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Vehicle Stats/FORD/Transit Connect Reliability
NHTSA Official DataUpdated Aug 2026Methodology

FORD Transit Connect Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data

Poor reliability signalOur verdict from 449 complaints and 68 recalls on NHTSA record

Comparing used FORD Transit Connect options? We analyzed 10 model years (2014–2023) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.

449
Total Complaints
NHTSA filed
68
Safety Recalls
federal campaigns
14
Crash-Related
crash complaints
6
Fire-Related
fire complaints
12
Injuries Reported
across all years
10
Years Analyzed
2014–2023

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Found a FORD Transit Connect? Check that exact car.

Model-year trends show patterns — they can't tell you whether this car was crashed, flooded, or rolled back. A VIN check can.

  • Accident & damage history
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  • Open recalls & title brands
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Quick Answer

Based on NHTSA complaint data, the FORD Transit Connect has 449 owner complaints and 68 safety recalls across model years 2014–2023. The most reported issue area is POWER TRAIN. 2019 drew the most complaints; 2021 drew the fewest.

FORD Transit Connect — key reliability facts
Make
FORD
Model
Transit Connect
Model years analyzed
2014–2023 (10 years)
Total NHTSA complaints
449
Safety recall campaigns
68
Crash-related complaints
14
Fire-related complaints
6
Worst model year (by complaints)
2019 (51 complaints)
Best model year (fewest complaints)
2021 (8 complaints)
Top reported issue area
POWER TRAIN
Reliability signal
Poor
Source: NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) · Data last refreshed Aug 19, 2026
This Transit Connect has 68 open recall campaigns on record. Check whether yours is affected.Check my VIN free →

By model year

FORD Transit Connect: which years to avoid & which to buy

Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.

Years to avoid
201951 complaints202031 complaints201728 complaints

These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.

Best years to buy
20218 complaints202210 complaints201822 complaints

These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.

Looking at a 2019 FORD Transit Connect? It logged the most NHTSA complaints of any model year — averages won't tell you whether this exact car is affected.Check this VIN free →

Crash test ratings

NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings

New Car Assessment Program

NCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.

20212021 Ford Transit Connect WAGON FWD
Overall Safety
4/5
Frontal Crash
4/5
Side Crash
5/5
Rollover Risk
4/5
How to read NCAP stars
5 stars — Excellent
4 stars — Good
3 stars — Average
2 stars — Below average
1 star — Poor

Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings

What the complaint data suggests

Poor
Editorial interpretation of NHTSA public complaint data. Source: nhtsa.gov. Complaints are owner-submitted and do not confirm a defect. Methodology

Data engine & NHTSA methodology by Eduard Batog, Co-founder & Data Engineer. How we calculate this.

The FORD TRANSIT CONNECT has 449 NHTSA complaints and 68 recalls on record. 14 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Key findings
  • 449 total complaints filed with NHTSA
  • 68 federal recall campaigns
  • 14 crash-related complaints on record
Top concerns
  • Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
  • Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
  • Verify service records for frequently complained components
Worst years

Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.

Best years

Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.

What to check before buying used
  • Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
  • Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
  • Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
  • Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Data note: NHTSA complaints are consumer-submitted and do not confirm a manufacturing defect Complaint volume is influenced by sales volume — popular models naturally accumulate more complaints

Problems by model year (best vs. worst)

2017
28
2018
22
2019
51
2020
31
2021
8
2022
10

Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Aug 2026

Safety recalls

NHTSA safety recalls

68 recalls found

Safety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.

Safety recall

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

#25V572000BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERAApril 9, 2025
Safety recall

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

#25V572000BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERAApril 9, 2025
Safety recall

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

#22V413000POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)October 6, 2022
Safety recall

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

#22V413000POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)October 6, 2022
Safety recall

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

#22V413000POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)October 6, 2022
Safety recall

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

#20V550000POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONOctober 9, 2020
Safety recall

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

#20V260000VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLYAugust 5, 2020
Safety recall

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

#21V376000POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
Safety recall

SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

#21V592000SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
Safety recall

BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE

#25V442000BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
Safety recall

SEAT BELTS:FRONT

#20V305000SEAT BELTS:FRONT
Safety recall

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

#21V376000POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
Safety recall

VISIBILITY:FIXED PANARAMIC ROOF/SKY LIGHT ASSEMBLY

#24V294000VISIBILITY:FIXED PANARAMIC ROOF/SKY LIGHT ASSEMBLY
Safety recall

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

#21V376000POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
Safety recall

SEATS

#19V229000SEATS
Safety recall

VISIBILITY:FIXED PANARAMIC ROOF/SKY LIGHT ASSEMBLY

#24V294000VISIBILITY:FIXED PANARAMIC ROOF/SKY LIGHT ASSEMBLY
Safety recall

BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE

#25V442000BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
Safety recall

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

#20V791000AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE
Safety recall

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM

#20V636000ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM
Safety recall

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

#21V376000POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2014–2023. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.

