Ford
Ford Transit years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2015. Best years: 2018, 2019 and 2021.
The 2015 Ford Transit draws the most owner complaints for its age: 193, or 16 for each year on the road, against a median of 10 a year across the 10 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2015 is drivetrain problems (34 reports).
- 348complaints
- 28recall campaigns
- 2model years with a page
Newest report Sep 21, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2015
Most reported: drivetrain problems (34 reports, median 98,105 miles) and stalling (27 reports, median 74,746 miles).
Best years
2018
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2019
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
2021
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2015 has the most complaints of any Ford Transit year here: 193 of 348 (55%).
- Problem across the years
- Drivetrain problems is the top problem in every model year with a page, 67 reports in all. Pooled across the years, half of the 49 owners who gave a mileage for drivetrain problems were under about 104,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 5% of Ford Transit complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2016, 14 of its 155 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- Every model year where owners report drivetrain problems also has a recall on the same system. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2019 at 42 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 38. So far in 2026, 29 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: Bull-Doser, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2017 (98), 2018 (57), 2019 (37), 2020 (84), 2021 (23), 2022 (38), 2023 (56), 2024 (28).
Year by year
2016 Ford Transit
155 owner complaints, 14 for each year on the road (1.5 times the model median). Most reported: drivetrain problems (33 reports, median 105,000 miles), stalling (23 reports, median 95,000 miles) and infotainment (17 reports). 7 reports involved a crash and 7 people were hurt. 21 recalls, including 19V-767 on the transmission and drivetrain and 19V-103 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2015 Ford Transit avoid
193 owner complaints, 16 for each year on the road (1.7 times the model median). Most reported: drivetrain problems (34 reports, median 98,105 miles), stalling (27 reports, median 74,746 miles) and brake wear (19 reports, median 73,000 miles). 4 reports involved a crash and 11 people were hurt. 26 recalls, including 19V-767 on the transmission and drivetrain and 19V-103 on the transmission and drivetrain.
Recalls that cover several model years
An incorrect driveshaft torsional damper service kit may have been installed, which can allow the damper shield to contact the parking brake cable, possibly resulting in parking brake failure.
The cardan (universal) joint on the front driveshaft may fail, possibly causing the front driveshaft to detach.
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.
The wheelchair lift positioning input cam may fail while the lift is in use, allowing the platform to travel higher than the vehicle's floor height.
The seat cushion may not remain locked into place when under load, such as in a crash or a sudden stop.
The wheelchair lift positioning input cam may fail while the lift is in use, allowing the platform to travel higher than the vehicle's floor height.
Questions
What Ford Transit years should you avoid?
The 2015 Ford Transit draws the most owner complaints for its age: 193, or 16 for each year on the road, against a median of 10 a year across the 10 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2015 is drivetrain problems (34 reports).
What are the best years for the Ford Transit?
The 2018, 2019 and 2021 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2018 has 57 (6 a year), 2019 has 37 (5 a year) and 2021 has 23 (4 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Ford Transit?
Drivetrain problems, with 67 reports across the 2 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2015 and 2016.
How many recalls does the Ford Transit have?
28 recall campaigns cover the Ford Transit model years 2015 to 2016 on this site. The widest, 16V-111 on the seat belts, covers 2 model years.
How many Ford Transit complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
5% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2016 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for drivetrain problems on the Ford Transit?
Yes, on every model year where owners report it.