What 95 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Ford Transit High Roof 15 Pass

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 quickly, (New brakes every 10,000 miles or so). Gas milage is less then 12MPG as well.

NHTSA ODI 11721118

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 transmission sensor had failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11719338

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V408000 (Power Train). The contact stated that while his daughter-in-law was driving approximately 60-70 MPH down the interstate, there was an abnormally loud, unidentifiable sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the brakes were inoperable. The vehicle rolled to the side of the road. The contact stated that the repairs should be covered under a warranty for three years or 36,000 miles. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the drive shaft coupling had detached. The heater hose and brake lines had additional damage. The brake line and brake fluid warning lights illuminated after the failure. The manufacturer was contacted, who confirmed that the repairs were not covered. No assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 178,000.

NHTSA ODI 11691136

The Driveshaft Flexible Coupling failed while traveling on Interstate 95 South. It is available for inspection upon request. Multiple recall notices have been issued for this (NHTSA 17V-408) problem, and we have complied with them ALL except for one that we never received, supposedly mailed November of 2019. We have two of the recalled vehicles (2) 2017 Ford Transit Vans. Our safety and the safety of others was put at risk when this Coupling failed while traveling on Interstate 95 South. The Van was being driven by one of my employees and another employee was with him when this occurred, rendering the vehicle completely inoperable. The issue has been confirmed by the dealer and has only been inspected by the service department at the dealership. There was absolutely no warning of any kind, no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. Ford has refused to cover the collateral (additional) damages that occurred to the vehicle when the coupling failed. They contend this is because we never complied with recall notice 19S38, dated November 2019. We never received this notice, and Ford has been unwilling to tell us exactly when this notice was mailed. Our contention is that it was not mailed to us, because we initially had this part replaced in July 2018 (due to the first recall 17S15). In reading every notice sent to the Dealers, there is a section, "OWNER NOTIFICATION MAILING SCHEDULE", which states, "The parts to repair this condition are currently not available in sufficient quantities to service all of the affected vehicle configurations. Owners of affected vehicle configurations will be notified in phased mailings to ensure part availability." Ford will not tell us when this was mailed to us. They have continued to push the blame on to the NCDMV (their address database) however we have always received every NCDMV renewal notice for our fleet of 15 vehicles.

NHTSA ODI 11682946

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated that the vehicle vibrated abnormally while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken for an alignment; however, after driving for five miles, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the vibration had become progressively worse. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the torque converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

NHTSA ODI 11670259

This unit has a Failed Torque Converter. I looked online and found that there are hundreds of people (including shipping companies like Amazon) complaining about this issue, but there is no recall for the vehicle. However, they have several recalls for the TC on other models for that year. All complaints state that the TC goes out as low as 60,000 miles, and requires a full transmission rebuild at $3,700-$6200 per vehicle. This only rectifies the issue until the next 60,000 miles and then you have to do it all again?? This is basically a VERY EXPENSIVE lemon.

NHTSA ODI 11658156

I have wrote to you before on this, but today (4.29.25) while driving downhill at 65 mph, no cruise control on, my van downshifted ON ITS OWN down to third gear and luckily, I was smart enough to shift the van in neutral and then back to drive or I would have blown up the engine. This is not just happening to my van, I have a friend who has purchased one and the transmission has gone out with only 35,000 miles on his van. My van is leaking oil and leaving spots everywhere it is parked, and it is using antifreeze at the rate of about a gallon every two weeks. This engine is total junk and neither the dealership, Ford, nor NHTSA are doing anything to correct this. Eventually, these engines are going to kill someone by locking up at highway speeds. Enough is enough! Ford needs to fix or replace these engines before someone dies!

NHTSA ODI 11657579

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and vibrated while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to dealer where it awaited a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11652038

I have sent this before, but my vehicles transmission will downshift, (at highway speeds), to a lower gear. I always have to put the van into neutral and then back into drive to get it to drive normal again. Also the van leaks oil onto the manifold which starts smoking. My van also uses antifreeze and I need to refill the coolant about every 2-3 days. This ecoboost engine is dangerous.

NHTSA ODI 11650680

The transmission will downshift when deceleration and will actually throw you forward in the seat due to dropping into a lower gear. Vehicle has also developed an oil leak where oil is dripping onto the manifold, possible engine fire hazard. Engine is losing coolant due to possible blown head gasket.

NHTSA ODI 11626151

Transmission will downshift on its own when vehicle is decelerating making engine RPMs over rev. Only way I have found to prevent this is to shift to neutral and then back to drive. I don't like doing this because it could accidently get shifted into reverse while driving at highway speeds! Valve cover leaks dripping oil onto the exhaust manifold causing the vehicle to smoke very badly and could possibly cause a fire.

NHTSA ODI 11623831

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, there was an abnormal banging sound underneath the floorboard. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that there was fluid puddling underneath the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The dealer informed the contact that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V767000 (Power Train), and that the failure was caused by the driveshaft separating from the flexible coupling. The contact was informed that the driveshaft had damaged the transmission and the fuel line. The contact was informed that the recall repair only covered the repair of the driveshaft and flexible coupling, and that he had to cover the repair costs of the other damages. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 113,000.