Common problems

What goes wrong most often

The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 449 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.

01
POWER TRAIN82 complaints
02
UNKNOWN OR OTHER71 complaints
03
SERVICE BRAKES59 complaints
04
STRUCTURE56 complaints
05
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM51 complaints
06
ENGINE37 complaints
07
VISIBILITY28 complaints
08
STEERING28 complaints

Owner complaints

NHTSA complaint reports

449 total

These are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.

POWER TRAINMay 2026

The transmission hasn't been working correctly for the last 2 years. It was constantly shifting incorrectly, lagging, stuttering, and making driving difficult. It finally just stopped in the middle of traffic and would not move. It threw a diagnostic code of P0751, which we learned was related to a known issue with the vehicle, TSB 25-2550. The vehicle is now not drivable and had to be towed back home.

SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCEMay 2026

Automatic braking system module System went out mid drive and Locked up the front right and back left brakes making vehicle immovable in the middle of the highway. Towed to a dealership where they had to remove and replace ABS module no warning lamps were present. No prior symptoms before failure.

UNKNOWN OR OTHERApr 2026

Rear window in hatch door spontaneously shattered while I was driving to work this morning.

SERVICE BRAKESJan 2026

Two tires lock up gradually and then completely preventing the vehicle from being driven and causing damage to the other tires. The inability to drive the vehicle on the open road is very dangerous. There are no warning lamps. The vehicle may seem sluggish to accelerate. After towing to a service station, the ABS module failed and this caused damage to the brakes which had to be replaced.

POWER TRAINNov 2024

We have just passed 87,000 miles on our 2021 Ford Transit Connect and the transmission has had to be completely replaced. We were told at the transmission repair facility that ours was one of 4 2021 Ford Transit Connects in their shop alone with a whole transmission replacement within a 2 week time period. While our vehicle is outside of the mileage for the power train warranty from Ford, it is not outside of the time period. We feel that the significant amount of transmissions needing to be replaced on 2021 Ford Transit Connects is unreasonable expectation when you purchase your vehicle brand new from the manufacturer. Our vehicle has always been properly maintained to all dealer specs for the entire time we have owned it (and it was purchased with 6 miles on the odometer).

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,VISIBILITY/WIPERMar 2024

My windshield is leaking and has been leaking since manufacturing. The windshield is flexing and is missing the adhesive along the top. Caused electrical damage to the car.

Read 14 more owner reports
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEMJan 2023

This vehicle keeps flashing service engine soon light and malfunction indicator lamp. Dealer is keep saying that there are nothing to fix the issue. However, they have noted that it might be related to fueling hole and also fuel misfire. Dealer is not addressing the issue and on the manual page 99, it advises not to operate the vehicle when both lights flash together. However, dealer is not addressing the issue. Please help.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKESAug 2022

july2, 2022 Saturday, 4pm 2021 Ford transit connect titanium -Sudden unintended acceleration I was making a very slow (2-3mph) U-turn in an empty, very small strip mall parking lot with the brake being lightly pushed as I went around tight left turn. 3/4 thru the turn the van suddenly accelerated while I believe the brake pedal was still being pushed, I pushed the brake pedal down hard but the van continued to accelerate..it wouldn't slow down. The van jumped the curb and ran into a 4' square cement planter on the sidewalk, sliding the planter about 3 ft. forward. The whole sudden acceleration happened within about 3-5 seconds and was stopped by the cement planter, cutting off the engine. All front airbags were deployed. A few cuts and bruises from the airbags required no medical attention. No citations were issued by the police. The vehicle damage has been estimated at 27,000 and the insurance company is deciding whether to total it or repair it.

BACK OVER PREVENTIONJul 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit Connect. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in reverse, the rear-view camera displayed a blank screen with the message "Camera Unavailable. The contact stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention). The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

BACK OVER PREVENTIONMar 2026

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit Connect. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the back-over prevention camera intermittently failed to display an image of the rear of the vehicle. Occasionally, the screen went black while displaying an image. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SERVICE BRAKESNov 2025

Rear brake lights work when locking and unlocking van however the passenger brake light does not work when pushing the brake pedal to stop van

POWER TRAINJan 2025

See attached document for complaint

VISIBILITY,BACK OVER PREVENTIONNov 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit Connect. The contact stated that while reversing with the rearview camera engaged, the screen became blurry or blank. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was due to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V575000 (Visibility, Back Over Prevention). The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULICJul 2024

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit Connect. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the front driver’s side brakes malfunctioned, and the front driver’s side wheel failed to properly rotate. The contact later examined the vehicle and discovered that the front driver’s side brake pad had become stuck to the brake rotor. The vehicle was later examined by an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the ABS Control Module and Hydraulic Control Unit had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 26,000.

