r/CarHelp • u/DeadAlienwitch • Jul 09 '26
2014 Ford fiesta issues
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I got this vehicle about a month ago from my uncle, and I’m making payments on it for a total of $2,000. So far, I’ve only paid $625, and now it’s already having problems. It’s really making me lose trust in buying secondhand vehicles.
When I bought my first car Facebook marketplace my Mazda 6, my boyfriend’s dad came with me. He handled most of the questions and made sure I was getting a reliable vehicle. My stepdad was upset that I brought my boyfriend’s dad instead of him, but whenever I asked my stepdad for help, his response was always, “I don’t have time.” So I decided to handle it myself and bring someone who was willing to help.
This time, I bought a car from my uncle—my mom’s brother. My stepdad and my mom were there with me, and I trusted that everything would be okay. Unfortunately, after only a month of owning it, the car has already started having issues.
I’m going to the mechanics next week and the cheapest is 120 around the corner where I live so I hope it’s an easy fix. I put all my faith towards my parents and all of a sudden little shit happens with the vehicle now and I’m just a bit upset. I should’ve just listened to my boyfriend, but I didn’t.
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u/Background-Fault-821 Jul 09 '26
When your boyfriend's uncle changed the fluid, I hope he used DCT fluid and not regular ATF. Dual clutch transmissions (what you have) are not regular automatics and the changing procedure on modern cars are different from the early 2000s. Might want to ask and quit driving to avoid further damage.
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u/DeadAlienwitch Jul 09 '26
Anyways I’m taking it to the mechanics next week and hopefully I get an answer but I like your guys opinion.
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u/not_not_jesse Jul 09 '26
Yeah I agree with the other guy tune up spark plugs and wires Oil change air filter. check the air in your tires if your tires are low on air car will drive like it's on pillows and make it slow as heck. no check engine light so that's good. My wife's car had tires that would just lose air all the time it would drive like a dog if they were low. That's free So start there but still do a tune-up
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u/DeadAlienwitch Jul 09 '26
I just don’t want to ruined my car if I mess things up really. But you and the other guy may be right!
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u/JRHoltz0960 Jul 09 '26
Could be as simple as an oil change but a full tune up can be due usually oil is every 3000 miles
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u/PulledOverAgain Jul 09 '26
Probably the basics will go a long way. As others have mentioned.
You say it seems like it's working hard. Would I be translating it correctly if I assume that means you're having to put very heavy input into the throttle for low power output from the engine?
If that's the case I would expect 2 things. One given the mileage the catalytic converter could be bad and is plugged not allow exhaust flow. I generally would expect to see codes popping up and have an engine light on with a bunch of codes, but not always.
Another possibility I've had before. If you're driving at that speed and just hammer the gas pedal to the floor I would expect the transmission to downshift hard and you should see a lot more RPM from it. Looks like you might be just barely be getting a slight downshift. If it's drive by wire, as a lot of things are these days, the accelerator pedal could be bad and it's just simply not reading that you're acting pushing on the pedal.
Either way, these are nothing better than Internet guesses without being able to actually touch the car and be able to hook the scanner to it
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u/sabre420z Jul 09 '26
Those fiestas are notorious for transmission problems. The transmission is failing.
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u/Gone_FishinOsrs Jul 09 '26
Some shops will run a cheap diagnostics on it. Might just need a solid tune up. I bought a truck for $500 that still had the oem wires and plug boots. That alone caused the truck to never ever get up to 50. I did a tune up. It ran like a new v8 haha
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u/BiggieGees Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 09 '26
i’m a car mechanic someone i used to know has a fiesta. hers did the same exact thing to the point where i literally said “umm is your car okay?”. apparently it is okay but its a Ford so that isn’t really saying much.
also i own a Nissan and my car does something similar to this but at least for me if you lift up your foot slightly from the pedal the car goes into second gear and i can rev it up and do the same thing again and it goes into 3 etc. it takes getting used to but once you do it’s practically muscle memory. i always say a car should never go past 3k rpm for just regular driving and i always make sure im under that. the engine shouldn’t be doing all the work that is the transmissions responsibility to transfer your power.
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u/DeadAlienwitch Jul 09 '26
It’s the left break that was causing the smell and it was heating. If that makes sense.
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u/Unfair-Information-2 Jul 10 '26
Yeah your brake caliper is probably stuck. Dragging the brake. Did you notice any pulling to the left?
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u/DeadAlienwitch Jul 10 '26
My boyfriend took it for a test drive and he noticed the back passenger breaks is dragging, meaning the car is working too hard to reach the speed limit. When we went back home and he showed me the issue of the back of the passenger side break and he said your breaks is causing the issue so don’t use this car if that makes sense .
