2016 Ford Transit Connect Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Transit Connect years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 10 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 104 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Transit Connect. That ranks 2nd out of 14 Transit Connect model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (14 complaints, 13%), typically at around 50,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 1 fire, 3 injuries. There are 10 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
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- 104owner complaints
- 10safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2016 Ford Transit Connect problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 14 | 13% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 14 | 13% | 49,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 14 | 13% | 66,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 13 | 13% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 13 | 13% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 12 | 12% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 9% | 71,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 8 | 8% | 89,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 8 | 8% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 8 | 8% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 7% | 10,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 6 | 6% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 4 | 4% | 91,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 3% | 11,800 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 2% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 2% | 140,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | 50,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2016 Ford Transit Connect recalls (10)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera
Problem: 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 driverâs view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014-2016 Transit Connect vehicles. The front door latch pawl may crack and prevent the door from latching.
Risk: An unlatched door can open while driving, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the front door latches as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 2, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S36.
Power train:shift linkage/cable/rod; power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Visibility:windshield
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016 and 2020 Transit Connect vehicles. The front windshield may have been manufactured with inadequate adhesion to the vehicle body structure.
Risk: During a crash, the windshield may detach from the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the windshield and, if necessary, remove and reinstall the windshield, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 11, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S20.
Power train:shift linkage/cable/rod; power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.
Seat belts:pretensioner; seat belts:front
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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 assembly
Problem: 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.
Fix: 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.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S30.
Electronic stability control (esc); service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2016 Transit Connect vehicles manufactured February 22, 2016, through June 16, 2016. The brake Hydraulic Control Unit (HCU) pump may be contaminated with metallic debris. As such, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Risk: If the brake HCU pump is contaminated, the performance of the electronic stability control and related brake systems may degrade, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners and dealers will replace the brake HCU pump, free of charge. The recall began on August 22, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 16C10.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Door Latch Failures (RQ19005) — opened Dec 19, 2019, closed Feb 7, 2022, led to recall 20V177000.
- Door Latch Failure (PE16001) — opened Jan 16, 2016, closed Oct 29, 2016, led to recall 16V643000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
On XXX at 1820 hrs CST I was traveling westbound on HWY XXX between [XXX] and Central [XXX] [XXX]. The weather was sunny, temp 88 degrees. As I was driving between 60 and 65 MPH with cars in front as well as behind me I heard a very loud âexplosionâ type noise. It was loud and quite scary and…
2 years ago (approx.) I brought my van to Sound Ford in Renton, WA. for the windshield recall. Two employees inspected my windshield and said they could not do the recall because they found a micro-pit in the glass. They told me to get my insurance to replace the windshield. I called my insurance…
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Transit Connect. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V572000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while shifted to reverse(R), the rearview camera image failed to…
Was driving to work passenger front wheel locked overheating brakes and smoking had to have towed to jones ford in Shalotte North Carolina today
See attached document for complaint.
Other Ford Transit Connect years
← 2015 Transit Connect · 2017 Transit Connect →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 Transit Connect | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 Transit Connect | 6 | 1 |
| 2021 Transit Connect | 9 | 4 |
| 2020 Transit Connect | 32 | 8 |
| 2019 Transit Connect | 51 | 8 |
| 2018 Transit Connect | 22 | 6 |
| 2017 Transit Connect | 28 | 6 |
| 2016 | 104 | 10 |
| 2015 Transit Connect | 66 | 11 |
| 2014 Transit Connect | 127 | 15 |
| 2013 Transit Connect | 32 | 4 |
| 2012 Transit Connect | 26 | 1 |
| 2011 Transit Connect | 24 | 1 |
| 2010 Transit Connect | 42 | 2 |
See all Ford Transit Connect problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Ford Transit Connect?
Owners most often report electrical system, structure, visibility problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 14 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2016 Ford Transit Connect?
Yes, 10 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2016 Ford Transit Connect a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Transit Connect model years, the 2016 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.