FaultScore

Ford Transit engine problems

123 of the 1,064 complaints filed about the Ford Transit are about the engine — 12% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2015.

123

Complaints

12%

Share of all complaints

1

Crashes

6

Fires

Engine & Cooling complaints by model year

2015 Transit 44 35.8%

Median failure at 76,000 miles

2016 Transit 24 19.5%

Median failure at 43,512 miles

2017 Transit 18 14.6%

Median failure at 57,000 miles

2018 Transit 16 13.0%

Median failure at 90,000 miles

2019 Transit 3 2.4%

Median failure at 135,000 miles

2020 Transit 5 4.1%

Median failure at 5,000 miles

2022 Transit 3 2.4%

Median failure at 146,390 miles

2023 Transit 5 4.1%

Median failure at 45,000 miles

2024 Transit 5 4.1%

What owners said

2024 Ford Transit Bismarck, ND

ENGINE

This is the second time this occurred. Please refer to 11757120. While travelling approximately 65 mph the vehicle had a complete shutdown including the engine and all electrical systems in the chassis. When a vehicle has a complete shutdown while driving it is inherently dangerous and life threatening. The problem has been confirmed by Westlies Truck Center in Minot ND again. To my knowledge the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer or anyone other than the staff at the truck center. There were no warnings of any kind prior to this occurrence. We were on a busy 4 lane highway.

NHTSA complaint #11758299 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2019 Ford Transit Le Roy, NY

ENGINE

Air bag failure at 35 to 45 mph. All sensors on front end should have been activated to deploy. I am reporting this due to this vehical having prior mvc and has been serviced. I am wondering if air bag system was not repaired from prior incidents

NHTSA complaint #11757814 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Ford Transit at 146,390 miles Auburndale, FL

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2022 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the instrument cluster went blank and the vehicle shut off, causing a loss of drive power. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road and restarted. The failure reoccurred four times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 146,390.

NHTSA complaint #11757396 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2024 Ford Transit Bismarck, ND

ENGINE

We were on our way to a campground. Approximately 40 miles from the campground the RV shut down. All chassis systems failed including the engine and electrical systems. It is available for inspection. Our safety as well as the first mechanic on the scene and tow truck driver because we were only partially off of the roadway. There were no hazard lights working. The problem was confirmed by Westlies Truck Center in Minot ND. The component(s) have not been inspected. There were no warnings or symptoms of any kind. I was told by the service manager that it could happen again.

NHTSA complaint #11757120 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2015 Ford Transit Pismo Beach, CA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA complaint #11752174 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2015 Ford Transit Pismo Beach, CA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA complaint #11752183 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 Ford Transit at 172,000 miles Fort Lauderdale, FL

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that DTC: P2002 was displayed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the diesel particulate filter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 23M01 (Certain 2015-2019 Ford Transit 3.2L Diesel Replace Diesel Particulate Filter); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 172,000.

NHTSA complaint #11731837 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2024 Ford Transit Fort Myers, FL Fire

ENGINE

On March 11, 2026, a 2024 Ford Transit (VIN: [XXX] ) was being operated under normal driving conditions when the check engine light began intermittently activating. Shortly thereafter, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of dashboard functionality. While attempting to safely maneuver to the shoulder, the operator experienced loss of power steering and reduced braking capability. During this time, flames were observed originating from the engine compartment. The operator was able to safely pull the vehicle over, exit, and contact emergency services. The vehicle subsequently became fully engulfed in flames and was completely destroyed. No injuries were reported. A preliminary fire investigation determined the area of origin to be the passenger side of the engine compartment, with evidence of possible electrical involvement. The specific failed component has not yet been identified. This incident created a significant safety hazard due to the sudden loss of vehicle control systems combined with an active vehicle fire during operation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11728529 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 Ford Transit Sandpoint, ID

ENGINE

A known Ford defect on the 2017 3.5 ecoboost engine is when the manifolds, improperly designed and installed, warp and snap off the manifold bolts holding the manifold to the engine. The result is a great deal of extremely hot exhaust fumes being emitted in the engine compartment rather than out the end of the exhaust pipe. There were NO messages, lamps or other indicators of the manifold failure until a wheezing, rattling sound was emitted.

NHTSA complaint #11728098 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2017 Ford Transit Kingsport, TN

ENGINE

I have had many issues with this vehicle. The engine leaks oil onto the exhaust causing the engine to smoke, the engine uses antifreeze, the transmission will downshift at highway speeds to such a low gear that I need to put the van into neutral so that the engine doesn't blow up. It uses brakes quickly, (New brakes every 10,000 miles or so). Gas milage is less then 12MPG as well.

