2020 Ford TRANSIT problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
83 owner complaints analyzed
9 distinct recall campaigns
5,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2020 model year. Data snapshot: . 25 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Seats is the most frequently named component, appearing in 27 of 83 complaints (32.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 29 | 34.9% |
| Transmission and shifting | 12 | 14.5% |
| Braking behavior | 5 | 6.0% |
| Steering behavior | 5 | 6.0% |
| Engine operation | 4 | 4.8% |
| Fuel system concerns | 1 | 1.2% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Seats | 27 |
| Power Train | 17 |
| Electrical System | 12 |
| Steering | 6 |
| Unknown Or Other | 6 |
| Engine | 5 |
| Service Brakes | 5 |
| Wheels | 5 |
Seats: 27; Power Train: 17; Electrical System: 12; Steering: 6; Unknown Or Other: 6; Engine: 5; Service Brakes: 5; Wheels: 5
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 16 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 4 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 1 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 2 |
Under 25,000: 16; 25,000 to 49,999: 4; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 2
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (16). 58 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 8 |
| 2021 | 11 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 31 |
| 2024 | 13 |
| 2025 | 11 |
| 2026 | 6 |
2020: 8; 2021: 11; 2022: 3; 2023: 31; 2024: 13; 2025: 11; 2026: 6
Pattern summary
Seats leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 29 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 12 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 5 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11302124 · 2020-01-26 (January 26, 2020)
NOTICED THAT A PUMP (FUEL???) WAS CYCLING ON WHEN DRIVER DOOR WAS OPENED AND WHEN KEY WAS INSERTED IN IGNITION. PARKING LIGHTS ALSO TURN ON WHEN DOOR IS OPENED. THE PUMP HAS ALSO CYCLED ON FOR NO APPARENT REASON AFTER ENGINE HAS BEEN TURNED OFF. CHECKED BATTERY WHICH IS LOCATED UNDER DRIVER SEAT AND FOUND THAT ELECTRICAL CABLES THAT LEAD TO SEAT HAVE BEEN DAMAGED BY RIVETS HOLDING SWIVEL SEAT WHEN THE SEAT IS MOVED FORWARD AND BACK. CAREFULLY MOVED THE SEAT BACK GUIDING THE CABLE BUNDLE UNDER THE RIVETS. THE PUMP NOW DOES NOT TURN ON WHEN THE D…
Owner-reported narrative. 506 miles reported. Look up ODI 11302124 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11310965 · 2020-02-23 (February 23, 2020)
UPDATE TO COMPLAINT NO 11302124 DATED 2/26/2020 SPOKE WITH FORD CUST SERVICE REP REGARDING THE ISSUES AND WAS TOLD TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT WITH DEALER TO CHECK OUT THE SEAT AND ELECTRIC SYSTEM. THE SERVICE DEPT CHECKED THE ISSUES ON 2/12/2020. THE SERVICE TECH VERIFIED THAT THE WIRE BUNDLE IS BEING DAMAGED BY THE SEAT BEING MOVED. THE SERVICE TECH WRAPPED THE BUNDLE WITH TAPE AND RE-ROUTED THE BUNDLE. THE SEAT WAS TESTED FORWARD AND BACK BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THE SWIVEL WAS TESTED. IT APPEARS THAT THE WIRE BUNDLE AND DRIVER'S SWIVEL SEAT NE…
Owner-reported narrative. 612 miles reported. Look up ODI 11310965 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11414772 · 2021-05-02 (May 2, 2021)
DRIVING VEHICLE ON THE ROAD AND EXPERIENCE TRANSMISSION SLIPPING, ABOUT AN HOUR LATER IT STARTED MAKING WHINING NOISE, THEN GEAR SHIFTED AND VEHICLE SKID. STARTED MAKING LIGHT GRINDING NOISE WHILE SHIFTING GEARS. AFTER COOLING, VAN WOULD SHIFT GEARS BUT NOT MOVE, INCLUDING REVERSE. TOOK TO DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID VAN HAD A TRANSMISSION LEAK. VAN DID NOT HAVE ANY EVIDENCE OF LEAKAGE, FROM PUDDLES UNDER VEHICLE TO ANY TRAIL OF FLUID OR MESS WHEN INSPECTING UNDER VEHICLE. HAD THE VAN FOR LESS THAN 30 DAYS AND THEY SAY 10 QUARTS OF OIL LEAKED! THE…
Owner-reported narrative. 5,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11414772 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11416249 · 2021-05-12 (May 12, 2021)
