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Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost 100hp Titanium common faults.

2012–2017, hatchback, petrol, 100 HP.

The fault list covers: SFJD engine, DPS6 transmission.

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2 fault write-ups. Both are important. No recall on the list.

If you know the year, pick it. Faults for other years drop out of the list.

Before you buy

Known faults

2 important faults

1.0 EcoBoost: the wet timing belt breaks down early

expensive

The timing belt runs in oil, under its cover, and cannot be seen from outside. Contaminants building up in the oil attack the belt material, so it breaks down early if oil changes are skipped or the oil level drops below the minimum on the dipstick. Fragments of the disintegrating belt end up in the sump and can block the oil pickup, after which the engine is left without oil pressure.

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The early signs are a rattle on cold start, slowly rising oil consumption and the oil pressure warning light. The factory replacement interval is ten years or 150,000 miles, but Haynes recommends replacing it at least two years and 50,000 miles earlier. A professional belt change costs more than GBP 2,000, and that is less work than cleaning out the sump, the oil pickup and the lubrication system after the belt has already broken up.

In engines built after December 2019 Ford switched to a timing chain. The water pump is driven by the same belt, so a failure of the water pump bearing can take the belt with it. This is an interference engine, so when the belt snaps the valves and the pistons meet.

What to check

  • Start it from cold and listen to the first seconds: a rattle is a sign the belt is breaking down
  • Check the level and condition of the oil on the dipstick: a level below minimum speeds up the breakdown
  • Ask for the service book and the oil change invoices: here the skipped change is the cause
2 more steps in the write-up

PowerShift (DPS6): shuddering, slipping dry dual clutch

expensive

Ford fitted its smaller models with a dry clutch dual-clutch gearbox (DPS6, factory designation Getrag 6DCT250). A dry clutch was designed for manual gearboxes: it sheds heat less well and tolerates slipping worse than an oil-bathed one.

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The symptom shows up when pulling away and at low speed: bucking, kicking, harsh engagement, delayed acceleration. Ford named two causes: the throwout bearing, and leaking input shaft and rear main seals that put oil on the clutch, which then slips even when it should be fully engaged.

On top of that there are transmission control module (TCM) faults: faulty connector pins, failing shifter motors, and a badly connected main ground wire. Ford released seal and clutch kit fixes.

The gearbox led to class actions and fraud investigations in the United States, Australia and Canada. A US settlement was tentatively approved in April 2017.

What to check

  • Pull away slowly from a standstill several times: there must be no bucking, kicking or shudder
  • In slow, walking-pace traffic watch the shifts: harsh engagement and disengagement point at the clutch
  • Watch for delayed acceleration when you press the throttle: one sign of a slipping clutch
3 more steps in the write-up

Checklist

Ford Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost 100hp Titanium

First what you would check on any car. Then the faults of this model.

Before you buy

Checklist

The printed sheet starts with what you would check on any car. What you tick stays on this device only.

On every car

Ask the owner

Faults of this model

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Engine and transmission

SFJD · 1.0 EcoBoost

74 kW (101 HP) · petrol

DPS6 · 6-speed PowerShift, dry clutch

DSG · 6 speed

Clutchdry
Torque limit250 Nm
MakerFord/Getrag

We built the code from the model and the gear count. The factory sheet does not state it.

Variant data

What is in this version

Factory data

Trim
Titanium
Body
hatchback
Fuel
petrol
Transmission
automatic
Engine size
999 cc
Power
74 kW (101 HP)
Drive
FWD
Production
2012–2017

Factory service interval

The manufacturer specifies this for this version. Of the mileage and the time, the one that comes first is the one that counts.

  • Air filter

    • 60,000 km or 4 years

  • Cabin (pollen) filter

    • 30,000 km or 2 years

  • Brake fluid change

    • first: 3 years, then 2 years(first change at 3 years, then every two years)

  • Spark plugs, petrol

    • 60,000 km or 6 years
All Mk7 versions

Information, not an expert opinion

We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.

  • A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
  • A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
  • You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.
Details in the terms