NHTSA complaint #11721118 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2018 Ford Transit at 90,000 miles Edmonds, WA

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a misfire coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA complaint #11720498 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2018 Ford Transit at 90,000 miles Edmonds, WA

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a misfire coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics, where it was diagnosed with coolant intrusion into the engine, causing engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA complaint #11720498 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2023 Ford Transit at 45,000 miles Palmer, AK

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 - 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started to decelerate. During the most recent failure, the contact was able to drive to the dealer before the vehicle lost power. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that water was leaking into the engine, causing a shortage with the spark plugs and other electrical systems. The #4 spark plug was replaced. The contact researched and became aware of an issue with the cowl allowing water and debris to enter the engine and causing the #4 spark plug to be short-circuited. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

NHTSA complaint #11720126 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2016 Ford Transit Poway, CA

ENGINE

This complaint is specifically related to Ford Recall 16S32 / NHTSA Campaign 16V618000 regarding the High-Pressure Fuel Pump (HPFP) failure. ​My vehicle (VIN: [XXX] ) has experienced the exact mechanical failure described in this recall, resulting in metal debris throughout the fuel system and a sudden loss of engine power while driving. This created an immediate safety hazard on the road. ​Ford is currently denying assistance because my vehicle’s production date falls just one day (24 hours) outside the official recall window. It is mechanically impossible for a manufacturing defect present in the recalled batch to not exist in a vehicle produced only 24 hours earlier. ​I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this arbitrary 1-day exclusion. Ford should not be allowed to avoid responsibility for a known safety defect based on a marginal production date error, especially when the failure and the parts involved are identical to those covered under the recall INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11719118 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2016 Ford Transit at 165,000 miles Canal Fulton, OH

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. During the failure, the warning message "Reduced Power" was displayed. The contact stated that after restarting the engine, the vehicle operated as intended; however, the failure reoccurred later. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who replaced the fuel injector, but the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that there were metal shavings in the fuel system. The dealer determined that the entire fuel system needed to be replaced, including the fuel pump, the fuel valves and the fuel injector. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V618000(Fuel System, Diesel, Engine and Engine Cooling), which the contact related to the failure. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The failure mileage was 165,000.

NHTSA complaint #11707743 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2022 Ford Transit Miami Beach, FL

ENGINE

Since I purchased this vehicle, it has experienced severe safety-related failures in the electrical system, battery, vacuum pump, powertrain, and other components. All warning lights would activate on the dashboard, messages appeared such as “Service Immediately” and “Power Reduced,” the vehicle became limited to about 10 mph, and on several occasions it shut off completely while in use. Six days before taking it to Midway Ford, Metro Ford replaced the battery, but within days the vehicle became inoperable again. Midway Ford kept the vehicle for weeks and eventually claimed the battery was defective, but attempted to charge me over $2,000 for sensors and a fuse box despite my Ford 5-year/8-year warranties and an extended service contract. I opened formal complaints with Ford, Metro Ford, and Midway Ford. Ford acknowledged factory defects, and the vehicle has more than six prior repairs since 2022, consistent with known issues in similar models (vacuum pump failures). During active state and federal investigations—and without my authorization—Midway Ford moved the vehicle off their property. I have evidence from the Ford app showing it was relocated to an apartment complex, then a private house, and finally to an unauthorized tow yard. When I returned to the country, police accompanied me to the location where I found the vehicle hidden, vandalized, with deflated tires, scratches, and surrounded by stripped and crashed cars. Midway Ford initially denied having the vehicle and later changed their statements. Afterward, all alerts were cleared from the Ford app without explanation. Midway Ford acted without permission, moved the vehicle during an open investigation, manipulated its condition, and returned it damaged. I request a full safety investigation due to repeated failures, loss of power, shutdowns while driving, and the dealer’s negligent handling of the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11704499 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2015 Ford Transit Francisco, IN

ENGINE

RECALLED PART FAILED CAUSING DAMAGE TO OTHER PARTS ON VEHICLE, FORD MOTOR COMPANY REFUSES TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE - NO RECALL NOTIFIACTIONS SENT - WE ARE NOT ORIGINAL OWNERS OF VEHICLE

NHTSA complaint #11703335 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2018 Ford Transit Durango, CO

ENGINE

1- THE TURBO HAS FAILED TWICE 2- CURRENTLY The torque converter has failed. The mechanic has claimed this is a common problem and recommends a complete transmission replacement. This is available for inspection right now. The problem was suspected by Dealer but independent center diagnosed. The vehicle made a terrible hum as if it was going to explode. We had it cleaned and it made it stop for 10 miles, then it resumed.

NHTSA complaint #11703242 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2015 Ford Transit at 70,000 miles Middletown, CT

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2015 Ford Transit. The contact stated that water had leaked through the windshield and into the air filter compartment, onto several wires for different electrical systems in the vehicle, and onto emissions components, which affected the engine timing. The contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that there was approximately 2-inches of water in the air filter box. The check engine warning light was illuminated, with diagnostic trouble codes indicating that the Oxygen sensors had failed, and the timing was not being converted correctly. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed that the catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired by the mechanic. The contact replaced the catalytic converter and placed a seal around the windshield. The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and it was confirmed that the VIN was not included in a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

NHTSA complaint #11698144 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

2019 Ford Transit Rochester, NY

ENGINE

Smelling exhaust fumes inside vehicle and not safe to drive with only 46,000 miles on odometer. Took it to Ford Dealer and found two manifold bolts have broken off flush to engine block and manifold is now leaking. This is a very common occurrence with the 3.5 Ecoboost motor.

NHTSA complaint #11689736 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other Ford Transit problems