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What 32 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 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 (32)Crash / fire / injury (3)Transmission & drivetrain (7)Engine (5)Body & structure (4)Brakes (3)Electrical system (3)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (3)Lights (2)Speed control (2)Airbags (1)Fuel system (1)

4 of 32 complaints match · Body & structure · clear filters

Apr 21, 2022Electrical systemBody & structureFuel system

The muffler split open most likely from a clog. Because of that, the exhaust was directed toward the floor of the truck instead of going out of the muffler. As a result, it burnt through the heat shield, the back of the truck, melted the wiring harness, and burned a hole straight through the fuel tank. A mechanic took out the fuel tank and when it was being dropped out fuel spilled everywhere and there was a hole in the side of the tank. Since the wiring harness was melted, there was no power and no fuel pump power. The safety of the driver was put at risk because the car could have easily started on fire, or the fuel tank could have blown up and injured the driver or worse.

NHTSA ODI 11461601

May 29, 2020Body & structure

MY TRANSIT IS ONLY 7 YEAR OLD AND THE CHASIS LOOK REALLY BAD THERE IS A LOT OF RUST IN ALL CHASIS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11326431

Oct 3, 2016Body & structure

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER I AM GOING AT A SLOW OR FAST SPEED, THE DOOR-AJAR NOTIFICATION LIGHT MAY RANDOMLY TURN ON AND STAY ON. SOMETIMES IT WILL TURN ON WHEN FIRST STARTING THE VEHICLE. WHEN THIS CONDITION OCCURS, THE DOORS WILL NOT LOCK, EVEN AFTER THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. THIS ISSUE BEGUN SIX MONTHS AGO AND HAS BEEN OCCURRING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY ON THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE. OTHER VEHICLES OF THE SAME MODEL IN THE COMPANY'S FLEET HAVE REPORTED SIMILAR ISSUES INTERMITTENTLY AS WELL.

NHTSA ODI 10911394

Jan 16, 2015Body & structure

AS A BUSINESS WE OWN (2) FORD TRANSIT 2013 VEHICLES. BOTH THESE VEHICLES HAD LARGE CRACKS TO APPEAR IN WINDSHIELDS WITH NO REASON. WHEN THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP WAS CONTACTED, THEY ACKNOWLEDGED THEY HAD EXPERIENCED COMPLAINTS OF THIS TYPE BUT HAD NO RECALL ON FILE AND THEREFORE HAD NO OTHER RESPONSE. HAVING HAD (2) SUCH INCIDENTS, WE FEEL STRONGLY, THERE IS A DEFINITE DESIGN DEFECT WITH THESE WINDSHIELDS AND SOME COMPENSATION SHOULD BE MADE TO THE CONSUMER. THE MILEAGE ON THESE VEHICLES WAS BETWEEN 47,000 AND 50,000 MILES AT THE TIME THESE CRACKS APPEARED. THE VIN #'S FOR BOTH VEHICLES IS AS FOLLOWS: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10672926

Working with the data? Download all 32 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 2013 Ford Transit verdict →