The low beams have stopped working. I now cannot drive after dark and if I have an emergency with one of my three kids I will not be able to take them anywhere. High beam and parking lights work. Replaced headlight bulbs and still won't work. There was a recall in canada but not the usa. It's been months and can not afford to have the fuse box replaced. Radio has also stopped working for the past…
2012 Ford Fiesta lighting problems
severe Owners of the 2012 Ford Fiesta have filed 10 NHTSA complaints about the lighting, typically surfacing around 136,000 miles at roughly $250 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See lighting across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
10
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$250
| Model year | lighting complaints |
|---|---|
| 2012 Fiesta (this page) | 10 |
| 2013 Fiesta | 5 |
1crash
2injuries
When does it fail?
Of the 10 lighting complaints filed for the 2012 Ford Fiesta, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 125,000-150,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
No new NHTSA lighting complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 6 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
The failure pattern owners describe
The 2012 Ford Fiesta has a persistent low-beam headlight failure pattern that strikes owners across a wide mileage range—from 40,000 to 150,000 miles—without warning. Drivers report the low beams going dead while high beams and parking lights keep working. The failures are intermittent at first, then become total. Bulb replacement doesn't fix it.
Owners who investigated or took their vehicles to dealers pinpointed the same cause: corrosion on the low-beam relay and battery junction box. One owner found the relay had seized solid and couldn't be replaced because corrosion locked it in place. Another owner's dealer diagnosed a fractured pin alongside the corrosion. One case also involved the USB port and radio dying at the same time as the low beams, suggesting electrical failure in the fuse box itself.
Ford has a recall (number 19S28) for this exact problem in Canada. Multiple owners pointed out the disconnect when they called US dealers and were told there's no US recall despite it being a documented issue. In cases where repairs were attempted, dealers quoted fuse box replacement—expensive enough that at least one owner stated they couldn't afford the fix. Most complaints show vehicles never got repaired.
Failure modes owners describe
Low-beam headlight failure due to relay corrosion
Low-beam headlights fail intermittently or completely while high beams and parking lights remain functional. Owners and dealers identify corrosion buildup on the low-beam relay and battery junction box as the root cause. Relay can seize and become impossible to replace.
When: 40,000 to 150,000 miles; failures occur during driving, both city and highway
Symptoms owners cite: Low-beam headlights intermittent or non-responsive; Sudden loss of low beams while driving; High beams work but low beams do not; Parking lights functional but low beams out; Bulb replacement does not resolve issue
Repairs/costs cited: Dealers diagnosed corrosion on relay terminals and fractured pin in one case; battery junction box failure in another. Replacement of fuse box mentioned as expensive repair option. No repairs completed in narratives provided.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Canadian recall 19S28 exists but has not been issued in the United States despite being a known issue. Ford informed one owner diagnosis and repairs were owner's responsibility.
Secondary electrical failures accompanying low-beam relay issue
USB port and radio stop working simultaneously or during the same period as low-beam headlight failure, suggesting a common electrical root cause in the fuse/relay box area.
When: 91,000 miles for USB and low-beam simultaneous failure
Symptoms owners cite: USB port becomes inoperable; Radio stops working; Occurs alongside low-beam headlight failure
Synthesized from 10 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 1 most recent
Had lighting trouble with your 2012 Ford Fiesta?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the lighting problem on the 2012 Ford Fiesta?
It's a meaningful issue. 10 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $250.
At what mileage does the lighting typically fail?
Across the 8 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most lighting failures cluster between 91,000 and 141,000 miles, with the median around 136,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 91,000; a quarter make it past 141,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $250 for lighting repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to lighting?
No active recalls currently cover lighting issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2012/Ford/Fiesta.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.