2016 Ford Transit Connect recalls and problems

The 2016 Ford Transit Connect has 10 recalls and 104 owner complaints on file with NHTSA; the most reported problem area is visibility.

How the 2016 compares

Highest

Fewest complaintsMost complaints

Highest complaint count among 14 Transit Connect model years — 2nd most.

10recalls

104complaints

1crashes

1fires

3injuries

59,000median miles

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not verified and not adjusted for sales. Ranking compares this model's own years only.

Does your car have an open recall?
Recalls apply to specific vehicles. Only a VIN lookup on NHTSA's official site shows whether yours is affected and still unrepaired.

Check your VIN →

10 recalls

Back Over Prevention

Sep 3, 2025 · NHTSA campaign 25V572000 · 1,456,417 vehicles

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.

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.

Latches/locks/linkages

Jul 21, 2023 · NHTSA campaign 23V502000 · 112,225 vehicles

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.

Remedy & notes

Dealers will inspect and replace the front door latches as necessary, free of charge.Â Owner notification letters were mailed February 2, 2024.Â Owners may contact Ford customer service 1-866-436-7332.Â Ford's number for this recall is 23S36.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Power Train

Jun 10, 2022 · NHTSA campaign 22V413000 · 2,925,968 vehicles

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.

Remedy & notes

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.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Visibility

Mar 25, 2022 · NHTSA campaign 22V192000 · 39,720 vehicles

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.

Remedy & notes

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.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.

Power Train

May 24, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V376000 · 192,080 vehicles

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.

Remedy & notes

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.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Latches/locks/linkages

Jun 8, 2020 · NHTSA campaign 20V331000 · 2,147,323 vehicles

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.

Remedy & notes

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.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Seat Belts

May 27, 2020 · NHTSA campaign 20V305000 · 1,616 vehicles

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.

Remedy & notes

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.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Visibility

May 8, 2020 · NHTSA campaign 20V260000 · 5,088 vehicles

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.

Remedy & notes

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.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Latches/locks/linkages

Sep 6, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V643000 · 2,046,297 vehicles

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.

Remedy & notes

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.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Electronic Stability Control

Jun 29, 2016 · NHTSA campaign 16V482000 · 1,895 vehicles

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.

Remedy & notes

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.

Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Recall text as published by NHTSA and the manufacturer.

What owners complain about

Engine13

Unknown or other13

Vehicle Speed Control7

Wheels6

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA; one complaint can name several areas. Not verified by NHTSA.

Complaints by year filed

NHTSA investigations

Door Latch Failures

RQ19005 · opened Dec 19, 2019 · closed Feb 7, 2022 · led to recall 20V177000

Summary

In December 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 235 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging doors failed to latch when closed, and/or inadvertently opened while driving, on model year (MY) 2012-2014 Ford Fiesta, and 2013-2014 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ. Some VOQs reported the failure occurred after the latch had been remedied under a prior recall which involved fracture of the latch pawl spring tab due to thermally induced cyclic fatigue. Other VOQs alleged a similar failure in vehicles not previously recalled. A latch with a fractured pawl spring tab typically results in a ?door will not close? condition, however in certain somewhat rare circumstances, may result in the door coming open while driving. In response to ODI?s investigation, Ford has announced three field actions, as discussed below.On March 23, 2020, Ford submitted Safety Recall 20V-177 (Ford 20S15), a regional recall campaign to address door latch failures in vehicles not previously recalled under Safety Recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 and 17V-210. The recall affects vehicles currently or ever registered in certain high ambient temperature states (see 20V-177 for affected states). As a remedy, Ford will replace all four door latches free of charge.On August 24, 2020, Ford issued a non-safety regional field action (Ford 20R01) to address door latch failures on the same model/MY vehicles not covered under 20V-177 (i.e., not currently/ever registered in affected states). Ac…

Door Latch Failure

PE16001 · opened Jan 16, 2016 · closed Oct 29, 2016 · led to recall 16V643000

Summary

In January, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation based on consumers' allegations of doors failing to latch and/or inadvertently opening on model year (MY) 2012-2013 Ford Focus vehicles (subject vehicles).ODI has received 464 unique reports related to the alleged problem, with over 200 claiming that the door(s) opened inadvertently while the vehicle was in motion.One consumer alleged an injury that occurred while driving when a door inadvertently opened and then closed on a child's arm.Another alleged that a door that inadvertently opened struck a parked vehicle.In response to ODI's information request, Ford Motor Company (Ford) provided 500 unique reports related to the alleged problem on the subject vehicles.Ford reported no injury or accident claims.Ford also submitted 1,513 warranty claims related to door latch failures.Many customers indicated that the affected door could not be latched at all and some of them decided to restrain the door by other means in order to operate the vehicle.Some customers also reported door latch failures occurring on multiple doors and at different times.Additionally, Ford stated that MY 2014-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape, 2013-2015 Ford C-Max, 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect, 2015 Ford Mustang, and 2015 Lincoln MKC, all use the same door latch as the 2012-2013 Ford Focus.On September 6, 2016, Ford notified ODI that it would conduct a safety recall (16V-643) to remedy the door latches in the MY 2…

2016 vs. other Ford Transit Connect years

Owner complaints by model year; the darker bar is the 2016. Click a bar to switch year.

Questions

Does the 2016 Ford Transit Connect have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 10 recall campaigns covering the 2016 Ford Transit Connect, the latest from Sep 3, 2025 (back over prevention). A recall applies to specific vehicles: enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether yours is affected and still open.

What are the most common problems with the 2016 Ford Transit Connect?

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA most often mention visibility (22), service brakes (17), electrical system (14). Complaints are consumer reports and are not verified by NHTSA.