NHTSA ODI 11616814

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving 65-70 MPH on the freeway, the vehicle began to vibrate. The contact moved to the right lane, and there was an abnormal knocking noise detected. The brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. The contact struck the curb, ran over the curb, and pulled up the parking brake, and the vehicle stopped. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the failure was due to the drive shaft being faulty and referred him to the local dealer. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed the failure was due to the driveshaft flexible coupling. The vacuum line, brake line, and fuel line were cut, and the transmission was inoperable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 131,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11614027

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V767000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormal banging sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, when the vehicle was shifted into drive(D), the vehicle failed to respond. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the driveshaft coupling had failed. The dealer informed the contact that the parts to repair the vehicle was not available. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who repaired the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 199,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11610385

1. Vehicle has oil leaking out of valve covers so bad it starts smoking from under the hood. 2. Transmission will stick into low gear and I have to put the vehicle into neutral to get it to start shifting correctly again. Vehicle will also pulsate speed with transmission growling. 3. Turbo chargers not operating correctly causing Vehicle to buck and hesitate under acceleration.

NHTSA ODI 11596910

Vehicle has 140,000 miles on it. 1. Has valve cover oil leak where dripping oil is dripping onto the manifold and starts smoking. I talked with the dealership, they said they wont fix it under their "Lifetime warranty". I am concerned it will start a fire. 2. The transmission will suddenly downshift and seems to lock into lower gear when decelerating. Only way to get it to stop is to put vehicle into neutral while coasting and then back into drive. I am afraid its going to lock up and cause me to spin out. 3. The engine has a turbocharger issue in which when I try to pull out into traffic, it will sometimes buck, hesitate and backfire before it accelerates. Eventually I am going to try and pull out and it's going to do that and I am going to get hit! It seems to do it while coasting and then when accelerating again, that's when it happens. I took vehicle to dealership (Johnson City Ford) where they provide a "Lifetime powertrain warranty", but they are telling me that unless I have all service records, they will not fix it under the warranty. The only thing I have done with this vehicle is oil changes when the vehicle tells me it's due, Tires and brakes. I also called "Contact Ford" about the problem, and they basically told me it's not their problem, so there is a record somewhere of me contacting them Twice.

NHTSA ODI 11583218

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while driving from a complete stop. Additionally, the contact stated that the transmission was skipping gears while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the driveshaft flexible coupling had failed. The vehicle was then taken to the local dealer, where it was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V767000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 113,500.

NHTSA ODI 11582382

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V408000 (Power Train); however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that while an employee was driving at an undisclosed high rate of speed, the steering wheel became loose inadvertently. The contact stated that he was concerned that the driveshaft could separate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the driveshaft was defective, and the dealer determined that the driveshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V767000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

NHTSA ODI 11573390

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving 40-50 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling and humming sound. Additionally, the vehicle was shuddering. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure increased, and the vehicle made an abnormal loud grinding sound. The contact later noticed a burning odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the driveshaft flexible coupling was fractured. The mechanic determined that the flexible coupling needed to be replaced; however, the part had been discontinued. The vehicle was not repaired. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V408000 (Power Train); however, the failure persisted. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V767000 (Power Train) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000.

NHTSA ODI 11569045

The vehicle experienced a breakdown due to the drive train coupler failed, a part that has an active recall notice (Ford 19S38 ) (NHTSA Safety recall 17V-408) and the failure of the recalled part caused significant damage to other mechanical parts of the vehicle. The Manufacturer has agreed to pay for the recalled part but not the peripheral damaged parts. The damage is significant. The day of the incident, I received a recall notice from the manufacturer in the mail. The recall notice is dated October 2023. The manufacturer should be liable for the recalled part as well as the peripheral damaged that it caused.

NHTSA ODI 11563744

When driving my transit 250 it vibrates a lot and I was told that the transmission is going out. After I researched I find that this is a common problem with this Ford vehicle. It cost about $4000 to fit and Ford is not helping customers with their vehicle. Why is there no recall on this problem?

NHTSA ODI 11497295

Driveshaft problems that are under recall.Tried setting up an appointment said they couldn't look at it for 10 weeks couldn't be without vehicle for 10 weeks + how long took to get parts.Scheduled it at another shop went to get parts and they said I could only get price or parts with a service agreement.So I can imagine how much money the recall is going to cost me

NHTSA ODI 11484935

I started feeling the van shaking it feels like it came from the back, and causes the steering wheel to shake. I balanced the tires, but that didn't help. I brought it to to Breedman Ford on Waukegan Rd in Glenview IL. I ask them if they ever heard of such a problem they said no. They charged $159 for diagnostics and came up it's the Torque converter clutch that's failing. I did a little research and this seems to be a common problem with these Transits. It so common that they are on back order, or you need to rebuild the converter. The mechanic wants $1500 to repair. I believe this is a failure on the part of Ford and they aren't making a recall. There is a risk of the converter completely failing and not be able to accelerate. Please have Ford fix or pay to fix the converter. Thank you

NHTSA ODI 11476444

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the contact felt a vibration coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the vehicle with a damaged driveshaft that needed to be replaced. The contact previously had the recall repair for the failure performed under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V767000 (Power Train) on the front section of the driveshaft; however, the rear section of the driveshaft where most of the damage was located, needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer no longer made the part for the vehicle. The contact was informed that an aftermarket part would be ordered to replace the entire driveshaft. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.

NHTSA ODI 11449566

The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 19V767000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Local dealer and the manufacturer were made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ODI 11434293