Ford Transit Years to Avoid
Short answer: Avoid the 2015, 2016 and 2017 Ford Transit — the 2016 alone has 0 NHTSA owner complaints — and buy a 2024 or 2025 instead.
Updated November 2026 · NHTSA owner complaints and recall campaigns
Avoid: 2015, 2016, 2017 · Best: 2024, 2025 — based on 0 NHTSA complaints across 12 model years (2015–2026), ranked by complaint and bulletin volume.
Based on federal records, the Ford Transit years to avoid are 2016, 2017, 2015: the 2016 alone has 0 NHTSA owner complaints and 232 manufacturer service bulletins on file. The cleanest recent records so far belong to the 2025 and 2024 model years.
Sources: NHTSA complaints, manufacturer service bulletins, recall campaigns, CarWhere verified buyer prices · Updated 2026-11-14 · By CarWhere Research · Methodology
| Model year | NHTSA complaints | Service bulletins | Recall campaigns | Avg. price buyers paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 TransitAVOID | 0 | 202 | 0 | — |
| 2016 TransitAVOID | 0 | 232 | 0 | — |
| 2017 TransitAVOID | 0 | 216 | 0 | — |
| 2018 Transit | 0 | 191 | 0 | — |
| 2019 Transit | 0 | 151 | 0 | — |
| 2020 Transit | 0 | 177 | 0 | — |
| 2021 Transit | 0 | 134 | 0 | — |
| 2022 Transit | 0 | 149 | 0 | — |
| 2023 Transit | 0 | 118 | 0 | — |
| 2024 TransitBEST | 0 | 79 | 0 | — |
| 2025 TransitBEST | 0 | 33 | 0 | — |
| 2026 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — |
Methodology: complaint counts are owner reports filed with NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation; service bulletins are manufacturer communications filed with NHTSA; counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume. Prices are averages of CarWhere verified buyer transactions (shown when 3+ deals exist for the year).
Common Ford Transit problems by year
2016 Ford Transit: 0 owner complaints, 232 service bulletins, 0 recall campaigns.
2017 Ford Transit: 0 owner complaints, 216 service bulletins, 0 recall campaigns.
2015 Ford Transit: 0 owner complaints, 202 service bulletins, 0 recall campaigns.
2025 Ford Transit: cleanest recent federal record (0 complaints, 33 bulletins).
2024 Ford Transit: cleanest recent federal record (0 complaints, 79 bulletins).
Know what to pay for the right Ford Transit — then negotiate it
Years-to-avoid tells you which year. Search live listings to see the target price and what verified buyers actually paid for it.
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How to check a specific car
Decode the VIN with the free VIN decoder to confirm the Ford Transit's model year and build, then run the free recall check for open recalls on that VIN.
FAQ
What are the worst years for the Ford Transit?
Based on federal records, the Ford Transit years to avoid are 2016, 2017, 2015: the 2016 alone has 0 NHTSA owner complaints and 232 manufacturer service bulletins on file. The cleanest recent records so far belong to the 2025 and 2024 model years. Counts are raw federal filings (NHTSA complaints, manufacturer communications, open recall campaigns) and are not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the best years for the Ford Transit?
Among recent model years, the 2025 and 2024 Ford Transit show the lowest combined complaint and service-bulletin counts on federal record.
Is the Ford Transit reliable?
The Ford Transit's reliability varies by model year. Across 0 NHTSA owner complaints on federal record, 2016, 2017, 2015 stand out as the years to avoid, while the 2025 and 2024 model years show the cleanest records — see the year-by-year table above. Counts are raw federal filings, not adjusted for sales volume.
What are the most common problems with the Ford Transit?
Owner complaints for the Ford Transit are summarized by model year above; see the table for the federal record.
How do I check a specific Ford Transit before buying?
Decode the VIN free at carwhere.com/tools/vin-decoder to confirm the exact year and build, then run the $9.99 CarWhere Full VIN Report for that VIN — it includes the recall, complaint, and service-bulletin record for the exact model year, the original window sticker where the manufacturer publishes one, and a market price check from verified buyers. One-time purchase, no subscription.
Where does this data come from?
Three federal sources — NHTSA owner complaints (ODI), manufacturer service bulletins filed with NHTSA, and open recall campaigns — plus CarWhere's verified buyer-paid transaction prices. Counts are presented raw and refreshed regularly.