Used Ford Fiesta Glow Plugs

Only diesel Fiestas have glow plugs — they are a diesel-engine component that pre-heats the combustion chamber to aid cold starting, so petrol Fiestas never had them fitted at all. If your Fiesta is a diesel (most commonly the 1.4 TDCi or 1.6 TDCi engine), it will have glow plugs; if it is a petrol, you will be looking for a different part entirely (likely ignition coils or spark plugs). Check your V5 or run a VIN check to confirm your fuel type and engine code before searching.

The Mk6 Fiesta ran from 2002 to 2008 and the Mk7 from 2008 to 2017, and although both generations offered diesel engines, the engine codes and glow plug specifications differ across that generational boundary. Even where an engine code looks similar, ancillary components can change between generations, so a straight swap should not be assumed. Confirm the exact engine code from your V5 against the donor vehicle's engine code with the breaker before purchasing.

Trim level makes no difference to glow plug fitment — glow plugs follow the engine, not the badge, so a Zetec diesel and a Titanium diesel with the same engine code use identical plugs. What matters is your engine code, which you can find on your V5 or via a VIN check. Give the breaker your engine code rather than your trim name and they will be able to match the correct part.

The Mk7 Fiesta was facelifted in 2013, so a 2012 car is pre-facelift and a 2014 car is post-facelift, and there is a possibility of ancillary or specification changes across that boundary even within the same engine family. If both cars share the exact same engine code the plugs are more likely to be compatible, but confirm this with the breaker against both registration numbers before buying.

A diesel Fiesta has one glow plug per cylinder, so a four-cylinder diesel engine such as the 1.4 TDCi or 1.6 TDCi requires four glow plugs in total. When buying used parts from a breaker, it is worth asking whether they can supply a full set from a single donor vehicle so the plugs are matched and from the same age of engine. Confirm the quantity with the breaker against your engine code to be certain.

Difficult cold starting is a classic symptom of failing glow plugs on a diesel engine, and it is a common fault on older diesel Fiestas. It is worth having a mechanic test the plugs with a multimeter before buying replacements, as one failed plug in a set of four can cause the symptom and only that plug may need replacing. A used set of glow plugs from a low-mileage donor vehicle via a breaker can be a cost-effective fix — just ensure the breaker matches the part to your exact engine code.