2018 Ford Transit Connect reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2018 Ford Transit Connect has 22 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 1 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Transit Connect years here — under the median of the other years, which is 3. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Camera, Back-over prevention, software, and Panoramic roof.

2014 Ford Transit Connect Wagon Titanium LWB — Photo by Mr.choppers, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 3.0

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (5 of 22), then Steering (5) and Powertrain (3). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 46,000 miles.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Transit Connect has 28 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2019 has 51 complaints, 3 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2019.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2018 Ford Transit Connect. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (6)

Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2025-09-04 · NHTSA campaign 25V572000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 1,456,417

Recall back-over prevention, software 2025-06-27 · NHTSA campaign 25V442000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 200,237

Recall visibility, panoramic roof 2024-04-26 · NHTSA campaign 24V294000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 1,315

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, gear position indicator 2022-06-10 · NHTSA campaign 22V413000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 2,925,968

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, gear position indicator 2021-05-24 · NHTSA campaign 21V376000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 192,080

Recall Seats 2019-03-22 · NHTSA campaign 19V229000

Summary 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.

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.

Vehicles affected 776

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (22 total)

Service brakes

Steering

Powertrain

Electrical system

Speed control

Visibility

Engine

Exterior lighting

Hydraulic brakes

Latches, locks, and linkages

Seats

Structure

Suspension

Visibility and wipers

Wheels

Show 7 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Of the 6 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 46,000 miles.

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"Component Affected: Service Brakes / ABS Module / Hydraulic Braking System Description of Safety Defect: There is an active, intermittent, catastrophic failure in the front braking system/ABS module causing the front…"
Electrical system, Unknown or other, Service brakes · filed 2026-06-18
"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…"
Service brakes · filed 2026-01-27
"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…"
Visibility · filed 2025-04-16
"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…"
Service brakes · filed 2025-01-31
"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…"
Steering · filed 2025-01-31

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2018 Ford Transit Connect VAN FWD	Not rated	4 stars	5 stars	Not rated
2018 Ford Transit Connect Wagon FWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Transit Connect Van two-wheel drive	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	20	27	23 MPG	$2800
Transit Connect Van flex-fuel	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	20	27	23 MPG	$2800
Transit Connect Wagon flex-fuel	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	19	27	22 MPG	$2950
Transit Connect Wagon front-wheel drive	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	19	27	22 MPG	$2950
Transit Connect Wagon LWB flex-fuel	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	19	27	22 MPG	$2950
Transit Connect Wagon LWB front-wheel drive	2.5L, 4-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Front-wheel drive	19	27	22 MPG	$2950

Specs and fitment

2nd-generation (US market), 2014–2023

Body styles Cargo van, Passenger wagon

Oil 5W-20 (1.6L EcoBoost, 2.0L and 2.5L) , 4.8 qt capacity

Tire size 215/55R16 (XL/XLT/Titanium) or 215/50R17 (Titanium option)

Known issues for this generation

Safety recall 21S24 (NHTSA 21V-376) affects certain 2013-2021 Transit Connect vans with the 2.5L engine, on which the bushing attaching the shifter cable to the transmission can degrade or detach. A damaged or missing bushing may keep the van from shifting into the intended gear, so it can move in an unexpected direction, and it may roll away after the driver selects Park; Ford's dealers replace the underhood shifter cable bushing and add a protective cap free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 29, 2021.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Ford Transit Connect Next year 2019 Ford Transit Connect See every Ford Transit Connect model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Ford Transit Connect reliable?

What are common problems with a 2018 Ford Transit Connect?

The complaints owners file most often name Service brakes (5 of 22), then Steering (5) and Powertrain (3). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 46,000 miles.

Is the 2018 Ford Transit Connect more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2018 Ford Transit Connect been recalled?

The 2018 Ford Transit Connect has 6 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2018 Ford Transit Connect?

Owners have filed 22 complaints about the 2018 Ford Transit Connect with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Ford Transit Connect get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Ford Transit Connect is 22.3 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

When did the Ford Transit Connect stop being sold in the US?

Ford ended US and Canadian Transit Connect sales after the 2023 model year; production stopped in December 2023, though the model continues in Europe.

Could the first Ford Transit Connect tow a trailer?

No. Ford's own owner's manual for the 2010-2013 model years states the vehicle is not equipped to tow and no towing package was available.