2021 Ford Transit Connect: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2021 Ford Transit Connect
On the 2021 Ford Transit Connect, the failure owners report most often is misfire or rough idle, with 3 reports on file.
The failures owners actually file about
Owners have reported 8 named failure modes on the 2021 Ford Transit Connect, and the three most-reported carry 50% of everything filed.
Misfire or rough idle leads with 3 reports and about 0.0 per 1,000 vehicles.
ABS module or sensor failure follows with 2 reports.
Other engine problem follows with 2 reports.
By system, the reports fall mostly into engine (5), brakes (5) and transmission (2).
At what mileage it happens
Too few of the reports on this year carry an odometer reading to describe the timing: 0 of them do. The mileages quoted elsewhere on this page come from the modes that have enough of them.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
What happens when these parts fail
Nothing in the reports on the 2021 Ford Transit Connect mentions a crash, a fire or an injury. That is the ordinary case and it is worth stating: most defect complaints are about a car that stopped working, not one that hurt somebody.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 3.36, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: misfire or rough idle at $250–$1,600, ABS module or sensor failure at $500–$2,400, other engine problem at $300–$4,000 and other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
50% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures, so more than half of what owners complained about here is expensive.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Misfire or rough idle | engine | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,600 | Moderate |
| ABS module or sensor failure | brakes | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $500–$2,400 | High |
| Other engine problem | engine | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2021 Ford Transit Connect draws about 0.1 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 66th percentile of complaint rates among 2021 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 97,532 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2021 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
Recalls on the 2021 model year
NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 2021 Ford Transit Connect, affecting an estimated 136,166 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover back over prevention:software, power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication and seat belts:front:retractor. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.
BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE
200,237 vehicles 2025-06-27- Defect
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.
- Consequence
- A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
2,925,968 vehicles 2022-06-10- Defect
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
- Consequence
- A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR
42,493 vehicles 2021-07-30- Defect
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Transit and 2021 Transit Connect vehicles. The front passenger seat belt automatic locking retractor (ALR) may deactivate early, which can prevent the child restraint system from securing properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
- Consequence
- An unsecured child restraint system can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the front passenger seat belt assembly, and replace the assembly as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters were mailed on September 14, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on December 30, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C18.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
192,080 vehicles 2021-05-24- Defect
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2021 Transit Connect vehicles equipped with 2.5L engines. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
- Consequence
- A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, causing the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the underhood shifter cable bushing, and add a protective cap, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 29, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S24.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How 2021 compares with the other years
Across the 11 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2017 comes out best at 59 and 2020 worst at 76.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
What this page cannot tell you
14 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 14 reports, 0 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 0% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Ford Transit Connect?
The most-reported failures are misfire or rough idle (3 reports), abs module or sensor failure (2 reports) and other engine problem (2 reports). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed