owner.

People who had heat issues reported having their issues solved via recall work and radiator swap.

 

[GreenEnvyFiST908]

The Escape also has the automatic transmission. Re Fiesta ST, keep in mind that a lot of people treat it like a "tuner car" and therefore do a lot of, "modding". Also keep in mind that the reliability of any manual transmission rests heavily upon the owner.

People who had heat issues reported having their issues solved via recall work and radiator swap.

Yeah of course, I plan on keeping mine bone stock as it is, looks like mine has never been modded and has had the recall work done. I love this thing stock but the only issue is it’s too damn quiet! Maybe an exhaust down the line but I’ll see

 

[Ford ST]

Much too quiet for sure.

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[Intuit]

I don't believe the recall work includes a radiator swap.

 

[GreenEnvyFiST908]

I don't believe the recall work includes a radiator swap.

No it doesn’t, I live in Vancouver which doesn’t get that hot so I’m not super concerned with heat, but I might do a coolant flush sometime soon just to get some fresh coolant in the car. Thanks for the suggestion though and I’ll keep it in mind!

 

[ronmcdon]

I would say it's not a bad idea to replace the tranny fluid as it may not be filled correctly with the factory. Used BG Syncro purchased from Whoosh. Plan to replace that with Ravenoil MTF-2 75w-80 later this month.

Maybe more hearsay but passenger motor mount bolt has known to be issue. Whoosh sells an upgraded bolt for cheap, or one can get aftermarket passenger motor mount. Got a Vibra technics unit myself although may replace it with a Damond motorsports unit.

 

[GreenEnvyFiST908]

I would say it's not a bad idea to replace the tranny fluid as it may not be filled correctly with the factory. Used BG Syncro purchased from Whoosh. Plan to replace that with Ravenoil MTF-2 75w-80 later this month.

Maybe more hearsay but passenger motor mount bolt has known to be issue. Whoosh sells an upgraded bolt for cheap, or one can get aftermarket passenger motor mount. Got a Vibra technics unit myself although may replace it with a Damond motorsports unit.

I’ve got fresh fluid in the trans already, though the factory DCT fluid. What’s wrong with the stock mount? Prone to wear equaling lots of vibration?

 

[ronmcdon]

seems to be an issue here and upgrading the bolt might be cheap insurance
https://www.fiestastforum.com/threads/passenger-side-mount-bolt.6803/

https://whoosh-motorsports.myshopif...r-engine-mount-bolt-upgrade-kit-free-shipping

 

[XR650R]

For most of us, the passenger side mount isn't an issue. Some people drive them harder than others. Like any machine, the harder the use, the harder the wear.
I have a winter beater so my FiST doesn't have to deal with the salt soup. If you can manage it, that would do a lot to preserve your car long term.
I understand that many people don't have the space or budget for a 2nd car.

 

[Intuit]

It's going to turn into an "every problem anybody ever had" thread.

 

[Woods247]

Swap out the radiator for a larger one if you live in hotter climates or drive hard. Change the oil and filter often. Regular fluid changes keep cars alive and well.