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What 26 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Transit

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (26)Crash / fire / injury (3)Visibility & wipers (9)Engine (6)Electrical system (4)Fuel system (3)Body & structure (2)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (2)Seat belts (2)Seats (2)Tires (2)Speed control (1)

2 of 26 complaints match · Electronic Stability Control (esc) · clear filters

Dec 29, 2019Electronic Stability Control (esc)

COULD NOT DRIVE IN SLUSHY SNOW, VEHICLE SELF CUT POWER IN MIDDLE OF ROAD, THERE IS NO WAY TO DISABLE TRACTION CONTROL SO VEHICLE CAN SPIN TO GAIN FORWARD MOVEMENT. THIS SITUATION ALMOST CAUSED HEAD ON COLLISION WITH ONCOMING VEHICLE. I HAD TO KEEP BACKING UP TO TRY TO GAIN FORWARD MOTION. IF I HAD BEEN ABLE TO DISABLE TRACTION CONTROL SO THE VEHICLE COULD SPIN JUST A LITTLE, I WOULD HAVE HAD NO INCIDENT. THIS SITUATION IS VERY UNSAFE IN THE SNOWY CONDITIONS. IN READING ABOUT THIS, OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE SAME ISSUE. TO DISABLE THIS SYSTEM PEOPLE ARE PULLING THE FUSE ON THESE VEHICLES TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE. FORD NEEDS TO INSTALL AN TEMPORARY INTERRUPT TO SOLVE THIS VERY UNSAFE CONDITION.

NHTSA ODI 11291873

Apr 15, 2013Electronic Stability Control (esc)Traction Control System

THE FORD TRANSIT CONNECT NEEDS A WAY TO TURN OFF THE TRACTION CONTROL IN SNOW AND ICE. I GOT STUCK IN THE SNOW TODAY AND BECAUSE I CAN NOT TURN THIS FEATURE OFF I COULD NOT ROCK THE VEHICLE OUT OF THE SNOW, CREATING A TRAFFIC JAM UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO BE TOWED OUT. PLEASE MAKE FORD CREATE A WAY THAT CAN ALLOW THIS SYSTEM TO BE TURNED OFF. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10508285

Working with the data? Download all 26 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Ford Transit verdict →