Reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers, shown in full
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Our database holds 98 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2017 Ford Transit. Each one is a report filed by an owner or driver and published by NHTSA without most of them being verified. A complaint is not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. Narratives are shown exactly as filed.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Showing 1–25 of 98 · page 1 of 4
I have a 2017 ford transit passenger van, and the seat belts slowly 1 by 1 are breaking at the release. I already replaced a couple but the other ones are doing the same thing. They will either not latch or they won't release and the individual will be trapped. I have not had it inspected by anyone but it also is apparent what the problem is. It started when I first purchased it a year ago and is still doing it now
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire while parked at the residence. The contact was asleep and was alerted to the fire by the local authorities after a neighbor witnessed the fire and called the emergency services. Upon reviewing the ring camera footage, the contact became aware that the fire had originated at the rear driver’s side of the vehicle. The fire was extinguished by the fire department, and the vehicle sustained damages to the rear driver’s side of the vehicle. The manufacturer and dealer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A Police report was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.
Backup camera is no longer working. It has a white screen but no image, which makes it difficult to back up the van safely since it’s a large van and sits high. I live in a neighborhood with children and it’s challenging to see behind me when backing out of the driveway without the backup camera. Therefore, this is a safety issue. Ford and/or NHTSA have recalled these same backup cameras on other Ford Transit vans, including others manufactured in 2017, but did not include my van.
The vehicle was hit in the front end while my girlfriend was driving it. Someone ran a red light and smacked into the front end of the van at approximately 50 miles per hour. The airbags did not deploy despite significant force. The car that ran the red light was small but the force was significant enough that she hit her head and sustained medically verified extreme whiplash.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that DTC: P2002 was displayed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the diesel particulate filter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 23M01 (Certain 2015-2019 Ford Transit 3.2L Diesel Replace Diesel Particulate Filter); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 172,000.
A known Ford defect on the 2017 3.5 ecoboost engine is when the manifolds, improperly designed and installed, warp and snap off the manifold bolts holding the manifold to the engine. The result is a great deal of extremely hot exhaust fumes being emitted in the engine compartment rather than out the end of the exhaust pipe. There were NO messages, lamps or other indicators of the manifold failure until a wheezing, rattling sound was emitted.
Front subframe rusted away with large holes. 37,000 miles 2017 ford transit that is well taken care of. Passenger van for a retirement community.
I have had many issues with this vehicle. The engine leaks oil onto the exhaust causing the engine to smoke, the engine uses antifreeze, the transmission will downshift at highway speeds to such a low gear that I need to put the van into neutral so that the engine doesn't blow up. It uses brakes quickly, (New brakes every 10,000 miles or so). Gas milage is less then 12MPG as well.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the transmission sensor had failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
I am submitting this complaint to report a real‑world safety failure related to Ford Recall 19S38 involving a 2017 Ford Transit 350. The vehicle was purchased in 2021 from a Ford dealership, Joe Rizza Ford, with approximately 60,000 miles. At the time of purchase, Recall 19S38 was open on the vehicle and had not been completed. We were not informed of the open safety recall at the time of sale, and the recall repair was not performed prior to delivery. The vehicle was maintained responsibly using qualified, independent repair facilities. We were never advised by Ford or the selling dealership that the vehicle had an open safety recall. Two days prior to the incident, the vehicle was inspected by a professional repair shop due to a rattling noise. The shop test‑drove the vehicle, performed an inspection, and was unable to identify the source of the noise or any unsafe condition. On 12/20/2025, while the vehicle was being driven normally, the driveshaft/coupler failed suddenly and catastrophically. The failure occurred without warning and resulted in a violent separation of the driveshaft, causing severe damage to the transmission and surrounding components and an immediate loss of safe operation. At the time of the failure, the vehicle was occupied by multiple passengers, including seven minors. No injuries occurred, but the incident created a serious safety hazard. After the failure, we learned that the nature of the failure and the resulting damage are consistent with the risks described in Recall 19S38. Ford has acknowledged the recall and has offered to repair the recalled component, but has denied responsibility for the surrounding damage caused by the recall‑related failure. This complaint is being submitted to document a safety‑related recall failure that occurred during normal operation, created a hazardous condition, and aligns with the defect and consequences described in Recall 19S38.
My VIN number is not included in the backup camera recall. It says the recall includes the 2017 Transit. My back up camera stopped working about a year ago. Also when the camera stopped working my cruise control stopped working also. I believe this is a larger electrical issue.
The sliding door does not stay closed. My 5 children are at risk when the door opens while driving. I took it recently to the dealer and they said they fixed the handle and that everything else was fine. That night it opened 3 times within 1 mile.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V408000 (Power Train). The contact stated that while his daughter-in-law was driving approximately 60-70 MPH down the interstate, there was an abnormally loud, unidentifiable sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the brakes were inoperable. The vehicle rolled to the side of the road. The contact stated that the repairs should be covered under a warranty for three years or 36,000 miles. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the drive shaft coupling had detached. The heater hose and brake lines had additional damage. The brake line and brake fluid warning lights illuminated after the failure. The manufacturer was contacted, who confirmed that the repairs were not covered. No assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 178,000.
Vehicle has been Altered/modified. Vehicle has been altered to be a 7 passenger. The vehicle has been prepared for inspection but needs to be cleared by NHTSA to allow the changes that were made by the modifier to be accepted by NHTSA. Please help me with this, thank you
The Driveshaft Flexible Coupling failed while traveling on Interstate 95 South. It is available for inspection upon request. Multiple recall notices have been issued for this (NHTSA 17V-408) problem, and we have complied with them ALL except for one that we never received, supposedly mailed November of 2019. We have two of the recalled vehicles (2) 2017 Ford Transit Vans. Our safety and the safety of others was put at risk when this Coupling failed while traveling on Interstate 95 South. The Van was being driven by one of my employees and another employee was with him when this occurred, rendering the vehicle completely inoperable. The issue has been confirmed by the dealer and has only been inspected by the service department at the dealership. There was absolutely no warning of any kind, no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. Ford has refused to cover the collateral (additional) damages that occurred to the vehicle when the coupling failed. They contend this is because we never complied with recall notice 19S38, dated November 2019. We never received this notice, and Ford has been unwilling to tell us exactly when this notice was mailed. Our contention is that it was not mailed to us, because we initially had this part replaced in July 2018 (due to the first recall 17S15). In reading every notice sent to the Dealers, there is a section, "OWNER NOTIFICATION MAILING SCHEDULE", which states, "The parts to repair this condition are currently not available in sufficient quantities to service all of the affected vehicle configurations. Owners of affected vehicle configurations will be notified in phased mailings to ensure part availability." Ford will not tell us when this was mailed to us. They have continued to push the blame on to the NCDMV (their address database) however we have always received every NCDMV renewal notice for our fleet of 15 vehicles.
Will the recall be applied to 2017 Ford Transit 250 Vans with the same issue? We had this issue in October 2022, it was repaired at Freehold Ford, NJ. The vehicle was still under warranty then, but it is happening again now. Thank you. Manufacturer Recall Number24S05 NHTSA Recall Number24V102 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available Summary YOUR VEHICLE MAY HAVE AN INADEQUATE AMOUNT OF LUBRICANT IN THE REAR AXLE
I am writing to formally report a critical safety failure involving Ford recall number 19S40 / NHTSA recall 19V767, which affects the driveshaft flexible coupling on my vehicle. While traveling with my wife and five children on a recent trip from Ludowici, GA to Fort Bragg, NC, our van suddenly experienced violent vibrations and loud moaning sounds, forcing us to stop in South Carolina where no nearby Ford service center was available. We were stranded and faced not only travel disruption, but real danger with children in the vehicle. Upon inspection, the flexible coupling failed catastrophically, causing driveshaft damage and rendering the vehicle unsafe to drive. This exact failure is the subject of the ongoing recall, and it is unacceptable that such a well-documented and acknowledged issue is continuing to place families at risk. I am requesting the following: 1. Immediate authorization and support for full repair of the driveshaft and related components damaged by this failure. 2. Assurance that all components are replaced, not temporarily inspected or patched, to prevent recurrence. 3. Reimbursement for all expenses incurred related to towing, diagnosis, or temporary transportation. 4. A formal explanation of how this critical recall is being enforced and monitored. As a soldier and a father, I cannot afford to risk my family’s safety due to an unresolved and clearly documented manufacturer defect. I respectfully urge Ford to treat this matter with the urgency and seriousness it deserves. Thank you for your immediate attention.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated that the vehicle vibrated abnormally while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken for an alignment; however, after driving for five miles, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the vibration had become progressively worse. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the torque converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
The license plate lights were not working and they needed replaced. The sockets were bad. My mechanic purchased a replacement two light cable, which also plugs into the back-up camera in this Ford Transit., from the local Ford dealership. After replacing the cable with light sockets and pluging in the back-up camera, the camera went to a blue screen and no longer works. The ford garage stated that this was the right upgraded part. Being a buisness owner and using my vehicle for deliveries, I find this very dangerous not being able to see people, kids especially, as well as animals when backing up the van. There are hundred of thousands of these Transit vans being used by Amazon and various other companies and when I researched this problem, I find hundreds of complaints for this very same issue. After contacting the Ford company, they told me that there was no recall on this issue and would do nothing for me.
This unit has a Failed Torque Converter. I looked online and found that there are hundreds of people (including shipping companies like Amazon) complaining about this issue, but there is no recall for the vehicle. However, they have several recalls for the TC on other models for that year. All complaints state that the TC goes out as low as 60,000 miles, and requires a full transmission rebuild at $3,700-$6200 per vehicle. This only rectifies the issue until the next 60,000 miles and then you have to do it all again?? This is basically a VERY EXPENSIVE lemon.
I have wrote to you before on this, but today (4.29.25) while driving downhill at 65 mph, no cruise control on, my van downshifted ON ITS OWN down to third gear and luckily, I was smart enough to shift the van in neutral and then back to drive or I would have blown up the engine. This is not just happening to my van, I have a friend who has purchased one and the transmission has gone out with only 35,000 miles on his van. My van is leaking oil and leaving spots everywhere it is parked, and it is using antifreeze at the rate of about a gallon every two weeks. This engine is total junk and neither the dealership, Ford, nor NHTSA are doing anything to correct this. Eventually, these engines are going to kill someone by locking up at highway speeds. Enough is enough! Ford needs to fix or replace these engines before someone dies!
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and vibrated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to dealer where it awaited a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
I have sent this before, but my vehicles transmission will downshift, (at highway speeds), to a lower gear. I always have to put the van into neutral and then back into drive to get it to drive normal again. Also the van leaks oil onto the manifold which starts smoking. My van also uses antifreeze and I need to refill the coolant about every 2-3 days. This ecoboost engine is dangerous.
The transmission will downshift when deceleration and will actually throw you forward in the seat due to dropping into a lower gear. Vehicle has also developed an oil leak where oil is dripping onto the manifold, possible engine fire hazard. Engine is losing coolant due to possible blown head gasket.
Transmission will downshift on its own when vehicle is decelerating making engine RPMs over rev. Only way I have found to prevent this is to shift to neutral and then back to drive. I don't like doing this because it could accidently get shifted into reverse while driving at highway speeds! Valve cover leaks dripping oil onto the exhaust manifold causing the vehicle to smoke very badly and could possibly cause a fire.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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