Ford · vehicle model

Ford Transit

963 NHTSA complaints and 153 safety recalls across model years 2001–2025.

Complaints
963
Recalls
153
Model years
13

The verdict

The Ford Transit pairs above-average complaint volume with 153 recalls (heavily recalled).

11th pctile
complaint volume, US models
153
recall campaigns
Follow this model's NHTSA record changes

Ford Transit vs. all tracked models

Total NHTSA ODI complaints across models with substantive safety data

963 Higher than most more complaints than 89% of 3,088 models

tracked vehicle models, bucketed by value

Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more models. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · August 2026

The FordTransit appears in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database with 963 consumer safety complaints and 153 recall campaigns across 13 model years (2001–2025). That averages roughly 74 complaints per model year. Report counts can differ between model years for many reasons; this dataset does not establish the cause of a difference.

Complaint volume on a nameplate alone is not a reliability verdict: a long-running bestseller can accumulate more filings than a low-volume niche model because more vehicles are on the road. The table below shows report counts and published NHTSA crash-test ratings side by side for each model year. The filing-year histogram shows the timing of submitted reports, not a causal trend.

NHTSA has 1 investigation file tied to this model. Investigation records, complaint reports, and recall campaigns each provide different context. Use the official NHTSA VIN lookup and the underlying notices to research a specific vehicle; PlainCars does not infer a vehicle-risk or pricing conclusion from these records.

Complaints by Year

YearComplaints
20252
202428
202364
202245
202130
2020100
201943
201870
2017122
2016196
2015259
20143
20011

Complaint Filing Trend

NHTSA complaint volume by year filed (not model year).

Filings moved from 385 in 2017-2021 to 532 in 2022-2026, a rise of 38.2%. That is the 74th percentile of change across the 763 nameplates with enough filings in both windows to compare, where 0 is the steepest fall and 100 the steepest rise.

Filing volume, not a reliability verdict: counts also move with how many vehicles are on the road, how old they are, and whether a recall drew attention. Computed from this portal's NHTSA filing-year records over the same two windows the trend rankings use.

1
’05
7
’15
38
’16
53
’17
72
’18
96
’19
69
’20
95
’21
39
’22
151
’23
165
’24
165
’25
12
’26

Year filed (bar labels show the complaint count).

View all trending models →

Compare FordTransit to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How reliable is the Ford Transit?
The Ford Transit has received 963 NHTSA complaints spanning model years 2001 to 2025, with 153 recalls. That averages about 74 complaints per model year.
What years of Ford Transit are available?
PlainCars has complaint and recall data for the Ford Transit from 2001 to 2025 (13 model years). Select any year to see component-level complaint breakdowns and safety ratings.
Does the Ford Transit have safety ratings?
NHTSA safety ratings (NCAP 5-star program) are available for many Ford Transit model years from 2011 onward. Select a specific year to see front crash, side crash, and rollover ratings where available.
What are the most common Ford Transit complaints?
NHTSA complaints for the Ford Transit are categorized by component, common areas include engine, transmission, electrical system, airbags, and brakes. Select a model year for a detailed component-by-component breakdown.
How do I check if my Ford Transit has been recalled?
Visit the year-specific page on PlainCars to see all recalls for your model year, or enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov for official recall status and available remedies.
Data sources

Data vintage: August 2026. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.

Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. Ford Transit totals are aggregated from the linked NHTSA model-year rows; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.