Owners have filed 566 complaints on the Ford Transit, covering 2015–2026. The system named most often is Power Train (189 reports). Worst years by volume: 2015, 2016, 2017; cleanest: 2026, 2018, 2020. 17 reports describe a crash, 11 a fire, 10 a death. On average the car was 4.5 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Ford Transit
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 566 Transit complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Power Train 189 Read
I own and operate a ford f 250 transit van. Task is the expedite of auto & aerospace parts through out the country. Have learned there is a safety recall per oem and NHTSA regarding drivetrain couplers ( unoints ). My particular vehicle has incurred damage as result of coupler(s) failing. Damage including; not limited…
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Transit. The contact stated that there was a rubbing burning order coming from inside the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle also had a vibration sensation whenever the vehicle was being driven. There were no warning lights on the vehicle. The contact contacted the dealer who stated…
The contact is a lawyer whose client owned a 2016 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the drive shaft coupling detached from the transmission. The contact stated that the air bags deployed in his vehicle. The contact stated that he sustained head and back injuries. Medical attention was…
Electrical System 52 Read
Left the van running in my driveway next thing I know it was on fire
The battery's junction box in the engine compartment is melting. While I was driving, I heard a loud pop, I opened the hood, and saw smoke coming from the junction box. I noticed the box was melting around a fuse. The melting is significant, and the vehicle looked to be on fire. The smoke stopped, but I feel the…
THIS IS A SECOND CASE FOR A DIFFERENT VIN WITH THE SAME ISSUE. 11524889. The battery's junction box in the engine compartment is melting. While I was driving, I heard a loud pop, I opened the hood, and saw smoke coming from the junction box. I noticed the box was melting around a fuse. The melting is significant, and…
Engine 38 Read
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered and made an abnormal sound. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the rear driver's and passenger's exhaust manifold bolts were fractured and leaking. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor…
Diesel engine fails catastrophically on highway in motion--first a blown piston at 78k miles, turbo failed within 5k miles of engine. Prior to these failures, both this truck and it's twin(bought identically together) developed leaks in the radiators...same location. The sister truck is now at a ford dealer with a…
The cam phasers started giving us issues at 47,000 miles. At the time, Ford told us this was a normal thing with these vehicles and there was no concern. Now that I am at 103,000 miles, the phasers have gotten a lot worse where the vehicle stalls and misfires, along with a loud rattle at startup. Ford will not replace…
Structure 32 Read
The front subframe and transmission crossmember on my 2015 Ford Transit have experienced severe, premature structural corrosion, resulting in the metal rotting completely through. The subframe is structurally compromised, brittle, and actively cracking.Safety Risk and Imminent Hazard:The subframe is the load-bearing…
The paint and body panels are definitely defective
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Transit. The contact stated that whenever it rained, the door seal towards the rear of the passenger’s side sliding door was leaking. The contact stated that the leak was allowing water to accumulate in the pillar located at the rear on the passenger’s side. The contact stated that the…
Seats 27 Read
I bought this vehicle in Sept 2020 and have had this issue since day one. The drivers seat creates a bulge about half-way up the seat back when the seat warms up either with the heated seat feature or sunlight and pushes me forward out of the safety of the side seat bolsters. The passenger seat does not have this…
Seat collapse. Available to be inspection. Unable to see over wheel or reach acceleration or brake petals. Air bag light comes on due to seat cutting it or disconnecting it when collapses. Dealership. No
Front drivers seat cushion sagging no good for almost 1 and a half years. I bought replacement cushions for over $200 each. This is due to a broken seat suspension mat and the only way to fix it is to buy the seat track for $600 plus dollars. I found this Manufacture communications number TSB 21-2353. I have a total…
Steering 26 Read
Upon starting the vehicle in the driveway a steering assist warning showed in the vehicle information area. It was stationary. The power steering did not function and the steering wheel was extremely difficult to turn. Next day started vehicle without steering assist warning appearing and the power steering was…
Since purchasing the van, the steering wheel has occasionally felt sluggish and heavier to turn at certain times than others. The final time it was nearly impossible to turn and felt almost locked, which is obviously a huge safety issue. This has occurred while starting the engine at random times and impedes driving…
2020 ford transit high roof.upon starting van 'steering assist fault service required'message came up.steering was very difficult.waiting about 5 minutes message was gone.vehicle with only 11k miles
Service Brakes 16 Read
The involved individual was found with altered mental status on a highway on 8/13/2023. The vehicle he had been driving was found in the highway median a few hundred feet away. He was admitted to a local hospital, diagnosed with blunt force injuries of the head, and pronounced brain dead on 8/14/2023. Autopsy…
We own a fleet of these vans and 5 out of the last 7 purchased from 2020-2023 have had total rear brake system failure. The calipers are not retracting and are overheating and freezing up the rear brake system. In some cases leaving our employee(s) stranded on the side of the road in the middle of winter storm waiting…
We own a fleet of these vans and 5 out of the last 7 purchased from 2020-2023 have had total rear brake system failure. The calipers are not retracting and are overheating and freezing up the rear brake system. In some cases leaving our employee(s) stranded on the side of the road in the middle of winter storm waiting…
Engine And Engine Cooling 15 Read
The contact owns a 2016 ford transit. While driving approximately 15 mph, a burning odor was present inside the cabin of the vehicle. Whenever the vehicle was driven, the burning odor was present and the contact's breathing became difficult. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was kept for approximately one…
See attached document for complaint
The contact's company owns a 2018 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the tow company mechanic, where it was diagnosed that coolant intrusion in the engine had caused the engine to seize.…
Transit years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Electrical System, Wheels, Service Brakes | — | — | |
| 2020 | Back Over Prevention | 1 | 3 | |
| 2018 | Air Bags | 1 | 1 | |
| 2017 | Air Bags | 4 | 2 | |
| 2016 | Air Bags | 7 | 4 | |
| 2015 | Air Bags, Seat Belts, Structure, Seats | 4 | 1 |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 441 |
| Average complaints per series | 1.3 |
| Worst single series | 7 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 4.5 years |
A model average of 1.3 hides a worst series at 7. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,109,349 of them, covering 2,013 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the Transit?
By complaint volume, 2015, 2016, 2017 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which Transit years are the cleanest?
2026, 2018, 2020 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Ford Transit have?
566 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2015–2026. Of those, 17 describe a crash and 11 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.
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