My Experience with the 16' FiST

[Koohii]

Boy oh boy, this car is AMAZING but has its faults. I wanted a nimble hatchback and it did just that. Had this car at 36k miles and now at 71k. Some glaring issues that I encountered with this vehicle is that it needs some upgrades for it to be a safe car to drive in hot states like California. My car overheated a good amount of times especially when I run my ac. Second, the problems with brake fluid leak on clutch pedal/pedal sticking to the floor. I noticed this around 55-60k mile mark. I haven't gotten around to fixing this yet because mine doesn't stick too often unless I'm running low. 3rd, cabin filter replacement is booty cheeks.

Other than the two expensive fixes the Fiesta needs, this car is great and would recommend if you can get around these problems. Good fuel economy and a stunner day n night.

 

[Zeille]

I would replace the clutch pedal assembly sooner rather than later. It shouldn't be wildly expensive, and it also gives you the opportunity to flush the slave cylinder. You should try & do that every 2-3 years (ideally every 30-40k mi) because they're prone to failure.

However, beautiful car! What wheels?
I love my 2017 FiST & need to make a post about it.

 

[rallytaff]

My slave cylinder hasn't been touched in 10yrs with no problems!

 

[Zeille]

My slave cylinder hasn't been touched in 10yrs with no problems!

I was incorrect in my first comment. I've heard many stories of people having slave cylinders fail on them pretty early in their car's lifespan, and I automatically assume that it's common. Mine has been fine since 2017 (afaik), but I believe it's also had regular flushes through it's lifespan. (now the car is at 159xxx)

 

[Intuit]

........... beautiful car! What wheels?

What he said.

I have a '16, IIRC the date on the doorjamb is Oct '15 (4th Quarter, 2015).

There was a campaign for the high speed fan relay. Said the wrong one was installed in some at the factory. Only difference was the incorrect one had a lower amperage rating. The '15 had a recall for the cooling system for which they made several tweaks. Wonder whether the revised parts made it with your '16?

For small leaks in particular, sometimes It's easier to suck in air, during piston retraction, than it is to push out fluid. This can lead to mysterious issues that don't necessarily involve noticeable amounts of fluid loss.

The relocation of the slave cylinder from outside the bell housing to the inside, subjects it to significantly higher levels of heat.

 

[XR650R]

A lot of FiSTers who live in SoCal and other hot climates get an aftermarket radiator. Whoosh, Mishimoto and mountune all offer triple pass radiators that will work. It sucks to have to pay for a better radiator, but it takes care of the problem. https://whooshmotorsports.com/collections/ford-fiesta-st-cooling
The cabin filter is a true PITA. I left the top screw out. It's not really needed and is really hard to reach.

 

[Zeille]

A lot of FiSTers who live in SoCal and other hot climates get an aftermarket radiator. Whoosh, Mishimoto and mountune all offer triple pass radiators that will work. It sucks to have to pay for a better radiator, but it takes care of the problem. https://whooshmotorsports.com/collections/ford-fiesta-st-cooling
The cabin filter is a true PITA. I left the top screw out. It's not really needed and is really hard to reach.

I exist in the dry heat of Arizona. My car has a Mountune rad, 170f tstat, and a COBB intercooler. I recently had to replace the radiator fan assembly - the old unit completely toasted itself (thankfully it was at night near my home).

 

[fiestar]

For the clutch pedal issue, might be worth checking the master cylinder too. Sometimes it's not just the slave cylinder causing problems.

 

[ShaunPanday]

For the clutch pedal issue, might be worth checking the master cylinder too. Sometimes it's not just the slave cylinder causing problems.

Any guidance on how to test this

 

[contemplative_shrimp]

A lot of FiSTers who live in SoCal and other hot climates get an aftermarket radiator. Whoosh, Mishimoto and mountune all offer triple pass radiators that will work. It sucks to have to pay for a better radiator, but it takes care of the problem. https://whooshmotorsports.com/collections/ford-fiesta-st-cooling

I never overheated in socal for 5 years then in 110 degree heat wave suddenly got flashing lights and temp showed 255 degrees. First time overheating and it was quite the surprise. I got a Mountune radiator soon after and so far I've never hit above 200 degrees even after an uphill climb. Well worth the upgrade.

 

[OCS12]

On the overheating issue, our cars are notorious for having the radiator fan relay fail. Mine has. If I’m moving my car is fine, but will overheat if I leave it running while parked on 95+ days.

 

[contemplative_shrimp]

At least in my case I don't think it was the relay - it was overheating while going city speeds after the initial overheat sitting in a parking lot. After installing the new radiator it has never hit over 200F in any situation in Los Angeles (rarely over 190F even)