Ford Transit reliability by year
58 recalls and 754 owner complaints across 12 model years. Best year to buy: 2021. Year to avoid: 2023.
Worst model years to avoid → — the single year to avoid for every model line we track, ranked side by side.
At-a-glance: every year color-coded
Each cell shows the last two digits of the model year and its 0–10 reliability score from NHTSA data. Click any year to see the full record. ★ best year · ✕ year to avoid.
Year-by-year reliability 12 model years · newest first
Common trouble spots across the Transit aggregated across 12 model years
Common questions
What's the best year to buy a Ford Transit?
Based on NHTSA complaint volume and severity weighting, the 2021 Ford Transit scores 8.4/10 — the strongest in the 2015–2026 range. 23 complaints on file, 0 active recalls. Reliability scores reflect the federal complaint record, not subjective owner reviews.
Which Ford Transit year should I avoid?
The 2023 Ford Transit scores 6.2/10 — the weakest in the lineup. 53 owner complaints with NHTSA, 9 active recalls. That doesn't mean every 2023 is a problem — it means failure rates run higher than peer model years on the same platform.
Which years of the Ford Transit should I avoid?
No Ford Transit model year currently rises to an "avoid" or "high-risk" verdict on the NHTSA data — either the record is clean or sample sizes are still too thin for a confident call. The year-by-year breakdown below shows what's on file regardless.
How many years of the Ford Transit are tracked?
12 model years (2015 through 2026) with NHTSA records on file. Total across the lineup: 58 recalls and 754 owner complaints.
What's the most-reported problem on the Ford Transit?
powertrain is the most-reported category — 215 complaints across 10 model years. Average shop repair runs about $2,500.