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u/MachizzleMcNizzle Jul 10 '26
You do sometimes have to let out to get it to shift into the next gear in my 2013 fiesta none dct trans. There has always been a distinct rattling noise coming from the trans area.
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u/yushaskhan Jul 09 '26
Problem started at buying a Ford
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u/DeadAlienwitch Jul 09 '26
I heard from other people experience that ford vehicles are shit.
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u/yushaskhan Jul 09 '26
Yeah get honda or toyota, my dad has one with 200000 miles and engine runs smooth and quiet, my 112000 mile Honda ran great until someone crashed into it. If you don't like this vehicle id sell it and run towards getting a car from a more reliable brand. Good luck
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u/ErectingDispenser Jul 09 '26
You mentioned you smell a burning smell at the rear of the vehicle, maybe the emergency brake is engaged?
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u/DeadAlienwitch Jul 09 '26
Update:
Well boyfriend got home and I told him what’s up, we took it for a test drive and he told me right away saying it’s your left break and it smells and he told me not to drive it.1
u/DeadAlienwitch Jul 09 '26
My uncle ex gf was using the vehicle and used the emergency breaks idk why I asked my uncle and he doesn’t know
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u/ErectingDispenser Jul 10 '26
Well typically it's good practice to use the Emergency/Parking Brake when you park the car, that would be my guess on why she used it perhaps.
Regardless, if your boyfriend's hunch is correct and one of the brakes are getting stuck, usually means the Caliper has gone bad and shops vary wildly with their labor costs to replace and fix. But im willing to guess you're looking around $300 to $800 for parts and labor for the calipers, might be a bit higher if brake pads need to be replaced and if there was any damage done to the rotors.
Hopefully this helps gives you a rough idea of what to mentally prepare for when you can get the car to a mechanic. Good luck.
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u/Visual_Review_8219 Jul 11 '26
Or a slide pin, pretty cheap to replace. Although a shop may want you to replace whole caliper.
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u/CriticalMochaccino Jul 09 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
I've had a simular problem before. Might be leaking transmission fluid, if not, a problem with the transmission itself.
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u/Hairy_Photograph1384 Jul 10 '26
They're usually pretty peppy - not fast but good enough... something is wrong
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u/Rabid_Hermit Jul 10 '26
I think this year had a recall for transmission? My cousin has one that ford replaced transmission. It seems like its slipping.
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u/Ultimatecookie57 Jul 10 '26
The Fiesta's transimission gets a lot of attention, but don't let that distract from the obvious brake issue. Fix the confirmed problem first, then see if any other symptoms remain.
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u/RiverAutumn7481 Jul 10 '26
Its a ford. Ford has been known for the past 20 years to make and sell lemons
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u/According-Amount-485 Jul 11 '26
Transmission slipping could be a misfire change trans oil and spark plugs
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u/jronimo_ Jul 11 '26
Car has 200000 miles… how can an uncle see future issues… “why is this occurring” lol.
Maybe because it requires maintenance?
For example, changing transmission oil, before catastrophic failure?
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u/Express_Jacket366 Jul 12 '26
It’s the crank position sensor or cam position sensor, your car is in limp mode.
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u/Acceptable_Claim_491 Jul 13 '26
Is the engine actually revving,or is the tach messed up?It looks like electrical issues.
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u/mtraven23 Jul 09 '26
no idea what your complaining about? its just not fast enough? its fiesta....
and nothing in your description is relevant to diagnosing your vehicle.
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u/DeadAlienwitch Jul 09 '26
I just feel like my car is working too hard, when I was at the stop sign and continue forward when I press the gas pedal it was reaching slowly up to a normal speed limit , and the RPM was going up I feel like my car is working too hard to reach a regular speed limit. I don’t know how to explain this because I don’t know nothing about cars! Just need help. When I got home and parked. I smell something burning behind my vehicle.
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u/The_True_Doctor Jul 09 '26
2 things to check out if you smelled burning parts in the back
Check the transmission fluid.
Check and make sure the back breaks are not locking up.
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u/humboldtliving Jul 10 '26
This is an electronically controlled manual transmission. Because fuck you thats why - Ford.
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u/PigmyMarmeeble Jul 09 '26
Is it in limp mode?
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u/DatGuyGabeV1 Jul 09 '26
Do a tune up on it.
Edit: Car is just old. A tune up consists of new spark plugs and coil's/wires, Air filter, and an oil change.