NHTSA recalls, safety ratings, and consumer complaints for the 2018 Ford Transit Connect.
| Overall Rating | Not Rated |
| Frontal Crash | |
| Side Crash | |
| Rollover | Not Rated |
| Overall Rating | |
| Frontal Crash |
Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
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.
Consequence: 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.
Component: SEATS
TransitWorks is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford Transit, 2018 Ford Transit Connect, and 2016 Dodge Ram ProMaster vehicles modified to be equipped with Freedman Seating GO-ES seats. When the back seat cushion is rotated from the stowed position to the upright position, the seat cushion may not remain locked into place when under load, such as in a crash or a sudden stop.
Consequence: In the event of a crash, if the seat back moves, the seat occupant has an increased risk of injury.
Remedy: TransitWorks has notified owners and instructed them to contact Freedman seats for a repair kit. The recall began December 19, 2019. Owners may contact Freedman Seating customer service at 1-800-443-4540 or TransitWorks customer service at 1-855-337-9543.
One tire locks 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 brake master cylinder which had to be replaced.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Transit Connect. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V294000 (Visibility); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that two dealers were made aware of the issue and informed the contact that there were no technicians at the dealer capable of performing the recall repair. The contact was promised a call back once a technician was able to service the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and referred the contact back to the dealer. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
ABS brakes are locked up and only release after a few seconds. I have replaced the driver front caliper and now the passenger front is locking. After a quick search online, I have found several cases of the ABS module malfunctioning on this vehicle requiring a new module and programming. The first time the driver side locked, there were no warning lights and when I arrived home, the rotor was glowing red. Could have caused a fire.
The 2018 Ford Transit Connect has 6 NHTSA recalls and 21 consumer complaints on file. It received an overall safety rating of Not Rated out of 5 stars in NHTSA crash testing. For the most detailed information about a specific vehicle, decode its VIN using our free decoder above.
Enter a specific VIN to get the full report — specs, recalls, safety ratings, complaints, investigations, and technical service bulletins.
| Side Crash |
| Rollover |
Component: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
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.
Consequence: 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.
Component: VISIBILITY:FIXED PANARAMIC ROOF/SKY LIGHT ASSEMBLY
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.
Consequence: 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.
Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.
Consequence: A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.
Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
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.
Consequence: 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 May 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.
Power steering failed without warning. Rack and pinion had to be replaced. You now have 5 complaints on this but still no investigation open. This is clearly a manufacturer defect. $2,700 to fix. Vehicle only had 65,000 miles on it when it failed.
Driving at higher speeds when going to brake, the vehicle drops gears and slows agressively. It started to do this occasionally a couple of month ago, now it happens every other day.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Transit Connect. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, with the traction and ABS warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted; however, the failure recurred. The contact also stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact became aware that transmission fluid was leaking from the transmission. The dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000. The VIN was not available.
The transmission is having a shuddering issue, and looking online there on tons and tons of people having the same issue and stating it’s the torque converter and this is over many different years and variants of my vehicle… how is this not a recall yet?? People are having this issue right after purchase?
The contact's company owns a 2018 Ford Transit Connect. The contact stated that while an employee was driving at 30 MPH, the rear driver side sliding door unintendedly opened. The employee could not shut the door due to a defective latch. The contact stated that a zip tie was used to secure the door. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer nor the dealer had been notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
ABS light comes on as well as loss of traction control and hill assist. Steering is more difficult, and the speed ohmmeter will not work. This is the second time this has happen. First time mechanic replaced bad speed sensor on drivers' side front wheel and everything went back to normal it only had around 6K miles on it. Now it has around 7.5K on it and it has happen again. Have not taken it in for repair yet.
hello - this is not a safety issue with my car. for the moment. inputting the VIN it states that there is only 1 row of seats (D/P). this is not accurate. there are 3 seat rows in my van. (front x2, middle x3 and rear seats x2) total of 7 seats. thus this should be corrected for my VIN. if or when i have a complaint about the safety of the seats, belts, head rests etc... it will make sense. i do not have a cargo van. it's a seven passenger seat van.
Steering system failed while driving put driver at risk of crash. The problem still exists. It appears that the power steering rack has failed for the second time and will need to be replaced. There was no warning prior to failure
Power steering failed without warning while vehicle was being driven at highway speeds. Vehicle required replacement of power steering rack. This is the 4th time this has happened with my Ford Transit Connect vans
Unexpected power steering failure while driving. Driver and surrounding vehicles at risk Ford Dealer has reproduced the problem but can't identify the cause There weren't any warning lamps or messages before failure I own two other Ford Transit Connect vans from 2018, each has had the same problem
Power steering failure while driving Driver safety at risk as well as surrounding vehicles yes yes no warning lights, messages or other symptoms prior to failure
My vehicle is less than 5 years old, 10 months out of warranty. The LOCKS stopped working. They made the noise, but no action. So, I thought the locks were still working. The dealership had no idea what the issue was - they've had my vehicle for almost a month trying to figure it out. So far they've changed the Body Control Module and are getting another part. Ford will do nothing even though Locks should be something always covered or at least for 5 years. No warnings. This put me at risk as I camp in the vehicle and didn't know it wasn't locking (because it made the noise like it was).
Showing 15 of 21 complaints