2017 Ford Transit Connect

Routine

Owners filed 28 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. It has been recalled 6 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes4
000
Electrical System4
000
Visibility/Wiper2
000
Visibility2
000
Steering2
000
Service Brakes, Hydraulic2
000
Power Train2
000
Back Over Prevention2
000
Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly1
000
Visibility › Fixed Panaramic Roof/Sky Light Assembly1
000

6 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Back Over Prevention › Sensing System › Camera25V572000
Filed Sep 3, 20251,456,417 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC, Mustang, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, F-450 SD, 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, 2015-2018 Edge, Transit Connect, 2016-2019 F-550 SD, Transit, 2017-2019 Econoline, and 2019 Ranger vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, inverted, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.

Risk. A rearview camera that displays an inverted, distorted, or blank image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 13, 2026. Ford owners will receive letters in phases, beginning January 2026 and June 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S89. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V270. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 8, 2025.

Visibility › Fixed Panaramic Roof/Sky Light Assembly24V294000
Filed Apr 26, 20241,315 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Transit Connect vehicles. An improper bond may exist between the panoramic roof and the vehicle body, which can result in the panel detaching from the vehicle.

Risk. A roof panel that detaches while driving can create a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Dealers will remove, clean, and reinstall the panoramic roof panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S29.

Power Train › Shift Linkage/Cable/Rod22V413000
Filed Jun 10, 20222,925,968 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

Risk. A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy. Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

Power Train › Shift Linkage/Cable/Rod21V376000
Filed May 24, 2021192,080 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2021 Transit Connect vehicles equipped with 2.5L engines. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

Risk. A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, causing the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Remedy. Dealers will replace the underhood shifter cable bushing, and add a protective cap, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 29, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S24.

Seat Belts › Pretensioner20V305000
Filed May 27, 20201,616 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Transit Connect vehicles. The front driver and/or passenger seat belt pretensioner initiators could contain an improper generant mix ratio that may prevent the seat belt pretensioners from deploying in the event of a crash.

Risk. In the event of a crash, the front driver and/or passenger seat belt pretensioners may not deploy, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace seat belt assemblies as necessary, free of charge. This recall began August 7, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S25.

Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly20V260000
Filed May 8, 20205,088 vehiclesFord Motor Company

Defect. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014-2017 Transit Connect vehicles equipped with a Panoramic Fixed-Glass Vista roof. An improper bond may exist between the panoramic roof and the vehicle body and may result in wind noise, water leak, and in some cases, separation from the vehicle.

Risk. If the panoramic roof panel separates from the vehicle while it is being driven, it may increase the risk of an injury or crash.

Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove, clean, and reinstall the panoramic roof panel, free of charge. Ford issued owners an interim notification on May 26, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S22.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Back Over Prevention
Filed Jul 24, 202692,000 milesMD

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 Prevention
Filed Mar 3, 202680,000 milesFL

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.

Service Brakes
Filed Nov 1, 2025CO

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 Train › Driveline › Differential Unit
Filed Jan 23, 2025FL

See attached document for complaint

Visibility
Filed Nov 14, 202450,000 milesFL

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, Hydraulic
Filed Jul 18, 202426,000 milesVT

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 Brakes
Filed May 15, 2024IL

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 System
Filed Apr 7, 2024CO

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/Wiper
Filed Nov 10, 2023NC

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.

Visibility › Fixed Panaramic Roof/Sky Light Assembly
Filed Sep 8, 202330,000 milesFL

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.

Visibility
Filed Jul 28, 2023MO

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 Train
Filed Jul 2, 2023KY

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.

Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly
Filed Jun 27, 202358,373 milesFL

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit Connect. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the panoramic roof panel detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 20S22 (Panoramic Roof Panel Repair). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 58,373.

Service Brakes, Air › Antilock › Abs Warning LightCrash
Filed Feb 8, 202380,000 milesIL

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH in the rain, the vehicle in front of him made a sudden stop. The contact depressed the brake pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond, causing the vehicle to crash into the rear of the other occupied vehicle. There were no injuries sustained. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the ABS and the hydraulic control unit (HCU) had failed, which caused the brakes failure. The mechanic replaced the ABS module and the hydraulic control unit (HCU). Additionally, the vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, who updated the ABS module. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Service Brakes
Filed Oct 8, 2022IL

The brake pads do not release immediately after any braking event. Brake release happens between 10 seconds and 24 hours later. Repair work indicates problem is in the abs valve module due to contamination.

Service Brakes
Filed Sep 19, 2022OH

HCU (hydraulic control unit) failure, causing brakes to apply without depression of the brake pedal. This occurred both at residential speeds and highway speeds. This caused brakes to over heat excessively and to dangerous levels without system warning. Failure diagnosed by ford dealership technician. Units were recalled on the 2016 Ford Transit Connects for failure unspecified and unknown if there is a relation to this issue as units were only 1 production year apart.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic
Filed Apr 28, 2022PA

On Friday the 22nd of April I was on the interstate and the vehicle began to slow down and make a scrubbing/grinding noise. I took the exit and by the time I reached the crossroad the vehicle would barely move. The brakes were almost completely locked. There was no warning and no diagnostic light was on. Luckily I was able to get off on the shoulder of the road so no one was in danger. The next day the dealer said my brake hoses had deteriorated but after replacing them the problem persisted. They now say the 'hydraulic control module' has failed. This module controls all the braking, sway control functions. There was a safety recall for this module earlier but they said my VIN was not listed in the recall. The dealer (Forrester's Lincoln 832 Lincoln Way East, Chambersburg, Pa 17201 717-264-4914) has ordered the replacement part. I believe that the problem may include other vehicles not included in the original recall.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip › Control Unit/Module
Filed Nov 16, 2021TX

The local Ford dealership has determined that the Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU) on the brakes is defective. In the model year 2016, this same vehicle was recalled due to a defective HCU. This vehicle probably should be added to that recall. Symptoms: The front right brake continued to produce smoke while driving.

Vehicle Speed Control › Accelerator Pedal
Filed May 17, 2021IN

I was driving on the interstate in heavy traffic. I pressed my accelerator pedal to pass a slower vehicle and the arm holding the accelerator pedal broke in two, causing me to de-accelerate rapidly and almost causing an accident. I can't believe it is made out of plastic!

Electrical System
Filed Feb 28, 202198,000 milesNC

DRIVER SIDE FRONT AND SIDE DOOR . THESE DON'T LOCK AND THE WINDOWS DON'T WORK BUT THE PASSENGER SIDE DOES. JUST STOPPED WORKING LAST WEEK AND THE SMALL FUSES ARE ALL FINE. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY. NOT SURE IF THIS IS A RECALL MATTER OR NOT.

20 of 28 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2014
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20231000Routine
20226110Routine
20218400Routine
202032820Routine
201951800Routine
201822600Routine
2017 — this page28600Routine
20161041010Routine
2015661000Routine
20141271510Routine
201332400Routine
201226110Routine
201124100Routine
201042210Routine

Compare every Transit Connect year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Sep 3, 2025. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.