2017 Ford Transit power train problems
40 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the power train on the 2017 Ford Transit — 41% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“I have had many issues with this vehicle. The engine leaks oil onto the exhaust causing the engine to smoke, the engine uses antifreeze, the transmission will downshift at highway speeds to such a low gear that I need to put the van into neutral so that the engine doesn't blow up. It uses brakes…”
filed Feb 28, 2026
“The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the…”
filed Feb 20, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- This recall includes all full-size Transit vehicles previously recalled under 17V-408…Campaign 19V767000 · Oct 25, 2019
- Cardan (universal) joint on the front driveshaft may fail, possibly causing the front…Campaign 19V103000 · Feb 21, 2019
- In the affected vehicles, the flexible coupling connecting the transmission to the…Campaign 17V408000 · Jun 26, 2017
Power Train problems in other Transit years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Transit | 3 | 12% |
| 2023 Transit | 13 | 25% |
| 2022 Transit | 3 | 8% |
| 2021 Transit | 6 | 26% |
| 2020 Transit | 17 | 20% |
| 2019 Transit | 3 | 8% |
| 2018 Transit | 11 | 20% |
| 2016 Transit | 60 | 39% |
| 2015 Transit | 78 | 41% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2017 Ford Transit
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.