MODELYEARINDEX

Which Ford Transit years to avoid

Across 7 scored model years, the 2016, 2015 and 2020 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Ford Transit Full report
F
Grade 2015–2021
2016 vs model median 1.8×
Model median3× median
Drivetrain 18
Airbags & Restraints 12
Engine 10
Avoid

2015 · 2016

Best

2019 · 2021

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2015
1.63× 101 D
2016
1.80× 87 F
2017
1.00× 61 C
2018
0.63× 36 C
2019
0.41× 24 B
2020
1.29× 76 D
2021
0.45× 27 B
2022 P
0.92× 52 C
2023 P
1.25× 74 D
2024 P
0.70× 35 C

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2015 D 101 reports · median 48,000 mi

  1. Drivetrain 25

    The contact rented a 2015 ford transit. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was unknown. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Fuel System 13

    The contact owns a 2015 ford transit. While driving at various speeds, there was a strong fuel odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was immediately taken to the dealer, but no failure was found. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Body & Interior 10

    Shuttling employees; repeatedly needed to get out and physically cause the rear latch on the sliding rear passenger door to catch. Would not regularly catch with normal closing of door. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

4 crash · 36 injuries

2016 F 87 reports · median 30,000 mi

  1. Drivetrain 18

    Dash warning lights came on vehicle stalled while driving on city street, vehicle restarted but was in "limp mode". Throttle body failure. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Airbags & Restraints 12

    Seat belt latch failure. The plastic cover on the seat belt latch receiver detaches from the assembly during normal use. This renders the seat belt unable to latch completely, and renders the seat belt inoperable. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Engine 10

    When driving down the freeway the dash dinged and said engine fault service now. The vehicle lost acceleration and had to coast to the shoulder while vehicles were going around him. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

5 crash · 1 fire · 9 injuries

The best year for the Transit

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2021 is the best-scoring Transit model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 78.7 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations. On complaint rate alone the lowest is 2019 at 0.41× this model’s median, against 0.45× for 2021.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2021 0.45× 27 B
2019 0.41× 24 B
2018 0.63× 36 C

Recalls

63 campaigns on record.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
25V572000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2016–2019 1,456,417
25V315000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE 2022–2024 1,076,138
20V575000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2020 620,246
17V408000 POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT 2015–2017 372,991
19V767000 POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT 2015–2017 293,558
25V442000 BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE 2020–2023 200,237
23V598000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2022, 2023 177,402
24V102000 POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT 2023, 2024 113,320
17V668000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING 2015–2017 65,206
16V111000 SEAT BELTS: REAR/OTHER:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY 2015, 2016 48,990
21V592000 SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR 2021, 2022 42,493
16V188000 AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW 2015, 2016 37,066

+ 51 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2016 were reported at a median of 30,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Ford Transit years should you avoid?
2016, 2015, 2020 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Ford Transit model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Ford Transit?
2021 is the best-scoring Ford Transit model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 78.7 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Ford Transit have?
63 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Ford Transit model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2016 Transit
Complaints in window
87
Severity-weighted
143.5
Model median (weighted)
80
vs model median
1.80×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
21
Open investigations
0
Score 39.9 F