Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 24 safety complaints
about the 2011 Ford Transit Connect with the US government. Of those, no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering visibility.
The most complained-about system is visibility and the wipers,
named in 6 complaints, 25% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 48,668 miles,
the median across the 20
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers February 2012 to March 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
24 complaints on file
24
Complaints
0
Describe a crash
0
Mention fire
0
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free.
Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can
answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a
model year.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
VISIBILITY/WIPER 6 · 25%
6 25%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 4 · 17%
4 17%
ENGINE 4 · 17%
4 17%
POWER TRAIN 4 · 17%
4 17%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 8%
2 8%
TRACTION CONTROL SYSTEM 2 · 8%
2 8%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 2 · 8%
2 8%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 1 · 4%
1 4%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 · 4%
1 4%
STEERING 1 · 4%
1 4%
STRUCTURE 1 · 4%
1 4%
SUSPENSION 1 · 4%
1 4%
048
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 24.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2013 at 5.
8 6 4 2
122012132013142014152015182018192019202020262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2012 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2011 Ford TRANSIT CONNECT, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
VAN FWD
Overall
Not rated
Frontal crash
Not rated
Frontal, driver
Not rated
Frontal, passenger
Not rated
Side crash
Not rated
Side barrier
Not rated
Side pole
Not rated
Rollover
Chance of rollover
25.6%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
Recall campaigns
1 on file
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER
12V374000 · August 2, 2012
The defect
Ford Motor Company is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Transit Connect vehicles. The wiper arms may not be adequately riveted resulting in incomplete or inconsistent clearing of the windshield and possible detachment of the wiper arm.
The risk
If the wiper arm detaches, the windshield wiper will fail and the driver's visibility may be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver and passenger side wiper arm and blade assemblies, free of charge. The safety recall began on August 15, 2012. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.
FORD MOTOR COMPANY · up to 16,330 vehicles across all model years covered
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
SERVICE BRAKES
towed · 117,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD TRANSIT CONNECT. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS AND DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, THE VEHICLE WAS SLOW TO DECELERATE. ALSO, BRAKE FLUID WAS LEAKING FROM THE VEHICLE AND THE BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. PRATER FORD (704 S WALL ST, CALHOUN, GA 30701, (706) 629-2883) INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE REAR BRAKES NEEDED ADJUSTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.
NHTSA complaint 11183981. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
VISIBILITY/WIPER
Passenger side wiper arm came off during a recent rain storm. I have contacted my local Ford dealer and Ford Customer Service in regards to 12s36 (NHTSA #12v-374). Ford explained it effects certain model years, produced during a certain time, at a certain manufacture facility. My vehicle meets all of the parameters, yet they will not honor the recall because the vin number is not listed. Please help. It is a minor repair, yet it is obviously a manufacturer issue.
NHTSA complaint 11723576. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
15,000 miles
WHEN HALF OR 3/4 LOADED GOING UP A HILL ON HWY VAN DOWN SHIFTS A JERKS IN TO GEAR . FEELS LIKE YOU GOT KICKED OFF A HORSE . MOST NOTICABLE BETWEEN 40MPH AND 50 MPH.. THIS HAS DAMAGED 3 SETS OF MOTOR MOUNTS IN 117,000 MILES STARTED ST 15000 MILES AND GETTING WORSE AT DEALER AGAIN
NHTSA complaint 11319275. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
155,650 miles
TRANSMISSION IS LOCKED AND IS BURN
NHTSA complaint 11219797. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
27,900 miles
MULTIPLE TIMES, THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS SEEMS TO JUST SHUT DOWN WHILE DRIVING. WITH NO WARNING ALL THE LIGHTS AND DASH INDICATORS WILL FLASH AND ALL GO OUT. ENGINE WILL BRIEFLY RUN, THEN QUIT. SEVERAL TIMES BEEN VERY LUCKY TO GET OFF ROAD OR FREEWAY WITHOUT INCIDENT. FORD DEALER WORKED ON IT FOR 1+ YRS, REPLACED ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY. I'VE TROUBLE TESTED AND FIND NO ISSUES. NO APPARENT GROUNDING ISSUES. NO FUSES OR RELAYS APPEAR TO BE FAULTY. FOUND MANY LIKE-COMPLAINTS ONLINE. ACTS LIKE A BATTERY/ALTERNATOR ISSUE. BUT LATER, AFTER JUMPED BATTERY, ALL SYSTEMS WORKS WITHOUT INCIDENT FOR SEVERAL DAYS, WEEKS, MONTHS...YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN ITS GOING TO HIT.
NHTSA complaint 11193946. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STRUCTURE:BODY
WHEN LOCKING AND UNLOCKING THE VAN IT DOES NOT ALWAYS UNLOCK THE BACK DOORS FOR THE SLIDING DOORS HAVE TO CLIMB OVER THE FRONT SEATS TO MANUALLY UNLOCK THEM DIFFICULT TO GET CHILDREN OUT OF THE BACK SEAT EXTREME PROBLEM IN AN EMERGENCY
NHTSA complaint 11114436. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's
lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed August 2, 2012.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst