2023 Ford Transit Owner Complaints

This is a Ford Palladium Van, year 2024, the secondary alternator charging circuit that Thor has installed has a lot of problems. Specifically, the alternator from Balmar fails and you cannot charge lithium batteries while the van is in motion. The whole point of the secondary alternator is to charge these batteries while in motion. Its a safety issue when traveling with children or pets because battery voltage drops if you have to run AC while in a store or something. You proceed down the road and the battery is not recharged. Next stop you may not be able to run AC at all.

NHTSA ID

11746224

Incident

Jun 1, 2026

This vehicle is subject to Recall 25V860 / Ford Recall 25SD9 involving the left rear half shaft. On several occasions, the vehicle has rolled after being placed in Park. I was forced to quickly reenter the vehicle and apply the brake to prevent a collision, property damage, or personal injury. Due to these repeated incidents, I no longer believe the vehicle can be operated safely. I have attempted to obtain the recall repair through authorized Ford dealerships but have been unable to obtain a permanent remedy. As a result, the vehicle remains subject to a serious safety defect that creates a risk of unintended vehicle movement. I am concerned that the condition described in Recall 25V860 has affected my vehicle and presents an ongoing safety hazard to myself, my passengers, and the public.

NHTSA ID

11741005

Incident

Dec 16, 2025

Transmission, drive shaft and rear axle "grenaded" and shut down the vehicle. Symptoms included erratic shifting at highway speed, clunking sounds, hard downshifts at low speeds, mis-shifting gears causing performance issues. No warning lights. Codes appeared in FordPass app after vehicle shut down.

NHTSA ID

11736503

Incident

Feb 3, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while in drive, the transmission slammed into fourth gear. The hill assist feature was activated during the failure. The contact believed that the failure was caused by an inoperable back over prevention camera. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and offered a buyback, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 23,459.

NHTSA ID

11729343

Incident

Apr 1, 2025

Mileage

23,459 mi

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Transit. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V860000 (POWER TRAIN). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the gear shifter independently shifted from drive(D) to reverse(R). The contact stated that before the failure occurred, the message "Hill Assist" was displayed on the screen. The contact clicked "OK," and shortly afterwards, the gear shifter shifted independently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the contact was informed that it might be an electrical failure; however, the vehicle was not inspected or diagnosed. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID

11722040

Incident

Feb 4, 2025

Water enters under the hood because the “cowl” has separated from the windshield near the wipers.

NHTSA ID

11720319

Incident

Feb 12, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 - 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started to decelerate. During the most recent failure, the contact was able to drive to the dealer before the vehicle lost power. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that water was leaking into the engine, causing a shortage with the spark plugs and other electrical systems. The #4 spark plug was replaced. The contact researched and became aware of an issue with the cowl allowing water and debris to enter the engine and causing the #4 spark plug to be short-circuited. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

NHTSA ID

11720126

Incident

Jun 24, 2025

Mileage

45,000 mi

My cargo van has no rearward windows. It has front/rear/left/right exterior cameras which generate a simulated, 360-degree, overhead view on a monitor. The right camera functions about half of the time. Once it generated an all-orange view. Now it often generates an all-blue view. I know other Ford vehicles are subject to a recall for this software issue and Ford has (or is generating) a fix for the problem. The 2023 Transit is not part of that recall group, but it should be.

NHTSA ID

11699408

Incident

Nov 14, 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview 360° camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview image was blank. The contact previously received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V315000 (Back Over Prevention). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the accessory protocol interface module (APIM) had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 31,000.

NHTSA ID

11698559

Incident

Nov 10, 2025

Mileage

31,000 mi

The dealership has done everything within their power to address my camera failure, and I want to be absolutely clear: this is not a dealer issue. This is a Ford issue. There is an active safety recall on the camera system, yet Ford has failed to provide a true fix. Selling vehicles with a known safety defect, acknowledging it with a recall, and then leaving customers without a resolution is unacceptable and irresponsible. The cameras were a deciding factor in my purchase, and their ongoing failure directly compromises safety. A recall without a repair is nothing more than empty words. Ford must deliver a real solution immediately, not continue to stall while customers are left driving unsafe vehicles.

NHTSA ID

11691215

Incident

Sep 1, 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Transit. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V315000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that the part was not yet available for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA ID

11690852

Incident

Sep 29, 2025

This will be our second Balmar alternator that failed. The original alternator was replaced in March 2025 after the alternator basically melted. In April the new alternator was no longer charging the battery. It was finally serviced in July 2025. The dealership replaced a sensor and the recall to reduce the alternator output was performed. The recall was supposed to prevent the alternator from failing,however, two days later the alternator was no longer working. August 2025, the dealership has been discussing the issue with Winnebago and Balmar. September 2025 it was confirmed that the alternator needs to be replaced. This is a huge safety issue since the alternator will create a fire under the hood which was the case in our first incidence. This is also a continuos problem with the Winnebago Ekko’s and a solution should not be to keep replacing the alternator with the same exact make and model.

NHTSA ID

11686053

Incident

Jul 10, 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate properly while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle eventually accelerated after repeatedly depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated during the failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where a diagnostic test was performed; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact was informed by the mechanic that the failure was likely related to the computer system. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ID

11682813

Incident

Jul 25, 2025

Mileage

75,000 mi

After purchasing brand tires from the Ford dealership, I began experiencing vibrations between 75mph-80mph. I reported this issue to the dealer, but they disregarded my concerns. Subsequently, I consulted my personal mechanic, who conducted a Road Force Balance test, indicating that tire number 4 is defective. I possess documentation supporting this claim, and the dealer manager has failed to respond to me for over a week.

NHTSA ID

11672303

Incident

Jun 28, 2025

Driver noticed excessive vibration when driving vehicle on June 17, 2025. The next day, the vehicle was taken to Mavis Tire & Brakes, Flagler Beach, FL, who confirmed a tread separation on the driver's side front tire. The tire is a HANKOOK Dynapro HT 205/75R16C. This tire is an original tire from when the vehicle was purchased new. The tire shop exchanged the faulty tire with the spare. If the vehicle were to continue to be driven, eventually the tread would have delaminated completely, causing a potential accident. This is the SECOND Hankook tire to fail this way on this vehicle. I did not report the first incident to NHTSA.

NHTSA ID

11668122

Incident

Jun 18, 2025

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2023 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 dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 20,813 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 125,055.

NHTSA ID

11665368

Incident

Jun 6, 2025

Mileage

125,055 mi

Ford is saying that there is no remedy for the rear view camera recall at the moment. I took my van in and they inspected the rear view camera and said it was fine and that there was no problem with my vehicle. This recall has caused me several damages including losing several thousands of dollars in sales revenue as I use the van to transport goods for my business.

NHTSA ID

11664742

Incident

May 5, 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Transit. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V315000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11662349

Incident

May 12, 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Transit. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V315000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11661423

Incident

May 12, 2025

Vehicle shuts off completely off while driving intermittently. This issue has happened several times starting at 15000 miles. Vehicle has been back to dealership more than once regarding this issue. No codes are detected during diagnostics. UNSAFE

NHTSA ID

11652187

Incident

Jan 16, 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Transit. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 24V542000 (Steering) and 24V591000 (Steering); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11649528

Incident

Mar 20, 2025

After the recalll to fix the Balmer alternator and changing system. The Balmer alternator has failed. 21k miles. Recall repairs/fix did not resolve the issue.

NHTSA ID

11649166

Incident

Mar 7, 2025

The contact owns a 2023 Ford Transit. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V226000 (Tires); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a slight rubbing sound coming from the wheel well. The failure mileage was 200. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ID

11643915

Incident

Feb 20, 2025

Mileage

200 mi

Campaign/NHTSA# 24S21/24V226 No remedy provided by Ford; Issue Date 2024-03-22 Campaign/NHTSA# 24S46/24V542 AND Campaign/NHTSA# 24S48/24V591 Ford notified me that the recall is ready for repair, however the parts are not available; my dealer has been waiting for 4 weeks now to receive the parts

NHTSA ID

11643128

Incident

Mar 22, 2024

August 2024: Vehicle started to grab/pull when breaking and turning to the right, especially around curves. This progressed to happening when the van weight shifted forward during breaking. Dealerships in Eugene, Oregon and Marin, CA confirmed this behavior is related to the wheel clearance. Dealership in Eugene confirmed damage to the wheel well liner. I was unable to get any support from Ford regarding a loaner or assistance getting my van home 900+ miles. September 2024: loaded excess weight into the rear of the van and drove slowly back to Southern California. For safety purposes, dealership advised “parking the van until Ford comes up with something.” I have been unable to use the van since, with no updates from Ford. There have been four recalls (the rear view camera is fixed) and at least one Customer Satisfaction service (software update for the transmission performed in Eugene). Van has less than 5,000 and was purchased in March 2024.

NHTSA ID

11626494

Incident

Aug 20, 2024