2019 Ford Transit Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2019 Ford Transit, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes720.0%
- Driver assistance617.1%
- Electrical411.4%
- Powertrain (other)38.6%
- Body & structure38.6%
- Steering25.7%
- Engine25.7%
- Seat belts25.7%
- Visibility12.9%
- Interior & seats12.9%
- Exterior lighting12.9%
- Suspension12.9%
- Tires & wheels12.9%
- Airbags12.9%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Transit. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to stop as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while the contact's wife was parking the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle rolled into the curve and stopped. The contact stated that his wife was lucky that the vehicle had not struck the building. In addition, the contact stated that one time the failure occurred while the contact's wife was driving, and the brakes independently activated. In addition, the contact stated that the failure once occurred while the contact's wife was driving on a busy highway. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed HECU. The contact was informed that the HECU needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact referenced a recall; however, the VIN was not associated. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. The VIN was invalid.
The contact's neighbor owned a 2019 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds to the end of his street in the cul-de-sac. The brakes were sticking. The contact stated that there was an abnormal ticking noise detected. A neighbor walking her dog alerted him about an abnormal sound emerging from the vehicle. While driving over the curb, approaching the driveway, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The brakes failed to respond, and he crashed into his house. There were no reported injuries, airbag deployment, or fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a body shop. Then it was towed to another body shop. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and filed a claim. The failure mileage was unknown. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact's neighbor owned a 2019 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds to the end of his street in the cul-de-sac. The brakes were sticking. The contact stated that there was an abnormal ticking noise detected. A neighbor walking her dog alerted him about an abnormal sound emerging from the vehicle. While driving over the curb, approaching the driveway, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The brakes failed to respond, and he crashed into his house. There were no reported injuries, airbag deployment, or fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a body shop. Then it was towed to another body shop. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and filed a claim. The failure mileage was unknown. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company.
The emergency parking light comes on while driving. I don’t recall when it began but the last time was Monday 8/21/2023 and it occurred 3 times.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2019 Ford Transit. The vehicle was a dealer sale. The vehicle was purchased March 7, 2026. The mileage was recorded at 74,127 at the time of the purchase. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was provided a Carfax Report. The Carfax Report last reported the mileage at 200,156 on January 2026. The dealer was made aware of the discrepancy.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2019 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while attempting to register the vehicle, it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 125,342, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 295,327.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
The rear lug nuts have sheared off on the passenger side. This is the second time this has happened in a year creating an extremely dangerous condition. The first time we lost the entire wheel. Ford continues to deny that this recall is only limited to certain vans and continues to deny our request. I cannot believe this has happened once again to the tune of $1000 per incident and endangerment of life on two occasions. We want action now from your agency and we won’t stop until Ford is help liable for this recall. Life safety should be paramount to Ford. Traveling at 65 mph with one lug bolt out of 5 holding on is not how I want to travel.
Vehicle braking system was not working which could have caused an accident, vehicle brake booster was replaced, vehicle still having problems braking, upon further investigation the torque converter is failed, this requires both transmission and torque converter to be replaced at a cost of $8000 This is a 2019 and warranty just expired
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE PLASTIC HOLDING THE HOOD PROP ROD BROKE WHILE THE HOOD WAS UP CAUSING THE HOOD TO COME CRASHING DOWN. I HAD NOT TOUCHED THE ROD. LUCKILY I WAS NOT LEANING INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AT THE TIME. I WOULD HAVE HAD SERIOUS INJURIES IF IT HAD COME DOWN ON MY HEAD AND NECK. THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY.
THIS IS NOT A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS PUCHASE IN AUG2019. EVER SINCE I BEEN TRYING TO GET THE SLIDING DOOR FIX. THE DOOR DOES NOT OPEN. IS BINDING, FROZEN. IT REQUIRES KNOWHOW AND ELBOW GREASE TO PRY IT OPEN. MY GRANDCHILDREN (AGES 7 TO 15) CANNOT OPEN THE DOOR. EITHER FROM THE INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. THE DOOR IS THE ONLY WAY OUT AND VIOLATES THE WARNING STICKER ON THE DOOR. ZECK , THE PLACE I PURCHASE THIS NEW CAR WILL NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. I HAVE FILE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS WITH BBB AUTO LINE BUT THEY KEEP TELLING ME THAT THEY HAVE NOT RECEIVE MY CCF CASE NUMBER FRD1930985. I HAVE SENT THIS SEVERAL TIMES. I AM GETTING TO BELIEVE THAT WHOM EVER IS WORKING MY COMPLAINT MIGHT BE ON THE FORD PAYROLL TO DISPOSE OF COMPLAINTS.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving 65 mph, the steering wheel started to vibrate abnormally. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving above 60 mph. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the failure as the torque converter needing to be replaced or rebuilt. The parts to replace the converter were not available to the independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 114,300.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 FORD TRANSIT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AND ATTEMPTING TO MAKE A LEFT TURN, THE VEHICLE WAS DIFFICULT TO TURN. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LOSS POWER STEERING ASSIST. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER RESTARTING THE VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES, THE POWER STEERING FUNCTION FAILED TO RETURN. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN BACK TO THE RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND BECAME AWARE THAT THE POWER STEERING PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. LAFONTAINE FORD OF LANSING (5103 S CEDAR ST, LANSING, MI 48911, (517) 237-3582) WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,000
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
Smelling exhaust fumes inside vehicle and not safe to drive with only 46,000 miles on odometer. Took it to Ford Dealer and found two manifold bolts have broken off flush to engine block and manifold is now leaking. This is a very common occurrence with the 3.5 Ecoboost motor.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the catalytic converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the safety failure. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
This fall 2025, my kids started saying they couldn’t get out of this one particular seat. It would get stuck and they had to try to slide out from under the seat belt to get out. Shortly after that it wouldn’t even click anymore or lock into place. So we stopped using the seat. Then about a month ago we had a second seat belt that will not stay latched to keep the top part of the buckle into the bottom part of the buckle. So a second seat we cannot use. We contacted ford and they told us well that sucks you can just buy replacement seat belts. We asked them for a liability agreement if the seat belts malfunctioned they would be help liable and they denied that. We have had the seat belts release while driving. This makes me nervous because I have children and at this point can’t guarantee that they are going to be kept safe by the things that are supposed to keep them safe. Who knows when the next one will fail as the van is only 6 years old. Upon inspection they are both broken.
The contact owns a modified 2019 Ford Transit. The contact stated that the seven rear passenger's side and driver's side seat belts were defective. The contact stated that the seat belt retractors had fractured. Additionally, the contact stated that the seat belt pre-tensioners were stuck in the Hold position and had fractured while the seat belt was buckled, causing his children to be trapped several times. The vehicle was taken to the vehicle modifier several times, and the seat belts were replaced; however, the failure persisted. An unknown Ford dealer was contacted and informed the contact that they could not assist because the vehicle was modified. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
After SYNC 3 software update, rain sensor wiper software malfunctioning.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
Seats break down due to seat framing pulling through bolts on seat frame. Ford is aware of this problem but is having customers attempt to pay for seats to be fixed, and when they are fixed ford is adding additional support straps to prevent the seats from tearing out in the future
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
Instrument cluster lost all power during driving. Lighting does not work, RPM's are not registering / speedometer showing zero even when in motion / fuel range not visible. Ford has issued a recall for this exact problem for 2022 models (Recall # 22C11 - Loss of Instrument Cluster Illumination), but will not acknowledge the issue in the 2019 model year. Please Help.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact's business owns a 2019 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while an employee was driving approximately 60 MPH, another driver observed that the driver’s side front tire was sticking out and alerted the driver. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and inspected. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the driver’s side front wheel hub bolts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the passenger’s side rear wheel started to detach. The contact pulled over and became aware that the hub cap was destroyed, and the tire was flat. The wheel warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the rear wheel was separating from the hub, and the tire was replaced with the spare. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF THE OWNER A 2019 FORD TRANSIT. THE CONTACT WHO WAS A TEXAS HIGHWAY PATROL OFFICER, STATED THAT WHILE THE DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO DRIVE FROM A STOP, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED FASTER THAN THE DRIVER INTENDED AND REAR-ENDED THE VEHICLE IN FRONT. THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FRACTURED WITHOUT WARNING. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THERE WAS NOT AN INJURY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED BUT WAS NOT TOTALED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. HOWEVER, THE CONTACT DID NOT KNOW WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MIKE BROWN FORD DEALER (866-510-0950, LOCATED AT 4950 E HIGHWAY 377, GRANBURY, TX 76049) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL UNDER THE VIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CALLED AND THE CALL WENT TO AN AUTOMATED SYSTEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .