2018 Ford Transit reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 57 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Transit over 9 years — 5 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Transit years here — under the median of the other years, which is 9. NHTSA has 14 recalls on file, including Camera, Parking brake linkage and cable, and Emergency escape/exit.

2015 Ford Transit 250 medium-roof cargo van — 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 Engine (14 of 57), then Powertrain (12) and Electrical system (8). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 44,820 miles, and the middle half falls between 14,250 and 90,000 miles. Those filings include 1 that reports a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Transit has 98 complaints, 11 per year, and the 2019 has 37 complaints, 4 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more 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. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (14)

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 Parking brake linkage and cable 2021-08-11 · NHTSA campaign 21V631000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2020 Transit vehicles. 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.

Remedy Dealers will replace the passenger side parking brake cable with a cable that provides sufficient clearance to the damper shield, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on September 24, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 14, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S39.

Vehicles affected 30

Recall Emergency escape/exit 2019-06-11 · NHTSA campaign 19V439000

Summary LA West Inc. (LA West) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Ford Transit vehicles modified to be equipped with glass roof hatches. Temperature and vibration stresses may cause the tempered glass roof hatch to shatter.

Remedy LA West will notify owners, and dealers will replace the hatch lids, free of charge. The recall began July 11, 2019. Owners may contact LA West customer service at 1-704-498-4940.

Vehicles affected 15

Recall Seats 2019-04-29 · NHTSA campaign 19V333000

Summary New England Wheels (New England) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Ford Transit and 2014-2019 Ram Promaster 2500 and 3500 vehicles modified to be equipped with Freedman Go-ES Foldaway 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 New England has notified owners, directing them to contact Freedman for repairs to the foldaway seats, free of charge. The recall began May 27, 2019. Owners may contact Freedman customer service at 1-800-443-4540 or New England at 1-800-886-9247.

Vehicles affected 544

Recall Seats 2019-04-26 · NHTSA campaign 19V329000

Summary Fenton Mobility Products, Inc. (Fenton Mobility) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford Transit vehicles modified to be equipped with Freedman GO-ES Foldaway Seats, part numbers 43705, 45467, 48923, and 75719. 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 Fenton Mobility will notify owners, and a Fenton Mobility technician will repair the foldaway seats, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in June 2019. Owners may contact Fenton Mobility customer service at 1-716-484-7014.

Vehicles affected 360

Recall Seats 2019-04-18 · NHTSA campaign 19V313000

Summary Mobility Transportation Services (MobilityTrans) is recalling certain 2014-2018 Ford Transit and Ram Promaster vehicles and 2014-2015 Ford Econoline vehicles modified to be equipped with Freedman GO-ES Foldaway Seats, part numbers 43705, 45467, 48923, and 75719. 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 MobilityTrans will notify owners and Freedman Seating dealers will inspect and repair the foldaway seat, free of charge. The recall began May 19, 2019. Owners may contact Mobility Transportation Services customer service at 1-734-453-6452.

Vehicles affected 2,080

Recall Seats 2019-03-28 · NHTSA campaign 19V247000

Summary Cabot Coach Builders, Inc. DBA Royale Limousine (Royale) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford Transit-based mini-coaches equipped with Freedman GO-ES foldaway seats recalled under 18E-076. 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 Royale will notify owners and dealers will inspect and repair the seat. The recall began June 6, 2019. Owners may contact Royale customer service at 1-800-544-5587.

Vehicles affected 4

Recall Seats 2019-03-28 · NHTSA campaign 19V252000

Summary Waldoch Crafts, Inc. (Waldoch) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Transit shuttle vans modified to be equipped with Freedman GO-ES Foldaway Seats, part number 43705. 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 Waldoch will notify owners and dealers will inspect and repair the foldaway seat, free of charge. The recall began September 25, 2020. Owners may contact Waldoch customer service at 1-651-464-3215.

Vehicles affected 15

Recall Seats 2019-03-26 · NHTSA campaign 19V238000

Summary Vantage Mobility International, LLC (Vantage) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford Transit Van, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and 2007 Ford F-250-based shuttle vehicles equipped with Freedman GO-3S foldaway 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 Vantage has notified owners, instructing them to contact Freedman for a repair kit, free of charge. The recall began March 25, 2019. Owners may contact Freedman customer service at 1-800-443-4540.

Vehicles affected 12

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

Recall Seats 2019-03-18 · NHTSA campaign 19V205000

Summary Quality Van Sales, Inc. (Quality Van) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford Transit and E-350 vehicles modified to be equipped with Freedman GO-ES Foldaway Seat back cushions. The seat cushion may not remain locked into place when under load, such as in a crash or a sudden stop. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."

Remedy Quality Van will notify owners and dealers will inspect and repair the foldaway seat, free of charge. The recall began March 21, 2019. Owners may contact Quality Van customer service at 1-800-408-8550.

