2013 Ford Transit Connect problems & reliability
32 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Ford Transit Connect, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. 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): 2013 Ford Transit Connect vehicles were involved in 21 fatal crashes with 9 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 7 | 22% |
| Engine | 5 | 16% |
| Structure | 4 | 13% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 9% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 3 | 9% |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 9% |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 6% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 3% |
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 35,350 miles (middle 50% between 16,850 and 78,250 miles), based on 22 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The Front Suspension Subframe Crossmember had rusted though and the front tires become out of alignment SUDDENLY causing the vehicle to veer of course. The vehicle is then disabled and must be towed and the Front Suspension Subframe Crossmember has to be replaced.”
Suspension · filed Mar 25, 2024
“Transmission. I was driving down the road in my Ford transit going 65 miles an hour I I started to have major transmission problems from traffic slow down so I slow down with it down to 30 miles an hour after doing so traffic sped back up and I could not get out of third gear when I realized how fast I was going in…”
Power Train · filed Jul 14, 2022
“The Transit was parked on a slope and was in "Park", but it rolled back down the slope and hit a parked car.”
Power Train · filed Jul 12, 2022
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
31 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 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
While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024…
SSM 53040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 10, 2024
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
Some 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2018 C-MAX, 2014-2019 Escape, 2014-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles may indicate an incorrect shifter lever position. This may be due to the bushing at the transmission end…
TSB 22-2066 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 26, 2022
This article supersedes TSB 20-2047 to update the model years affected. Some 2013-2022 Transit Connect vehicles built on or after 1-Jan-2013 may exhibit a condition where either section of the second row seat is stuck…
TSB 22-2114 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 24, 2022
Some 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2018 C-MAX, 2014-2019 Escape, 2014-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles may indicate an incorrect shifter lever position. This may be due to the bushing at the transmission end…
TSB 21-2152 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 18, 2021
Some 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2018 C-MAX, 2013-2019 Escape, 2014-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles may indicate an incorrect shifter lever position. This may be due to the bushing at the transmission end…
TSB 21-2033 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 10, 2021
Some 2013-2020 Transit Connect vehicles built on or after 1-Jan-2013 may exhibit a condition where either section of the second row seat is stuck or difficult to fold or unfold. This may be due to a misrouted cable or a…
TSB 20-2047 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 21, 2020
Some 2013-2020 vehicles equipped with an EVDC air conditioning (A/C) compressor may exhibit poor A/C performance/improper climate function. To support the proper diagnosis of this compressor, the EVDC control valve…
SSM 48135 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 14, 2019
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 2013 Ford Transit Connect has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — 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 2013 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 35,350 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.