2011 Ford Transit Connect problems & reliability
24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Ford Transit Connect, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2011 Ford Transit Connect vehicles were involved in 9 fatal crashes with 4 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility/wiper | 6 | 25% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 17% |
| Engine | 4 | 17% |
| Power Train | 4 | 17% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 8% |
| Traction Control System | 2 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 8% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 4% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 4% |
| Steering | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 48,668 miles (middle 50% between 17,250 and 85,250 miles), based on 20 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Passenger side wiper arm came off during a recent rain storm. I have contacted my local Ford dealer and Ford Customer Service in regards to 12s36 (NHTSA #12v-374). Ford explained it effects certain model years, produced during a certain time, at a certain manufacture facility. My vehicle meets all of the parameters…”
Visibility/wiper · filed Mar 11, 2026
“When half or 3/4 loaded going up a hill on hwy van down shifts a jerks in to gear . Feels like you got kicked off a horse . Most noticable between 40mph and 50 mph.. This has damaged 3 sets of motor mounts in 117,000 miles started st 15000 miles and getting worse at dealer again”
Power Train · filed Mar 25, 2020
“Multiple times, the electrical systems seems to just shut down while driving. With no warning all the lights and dash indicators will flash and all go out. Engine will briefly run, then quit. Several times been very lucky to get off road or freeway without incident. Ford dealer worked on it for 1+ yrs, replaced…”
Electrical System · filed Apr 4, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
16 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2011 Ford Transit Connect. The 10 most recent:
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated…
SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the…
SSM 52476 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2024
For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle…
SSM 51536 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 4, 2023
The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The master code for the Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can be retrieved…
SSM 47009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2018
The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The master code for the Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can be retrieved…
SSM 47009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2018
Ford: no service action is recommended for this condition. Please use at your discretion. Various 2010-2015 vehicles may experience a turbulence noise, similar to an helicopter noise, at highway speeds when the rear…
44863 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2015
Ford: transmission in vehicle may have burnt fluid and failure of direct clutch along with no 3rd or 4th gear and a flare upshift of 2-3 or 2-4. *pe updated 3/10/14. *pe
TSB-12-6-15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 7, 2014
Ford: the removal of front passenger seat, which do not have the delete option, will illuminate airbag disable indicator and srs warning lamp in instrument cluster. Model 2010-2013 transit connect. *pe
ASI-44296 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2013
Ford: where lamp and socket contact on front turn signal, there may be looseness, damage, or distortion to lamp socket, causing turn signal to be inoperative. Model 2010-2013 transit connect. *pe
TSB-13-9-2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 4, 2013
Ford: lamp socket, where lamp and socket contact for front turn signal, may exhibit looseness, or distortion, or damage. Models 2010-2012 transit connect. *pe
TSB-12-11-13 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 20, 2012
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2011 Ford Transit Connect has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2011 Ford Transit Connect?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 48,668 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.