12/4/2023 while attempting to pull into a parking spot in a parking garage car suddenly accelerated forward at a very fast rate, just prior to acceleration felt like it shuddered. Afraid that it would keep going and go over edge so I pulled to the right while trying to brake and hit a concrete barrier. Terrifying! October 23, 2019 another couple had this happen in another parking garage…
2018 Ford Fiesta airbags problems
severe Owners of the 2018 Ford Fiesta have filed 4 NHTSA complaints about the airbags at roughly $1,100 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of August 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See airbags across all vehicles →
Complaints
4
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$1,100
| Model year | airbags complaints |
|---|---|
| 2014 Fiesta | 17 |
| 2015 Fiesta | 11 |
| 2016 Fiesta | 3 |
| 2018 Fiesta (this page) | 4 |
| 2019 Fiesta | 8 |
2crashes
When does it fail?
Of the 4 airbags complaints filed for the 2018 Ford Fiesta, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 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 owners are reporting 4 most recent
The contact’s grandmother owns a 2018 Ford Fiesta. The contact stated that while driving up a hill, the vehicle started sputtering, vibrating, and jerking. The sputtering was severe, causing the front driver's side seat belt to be activated. The vehicle was immediately driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet…
On 7/2/2019 my wife and I was in a pretty bad wreck totaling our car. There was massive damage done to the front of the car however the airbags never deployed. With the damage done there's no reason the air bags shouldn't have went off. We was traveling about 70 MPH on the highway heading home when this happened
Fan stopped working out of no where causing car to over heat happened multiple times even after being replaced. Airbag lights say airbag on passenger side is off even when someone is in the seat this happens alot. Back driver side turn signal will not work and everything has been changed and looked at by several mechanics. When driving it sometimes does not want to shift wants to just stay at…
Had airbags trouble with your 2018 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 airbags problem on the 2018 Ford Fiesta?
It's a meaningful issue. 4 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $1,100.
At what mileage does the airbags typically fail?
Based on the 4 complaints filed, airbags issues most often appear around 43,500 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $1,100 for airbags 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 airbags?
No active recalls currently cover airbags 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/2018/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.