VEHICLE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER INTERMITTENTLY LOSES POWER, BOTH WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION OR WHILE STOPPED. INSTRUMENT CLUSTER CEASES TO DISPLAY VEHICLE SPEED, ENGINE RPM, ENGINE TEMP, AND FUEL LEVEL, AS WELL AS ALL OTHER INFO THAT IS TYPICALLY DISPLAYED. THIS CONDITION CAN LAST SECONDS OR SEVERAL MINUTES AT A TIME. IF CRUISE CONTROL IS ACTIVE WHILE THE ISSUE OCCURS, CRUISE CONTROL CEASES TO FUNCTION AND THE VEHICLE STARTS TO SLOW DOWN UNEXPECTEDLY. WHEN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER REGAINS POWER, IT SOMETIMES FLASHES VARIOUS WARNINGS, SUCH AS "BLIND SP…
Owner-reported narrative. 3,890 miles reported. Look up ODI 11416249 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11515633 · 2023-04-05 (April 5, 2023)
Seat collapse. Available to be inspection. Unable to see over wheel or reach acceleration or brake petals. Air bag light comes on due to seat cutting it or disconnecting it when collapses. Dealership. No.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11515633 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11595368 · 2024-06-19 (June 19, 2024)
We own a fleet of these vans and 5 out of the last 7 purchased from 2020-2023 have had total rear brake system failure. The calipers are not retracting and are overheating and freezing up the rear brake system. In some cases leaving our employee(s) stranded on the side of the road in the middle of winter storm waiting to get towed putting their safety at risk. The problem has been reproduced as it has happened on 5 of the last 7 vehicles we purchased. Our local Ford dealer has inspected these issues and we contacted the Ford Consumer phone …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11595368 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11377309 · 2020-12-01 (December 1, 2020)
UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE IN THE DRIVEWAY A STEERING ASSIST WARNING SHOWED IN THE VEHICLE INFORMATION AREA. IT WAS STATIONARY. THE POWER STEERING DID NOT FUNCTION AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO TURN. NEXT DAY STARTED VEHICLE WITHOUT STEERING ASSIST WARNING APPEARING AND THE POWER STEERING WAS APPARENTLY WORKING AGAIN. MOVED VEHICLE TO THE STREET SO IT CAN MORE EASILY BE DRIVEN TO THE MECHANIC IF PROBLEM RE-OCCURS. THE VEHICLE IS UNRELIABLE WITH THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM AND HAS TO SIT IDLE AND UNTIL THIS PROBLEM IS RECTIFIED.
Owner-reported narrative. 46,628 miles reported. Look up ODI 11377309 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11384353 · 2020-12-21 (December 21, 2020)
SINCE PURCHASING THE VAN, THE STEERING WHEEL HAS OCCASIONALLY FELT SLUGGISH AND HEAVIER TO TURN AT CERTAIN TIMES THAN OTHERS. THE FINAL TIME IT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN AND FELT ALMOST LOCKED, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. THIS HAS OCCURRED WHILE STARTING THE ENGINE AT RANDOM TIMES AND IMPEDES DRIVING AND OVERALL SAFETY AS IT SEEMS TO COME AND GO AS AN ISSUE. THIS HAS OCCURRED BOTH WHILE STATIONARY AND WHILE IN MOTION.
Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11384353 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11396788 · 2021-02-18 (February 18, 2021)
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 45 MPH IN NO TRAFFIC, WARNING LIGHT CAME ON THE CRASH BREAKING NOT AVAILABLE. APPROXIMATELY 3 MINUTES LATER THE VEHICLE STALLED. WE HAD TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. WE WERE ABLE TO RESTART IT THERE. THE DEALER SAID THERE WAS A BUG ON THE SENSOR. THE VEHICLE WAS BROUGHT BACK TO US AND NOW IT IS DEAD AGAIN AND WON'T START. THE VEHICLE IS BRAND NEW AND THE STALL OCCURRED ON OUR FIRST OUTING. IT WAS TOWED BACK TO THE DEALER.
Owner-reported narrative. 50 miles reported. Look up ODI 11396788 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11440247 · 2021-11-12 (November 12, 2021)
Driving 30 MPH engine starting revving up to 4000rpm and very loud! Stalled out and wouldn't start, 3 times during a 5 minute drive.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11440247 at NHTSA ↗