A modern van for a more modern time, the fourth-generation Ford Transit landed in the United States with a rough first year in 2015. However, newer models, especially the 2021 model year, have nearly all the kinks smoothed out.
Key Points
- The fourth-generation Ford Transit received the most complaints in 2015 (its first year in production): 119 complaints registered by consumers with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including 48 for the powertrain alone.
- The highest and second-highest number of recalls occurred with the 2015 and 2016 Transits, most focusing upon the seatbacks from aftermarket upfitters.
- There are also four open investigations linked to the fourth-generation Transit: three involving Zipcar renting recalled Transits before fixing safety defects, one for rearview camera non-compliance.
- Subsequent years of the fourth-generation Transit–the first to be sold in the U.S.–saw fewer complaints and recalls.
Aftermarket Seat Recalls Haunt the Fourth-generation Ford Transit
Introduced in 2013 at the Detroit Auto Show, the fourth-generation Ford Transit was the replacement for the long-running Ford E-Series line of cargo and passenger vans.
The fourth-gen. Transit was also the first to be sold (not just manufactured, as with the third-gen. Transit) in the United States, bringing its name across the Atlantic from Europe, where it had been hard at work since the mid-1960s.
Like with most first-year production, the 2015 Ford Transit suffered from some quality issues. Among the 26 recalls issued for the van by the NHTSA, eight focus exclusively upon the seatbacks.
Affecting the Freedman GO-ES seats installed by various outfitters, the recalls – issued between November 6, 2018 and April 29, 2019 – state that 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,” like those found during a crash.
Alas, the issue not only affects the 2015 model year, but also the 2016, 2017, and 2018 model years. Consumers are instructed to contact Freedman and/or the dealers for repairs to the seats, which will be made free of charge.
Driveshaft Issues the Second-largest Recall for the Ford Transit
While the aforementioned aftermarket seats contributed to the largest recall for the fourth-gen. Ford Transit, the second-largest recall affects the drivetrain.
Affecting every model year of the Transit from 2015 to 2020, the driveshaft coupling and U-joints attached to the front driveshaft (the latter on models using aftermarket hybrid systems) may fail, causing power loss, plus damage to brake and fuel lines, as well as rolling despite being in park unless the parking brake is engaged.
The solution for the driveshaft coupling recall is for owners to take their Transits into their nearest dealership every 40,000 miles to replace the flexible coupling until a mechanical U-joint attached to the driveshaft’s front section is installed. As for the aftermarket hybrid system, XL Hybrids will replace the front driveshaft with a new unit free of charge.
Four Investigations into Ford Transit, Only One Affects the Van Directly
Of the four open investigations into the fourth-gen. Ford Transit by the NHTSA, only one affects the van directly.
Opened August 3, 2021 and covering the 2020 Transit, the investigation states Ford filed a noncompliance recall report on September 23, 2020 covering over 630,000 Ford and Lincoln units involving the rearview camera’s printed circuit board. Insufficient electric conductivity caused the camera to function intermittently. The investigation is still open as of this writing.
The remaining three affect Zipcar, a car-sharing service based in Massachusetts. Covering 2015, 2016, and 2017 Transits, the investigations – open since April 2, 2018 – look into whether or not Zipcar complied with the National Traffic and Motor Safety Act, which requires rental agencies to not “rent, lease, or sell a recalled vehicle until the safety defect or noncompliance is remedied.”
Per the investigation, at least one Transit was rented to a consumer without first repairing the recalled driveshaft coupling.
Majority of Complaints Filed Cover First Three Years of the Ford Transit
A grand total of 274 complaints filed by consumers covers the 2015, 2016, and 2017 model years of the fourth-generation Ford Transit, with 119 made about the 2015 model year. In contrast, the 2018 through 2021 models received a total of 58 complaints, the 2018 model year receiving the most with 22.
Of the complaints filed, most focus on the electrical system and engine, sometimes in combination. Various issues include fuel pump leaks, water entering the air filter, and shorts all through the electrical system. Electrical gremlins continued to be noted on 2018 through 2020 models, while the 2021 model has none thus far.
Fourth-generation Transit Prepares for Electric Future, Problems Largely Resolved
In 2020, the fourth-gen. Ford Transit received a mid-cycle refresh, including a new face, new dash, and, for North America, new powertrain options. In November of 2021, the new 2022 E-Transit electric van entered production in Kansas City, Missouri.
Amid all of this, the problems and recalls affecting Ford’s workhorse van have fallen into the single digits for the 2021 model year: A recall for the seat belt locking retractor, and two complaints regarding the front overhead shelf and a sheared bolt on the right front wheel.
All this is to say that the newest fourth-gen. Transits should provide plenty of trouble-free service, whether lugging bouquets of flowers or hauling passengers to and from the hotel. Fourth-generation models from 2018 through 2020 may need more work, while 2015 through 2017 models should either be fully repaired before purchase or avoided entirely.
Photos: Ford