2018 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data
5/5
Safety Rating
29
Owner Complaints
6
Recalls
8
Service Bulletins
0
Investigations
Overview of the 2018 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT
The 2018 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT has received a total of 29 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 16 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA. 8 technical service bulletins have been issued by Ford Motor Company for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Steering (5 complaints), Service Brakes (4 complaints), and Unknown Or Other (3 complaints).
Recalls for the 2018 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT
NHTSA has recorded 16 recalls for the 2018 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT, potentially affecting up to 19,546,177 vehicles.
Recall 25V572000 — BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
| 1,456,417 vehicles affected
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.
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...
View full details →Recall 25V572000 — BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
| 1,456,417 vehicles affected
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.
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...
View full details →Recall 25V572000 — BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
| 1,456,417 vehicles affected
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.
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...
View full details →Recall 25V572000 — BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
| 1,456,417 vehicles affected
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.
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...
View full details →Recall 25V572000 — BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
| 1,456,417 vehicles affected
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.
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...
View full details →Recall 25V572000 — BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
| 1,456,417 vehicles affected
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.
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...
View full details →Recall 25V572000 — BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
| 1,456,417 vehicles affected
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.
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...
View full details →Recall 25V572000 — BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
| 1,456,417 vehicles affected
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.
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...
View full details →Recall 25V572000 — BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
| 1,456,417 vehicles affected
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.
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...
View full details →Recall 25V442000 — BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
| 200,237 vehicles affected
Defect: 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...
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.
View full details →Recall 24V294000 — VISIBILITY:FIXED PANARAMIC ROOF/SKY LIGHT ASSEMBLY
| 1,315 vehicles affected
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.
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.
View full details →Recall 22V413000 — POWER TRAIN:SHIFT LINKAGE/CABLE/ROD
| 2,925,968 vehicles affected
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.
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...
View full details →Recall 22V413000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
| 2,925,968 vehicles affected
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.
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...
View full details →Recall 21V376000 — POWER TRAIN:SHIFT LINKAGE/CABLE/ROD
| 192,080 vehicles affected
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.
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.
View full details →Recall 21V376000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
| 192,080 vehicles affected
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.
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.
View full details →Recall 19V229000 — SEATS
| 776 vehicles affected
Defect: 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...
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.
View full details →Owner Complaints for the 2018 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT
29 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2018 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.
| Component | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Or Other | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Train | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Latcheslockslinkagesdoorslatch | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Power Trainautomatic Transmissiontorque Converter | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes Hydraulicantilocktraction Controlelectronic Limited Slipabs Warning Light | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structurebody | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibilitywiper | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Most Recent Complaints
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.
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.
Safety Rating for the 2018 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT
The 2018 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).
| Test Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Frontal Crash | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
| Side Crash | ★★★★★ (5/5) |
| Rollover | ★★★★☆ (4/5) |
Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.
Technical Service Bulletins for the 2018 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT
Ford Motor Company has issued 8 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2018 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.
SSM 50659 — BACK OVER PREVENTION
Some 2017-2022 Transit Connect/Transit/Explorer vehicles equipped with a fleet telematics global positioning system (GPS) and a connected human machine interface (HMI) radio (CHR) may experience concerns with rear camera zoom, wrong map matching or a blank display. If these concerns are present, it's likely to be a software issue caused...
TSB 22-2114 — EQUIPMENT
This article supersedes TSB 20-2047 to update the model years affected. Some 2013-2022 Transit Connect vehicles built on or after 1-Jan-2013 may exhibit a condition where either section of the second row seat is stuck or difficult to fold or unfold. This may be due to a misrouted cable or...
TSB 20-2382 — VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM
Some 2014-2020 Transit Connect vehicles built on/or after 01-Feb-2013 may exhibit water dripping into the passenger front footwell. This may be due to an excessive gap in the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) case allowing water to drip from the case when the air conditioning (A/C) is operating. To...
TSB 20-2047 — SEATS
Some 2013-2020 Transit Connect vehicles built on or after 1-Jan-2013 may exhibit a condition where either section of the second row seat is stuck or difficult to fold or unfold. This may be due to a misrouted cable or a cable that is in need of adjustment. It may be...
SSM 48430 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Some 2018-2020 Escape/Corsair, Edge, Explorer, Fusion, Transit Connect Vehicles equipped with a TCU may exhibit a "Battery Backup Component Failure" message in the cluster. This may be accompanied by DTC 1477-09 - Backup Battery Component Failure. This may be due to the TCU experiencing a sudden temperature change. To correct...
SSM 48080 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Some 2018 Transit Connect vehicles built on 29-Mar-2018 and through 4-Aug-2018 and equipped with connected human machine interface (HMI) radio (CHR) and global navigation satellite system (GNSS), may exhibit the vehicle locator function not working on the FordPass mobile application. To correct this condition, perform as-built programming on the audio...
SSM 48073 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Some 2018 Transit Connect vehicles built on 29-Mar-2018 and through 4-Aug-2018 and equipped with connected human machine interface (HMI) radio (CHR) and global navigation satellite system (GNSS), may exhibit the vehicle locator function not working on the FordPass mobile application. To correct this condition, perform programmable module installation (PMI) on...
SSM 47682 — EQUIPMENT
Some 2019 Focus/Transit Connect/Edge/Nautilus vehicles equipped with 8F35 transmission may exhibit an appearance of a fluid leak or weep from transmission axle shaft seal. This condition may be caused by excessive internal seal (dark brown) grease lubricant that is applied during manufacturing of the axle seals. With a suitable cloth,...
NHTSA Investigations for the 2018 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT
There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.
Other Model Years of the FORD TRANSIT CONNECT
- 2013 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT — 38 complaints
- 2014 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT — 149 complaints
- 2015 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT — 78 complaints
- 2016 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT — 142 complaints
- 2017 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT — 31 complaints
- 2018 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT (current)
- 2019 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT — 65 complaints
- 2020 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT — 35 complaints
- 2021 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT — 10 complaints
- 2022 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT — 6 complaints
- 2023 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT — 0 complaints
Other FORD Models
- FORD F-150 — 45,660 total complaints
- FORD EXPLORER — 42,140 total complaints
- FORD ESCAPE — 34,654 total complaints
- FORD FOCUS — 29,539 total complaints
- FORD FUSION — 28,243 total complaints
- FORD TAURUS — 23,867 total complaints
- FORD WINDSTAR — 19,456 total complaints
- FORD EDGE — 17,247 total complaints