Transmission failure after all known transmission recalls were repaired.
Ford Transit Connect transmission failure problems
25 of the 575 owner complaints about the Ford Transit Connect describe complete transmission failure, most of them for the 2019 model year.
- owner complaints
- 25
- worst model year
- 2019
- typical repair cost reported
- $8,000
- typical mileage
- 66,000
By model year
Often reported together
Jerking 4Check engine light 2Stalling 1Overheating 1Loss of power 1
Trouble codes mentioned
P0304 1
What owners say
Transmission failure at 80,000 miles. This a known issue with 8F35 transmissions in these model years. Left me stranded and in danger on the roadway. The transmission has other recalls, and a TSB from Ford acknowledging the issues without recall for known failures. There were no lamps, indicators, or codes before failure.
I started experiencing a sluggishness and jerking sensation upon acceleration. I took my van to Starling Ford who diagnosed it to be a transmission issue. An estimate was given for either replacing or repairing the transmission. Shock. I took the van to Premier Auto Care, for a second opinion. They then referred me to Quality Transmission after driving the van. I asked Ford for some assistance since the quote was so much and it was out of warranty at 60,784 miles due to "wear and tear". After about a week, Ford responded with $5,984.37. I decided to have Quality Transmission replace the transmission after hearing from 2 mechanics that they had seen other Ford Transit Connect vans, with more mileage than mine, having the same transmission problems. I find it hard to believe that a transmission had to be replaced before 100,000 miles, which seems to be the magic number for miles. My van is used for personal use only.
Good evening, I wanted to bring to your attention an ongoing issue I've experienced with two 2019 Transit Connect vehicles that I purchased together. Both vehicles have encountered a transmission problem when shifting into reverse; initially, they would not move, but after shifting to park and then back to reverse, they would engage. I visited the dealership where I bought both vehicles, and they inspected them, indicating that they found no problems. However, both vehicles began showing transmission issues around the 50,000 to 58,000-mile mark. I was able to replace the transmissions under the manufacturer’s warranty. Unfortunately, after approximately 30,000 miles—about a year and a half later—I encountered the same issue again. Once more, the vehicles struggled to engage in reverse. When I returned to the dealership to report this recurring issue, I learned that my warranty had expired, and I would need to replace the transmission again. I would like to formally express my concerns regarding this situation. It seems that there may be a common issue with the transmission in the 2019 model, and I believe it's important for this to be addressed. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Transmission failure in my 2.0L Ford Transit Connect at approximately 94,000 miles. When I shift into reverse, the van sometimes drives forward instead of backing up — as if the transmission is confused or stuck in the wrong gear. Over time, reverse completely stopped working altogether. Additionally, after coming to a full stop (such as at a red light), the van occasionally stalls or becomes unresponsive when pressing the gas pedal. This creates dangerous situations in traffic. All recommended maintenance has been done on time, including a full transmission flush performed by a Ford dealer at around 80,000 miles. There were no warning lights or error messages before the issue began. After researching, I found many other Transit Connect owners with the same problem, especially in models with the 2.0L engine. This points to a potential defect in the transmission system. A full transmission replacement may be necessary, and I believe Ford should issue a recall to address this recurring failure.
My 8F35 transmission failed at 95,000 miles, a new unit was put in and that transmission failed at about 175,000 miles, a new transmission was not put in for replacement, but was rebuilt by Ford and currently I have 185,000 miles and as I slow down the transmission starts to jerk and I am slammed forward in my seat. This transmission does this everyday, without fail. Just a matter of time before this transmission fails.This transmission is acting like the last 2 transmissions that failed.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Transit Connect. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the electrical system failed to respond, and the vehicle turned off. There were no warning lights illuminated. There was no power to the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where unknown repairs were performed along with a taillight repair. On a separate occasion, while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle failed to respond, the transmission was not shifting properly, which caused the vehicle to jerk. The contact stated that while driving after the engine had warmed up, the vehicle would unintendedly stop. The contact returned from a trip and the vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with transmission failure. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,500.
We have just passed 87,000 miles on our 2021 Ford Transit Connect and the transmission has had to be completely replaced. We were told at the transmission repair facility that ours was one of 4 2021 Ford Transit Connects in their shop alone with a whole transmission replacement within a 2 week time period. While our vehicle is outside of the mileage for the power train warranty from Ford, it is not outside of the time period. We feel that the significant amount of transmissions needing to be replaced on 2021 Ford Transit Connects is unreasonable expectation when you purchase your vehicle brand new from the manufacturer. Our vehicle has always been properly maintained to all dealer specs for the entire time we have owned it (and it was purchased with 6 miles on the odometer).
For starters, about 2-3 days before August 6, 2024 (the day I took my van to Autozone to diagnose my check engine light) my ford transit shot a check engine light due to a "P0304 Cylinder 4 Misfire". On August 8, 2024 after dropping my van off once the mechanic opened, around 11:27 AM i received a call from the mechanic I was referred to by the dealership I bought the van from that the car was fixed and ready to go. I was also told by one of the mechanics that work at the shop that the threading on the spark plugs were stripped, these were the original spark plugs that came with the vehicle when i purchased it before the misfire happened. On August 10th after work, my transmission had failed on me and i was not able to park my car, i ended up having to let my car roll back on a hill, blocking a strangers driveway having to call a tow truck around 11pm-12am. After having to wait some time, the same mechanic i was referred to by my dealership called me a day after receiving the new transmission telling me the van was ready. Not only did they try to charge me an extra $200, but the car wouldn't even start once i paid the balance due and tried to leave, and to top it all off there was still a jerk in the transmission every time i tried to put it in drive, the job was rushed. Less than a week later, the van was displaying another check engine light related to the same misfire as before, and also a transmission failure message on my dashboard while on the highway with my dog in the back. I'm a dog trainer and need the vehicle to safely transport animals to and from north to south jersey. I have not been able to do so due to all the complications I've been encountering with the vehicle. I dropped the van off Thursday August 29th and have not received any updates from the same mechanic and it has been 5 days (today's Sept. 3rd). I understand labor day just passed but I was told by the head of the shop that they would look at it Friday Aug 30th & update me asap.
Powertrain fault Transmission torque converter clutch is not operating as expected. Transmission not shifting properly. Fixed many times and still same issue, now it needs new transmission.
Related recalls
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Transit Connect vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 20V‑636. The powertrain control module (PCM) software has fail-safe temperature threshold values higher than intended for the engine. This may delay engine cooling and result in engine overheating.
- Risk
- An engine that overheats increases the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 21, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S32.
Recall number 25V196000 · Recall details
Power train: shift linkage/cable/rod
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 22V413000 · Recall details
Power train: shift linkage/cable/rod
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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 number 21V376000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2019-2020 Edge, Transit Connect and Lincoln MKX and 2020 Escape and Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The start/stop accumulator endcap may have missing or loose bolts.
- Risk
- Missing or loose bolts on the start stop accumulator endcap could result in a transmission fluid leak and may progress to a loss of transmission function. A transmission fluid leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of fire.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the start/stop accumulator, free of charge. The recall began September 23, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S49.
Recall number 20V550000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Transit Connect transmission failure
Which Ford Transit Connect years have complete transmission failure problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2019 (10 complaints), 2020 (6 complaints) and 2014 (3 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix complete transmission failure on the Ford Transit Connect?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $8,000 (median of 5 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Ford Transit Connect?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history