SERVICE BRAKESMay 2024

The brakes on my car would not release. After trying to repair we determined it was due to the abs module. Since the module has to be programed by a dealer to communicate with the ecm, I stopped and turned the car over to a Ford dealer. My car was built just outside a documented recall on the abs module. I told ford thir but they did not cover the repair. It is obvious another bad part got thru and my vehicle should be included. I wrote to the ntsb before, but never heard back. When ford replaced the abs module, I keep the bad part incase someone need to inspect the failed part.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEMApr 2024

This was happened [XXX] in Mesa CO in winter storms negative temperatures and foot of heavy snow far away from anything car simultaneously looks with running engines when I went out of the car with my winter gear and telephone inside. For 4-5 hours didn’t find any body . I thinking I’m going to die. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

VISIBILITY/WIPERNov 2023

While driving my 2017 Ford Transit Connect at highway speed the panoramic sun roof and attached sun shade completely separated from the vehicle flew into the air and landed in the lanes of travel the vehicle behind me was nearly struck. This is an obvious safety issue had the glass struck another vehicle it would have likely caused serious damage and or injuries. The failure could have also caused serious injuries to the passengers to the vehicle had it been a partial separation with glass entering the passenger area. The vehicle is available for inspection until 15 Nov when the repairs will be completed. The vehicle was taken to Ford approximately 18 months ago for a wind noise complaint. The service department could not replicate the wind noise. My vehicle was not included in Ford's recall of the same model for sunroof adhesive failure. This was mentioned to the service department and I was told it was fine to continue to drive the vehicle. In the attached photos you can see signs of adhesive failure with pollen along the adhesive line. The only area that did not completely separate was as short section as noted in the pictures. The vehicle has been assessed by an insurance adjuster.

VISIBILITYSep 2023

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit Connect. The contact stated that there was a windy sound coming from the sunroof of the vehicle. The sound had been progressing as if there was a fracture or separation between the sunroof and the roof sub frame. The contact learned of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V260000 (Visibility) however, the VIN was not included. The contact called the dealer who confirmed that the VIN was not included. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.

VISIBILITYJul 2023

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Transit Connect. The contact stated that during rainy weather, moisture was leaking into the vehicle through the top passenger’s side windshield. After the contact was involved in a crash, the leak started across the entire top of the windshield. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer and paid to have the windshield sealant replaced; however, the windshield cracked during the repair and the contact was forced to pay for a new windshield. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

POWER TRAINJul 2023

Transmission keeps slipping and failing to accelerate. Feels like my van is running over rumble strips and slows the speed down. This continues to happen at many different speeds. Sometimes often and sometimes intermittently.

Showing 20 of 449 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database

Check the exact car

Before you buy, check the exact FORD Transit Connect

These pages show model-year patterns across 10 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.

The basics

How to read this data

Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used FORD Transit Connect, in plain English.

01

What is an NHTSA Complaint?

An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The FORD Transit Connect has 449 complaints on record across 10 model years.

02

What is a Safety Recall?

A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The FORD Transit Connect has 68 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.

03

What Are Crash Complaints?

Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 14 of the FORD Transit Connect's 449 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.

04

How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?

The reliability verdict (Poor) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.

05

Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?

Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.

06

Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN

Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all FORD Transit Connect vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two FORD Transit Connect vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.

07

What Are NHTSA Investigations?

When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The FORD Transit Connect has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.

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By state

Check a FORD Transit Connect by state

Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used FORD Transit Connect.

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Keep researching before you buy

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FORD Transit Connect reliability — frequently asked questions

Is the FORD Transit Connect reliable?

Poor. The FORD Transit Connect has 449 NHTSA owner complaints and 68 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is POWER TRAIN. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.

Which FORD Transit Connect years to avoid?

Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2019 (51 complaints), 2020 (31 complaints), 2017 (28 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.

What are the most common FORD Transit Connect problems?

Top reported issues: POWER TRAIN (82 complaints); UNKNOWN OR OTHER (71 complaints); SERVICE BRAKES (59 complaints).

Does the FORD Transit Connect have recalls?

Yes — 68 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the FORD Transit Connect. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.

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