Vehicles affected 471

Recall Seats 2019-03-01 · NHTSA campaign 19V332000

Summary Prime-Time Specialty Vehicles (Prime-Time) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Ram ProMaster and Ford Transit vehicles modified to be equipped with Freedman GO-ES Foldaway Seats. When the seat back 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 Prime-Time Specialty Vehicles has notified owners, and Freedman dealers have inspected and repaired the foldaway seats, free of charge. The recall began November 16, 2018. Owners may contact Freedman customer service at 1-800-443-4540 or Prime-Time Specialty Vehicles at 1-574-293-9191.

Vehicles affected 90

Recall Driveshaft 2019-02-21 · NHTSA campaign 19V103000

Summary XL Hybrids, Inc (XL) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford Transit vehicles modified to be equipped with XL's electric hybrid system. The cardan (universal) joint on the front driveshaft may fail, possibly causing the front driveshaft to detach.

Remedy XL will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driveshaft with an updated one, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact XL Hybrid's customer service at 1-833-953-5338.

Vehicles affected 174

Recall Seats 2018-11-06 · NHTSA campaign 18V782000

Summary National Van Builders, Inc. (National Van) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford Transit vehicles equipped with Freedman GO-ES Foldaway Seats, part numbers 43705, 45467, 48923, and 75719. 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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."

Remedy National Van will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and repair the foldaway seat, free of charge. The recall began November 26, 2018. Owners may contact National Van customer service at 1-508-222-2272.

Vehicles affected 475

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

Complaints by component (57 total)

Engine

Powertrain

Electrical system

Structure

Fuel and propulsion system

Wheels

Back-over prevention

Engine and engine cooling

Seat belts

Speed control

Tires

Air bags

Hydraulic brakes

Latches, locks, and linkages

Service brakes

Steering

Suspension

Visibility and wipers

Show 10 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Of the 30 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 44,820 miles. The middle half fall between 14,250 and 90,000 miles.

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The contact owns a 2018 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was making an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle's differential of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken…"
Powertrain · filed 2026-09-02
"I took my vehicle on for am oil change and the mechanic brought to my attention that the front subframe of the vehicle had serious rot and rust. This lower subframe ties the front control arms together and other…"
Steering, Suspension, Unknown or other · filed 2026-08-05
"Back up camera works only intermittently."
Unknown or other · filed 2026-05-22
"Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Ford Transit. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of the purchase the mileage was 64,000 and at the time when…"
Electrical system · filed 2026-05-07
"The contact owns a 2018 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a misfire coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to…"
Engine and engine cooling, Engine · filed 2026-02-25

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2018 Ford Transit High Roof 15 Pass WAGON RWD	3 stars	4 stars	5 stars	1 star
2018 Ford Transit High Roof(8,10,12) Pass WAGON RWD	Not rated	4 stars	5 stars	Not rated
2018 Ford Transit Low Roof 15 Pass WAGON RWD	3 stars	4 stars	5 stars	2 stars
2018 Ford Transit Low Roof(8,10,12) Pass WAGON RWD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	3 stars
2018 Ford Transit Medium Roof 15 Pass WAGON RWD	3 stars	4 stars	5 stars	2 stars
2018 Ford Transit Medium Roof(8,10,12) Pass WAGON RWD	3 stars	4 stars	5 stars	2 stars
2018 Ford Transit VAN FWD	Not rated	4 stars	Not rated	Not rated

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 T150 Wagon	3.5L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	15	18	16 MPG	$4050
Transit T150 Wagon	3.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	14	18	16 MPG	$4050
Transit T150 Wagon flex-fuel	3.7L, 6-cyl	Automatic (6-speed)	Rear-wheel drive	14	18	16 MPG	$4050

Specs and fitment

1st-generation (US market), 2015–2019

Body styles Cargo van, Passenger van

Oil 3.7L V6, 5W-20 , 6 qt capacity

Tire size 235/65R16C (varies with vehicle options)

Known issues for this generation

Safety recall 19S38 (NHTSA 19V-767) covers certain 2015-2017 Transit vans whose flexible coupling between the transmission and driveshaft may prematurely fail. If the coupling fails the van cannot move under its own power, the disconnected driveshaft can strike and damage the brake and fuel lines, and the van can roll away if it is left in Park without the parking brake applied. As an interim repair Ford's dealers replace the flexible coupling every 40,000 miles; the final remedy fits a driveshaft front section with a mechanical universal joint in place of the coupling, free of charge. This recall supersedes 17S15 (NHTSA 17V-408) and carries over the vans covered there, except those that had already received a mechanical u-joint and any 156-inch or 178-inch wheelbase chassis cab and cutaway bodies.

Compare

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

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Ford Transit reliable?

What are common problems with a 2018 Ford Transit?

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

The 2017 Transit has 98 complaints, 11 per year, and the 2019 has 37 complaints, 4 per year. The 2018 has fewer complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Ford Transit been recalled?

The 2018 Ford Transit has 14 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?

Owners have filed 57 complaints about the 2018 Ford Transit with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Ford Transit get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Ford Transit is 16 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What did the Ford Transit replace in the US lineup?

The Transit replaced the Ford E-Series (Econoline) full-size van starting with the 2015 model year.

Was the 2020 Ford Transit a full redesign?

No, it was a mid-cycle facelift with a new front fascia, dashboard, base engine, and available all-wheel drive, not a new platform.