Ford Transit overheating problems

Filed Nov 19, 2024 · Engine, Transmission · TN

The transmission will downshift when deceleration and will actually throw you forward in the seat due to dropping into a lower gear. Vehicle has also developed an oil leak where oil is dripping onto the manifold, possible engine fire hazard. Engine is losing coolant due to possible blown head gasket.

Filed Jun 20, 2024 · Brakes · ID

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 today - spoke with Rena at Ford on 6/19/24 at approximately 2pm - 2:15pm PDT. No warning lamps or message alerts. Brakes are making a squeaky noise and hot smell prior to seizing. We have had to pay thousands of dollars for some of these repairs and towing. We wanted to alert Ford and you as we are noticing an alarming trend. In speaking with Ford Motor Company, they correlate this issue as a maintenance issue but if it was a maintenance issue, the front brakes would have failed before the rear. I will be completing this form for the additional VIN numbers. Thank you.

Filed Jun 19, 2024 · Brakes · ID

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 today - spoke with Rena at Ford on 6/19/24 at approximately 2pm - 2:15pm PDT. No warning lamps or message alerts. Brakes are making a squeaky noise and hot smell prior to seizing. We have had to pay thousands of dollars for some of these repairs and towing. We wanted to alert Ford and you as we are noticing an alarming trend. In speaking with Ford Motor Company, they correlate this issue as a maintenance issue but if it was a maintenance issue, the front brakes would have failed before the rear. I will be completing this form for the additional VIN numbers. Thank you.

Filed Mar 26, 2024 · Acceleration, Engine · 200,593 miles · TN

With this vehicle when driving on highway or interstate once you go past about 40 miles the transmission begins to overheat and when it reaches a temperature of approximately 245° it will kick down into limp mode causing the vehicle to suddenly slow down in front of other traffic. You have to get over to the side of the road and let the transmission cool down before you can continue at a safe pace. This vehicle has been taken multiple times the transmission has been replaced twice. They have replaced the transmission cooler, they have an auxiliary cooler, and the problems still persist. This is very dangerous to be operating when it kicks down tent mode and gears down suddenly. It has been in Fords service shop for over seven months now and we just got it back with the new auxiliary cooler on it and it is still having the same problem.

Filed Jan 22, 2024 · Visibility · NY

Windshield wiper motor, working only in high speed, found overheated ground wire, melted insulation for approximately 1 foot of wire. If dry leaves were nearby there would be a possibility of a fire. Replaced wiper motor and wire harness work done by Brewster Ford in New York found that the new motor has not been updated which means this problem may happen again went on Google website found many owners having same problem. As you can see from the wiper motor connector, there is a pin that shows signs of overheating the wiper motor was the cause of the problem as the wiper motor was drawing excessive current

Filed Aug 20, 2023 · Brakes · MD

Brakes totally fail - only occasionally No accidents yet. 2019 Transit 350 XLT, EcoBoost engine. I bought it used: ~ 2 years old, 16K miles. While driving at various speeds: I push down on the brake pedal – and absolutely nothing happens. Pedal goes completely to the floor. Van does not slow down at all. I have flown thru stop signs. Nearly rear-ended a semi. Weird part: This only happens rarely. It has only happened 4 times in 2.5 years. Will go for months – almost a year – between episodes. Most of the time, brakes work absolutely perfectly. And a pre-condition that has to happen first: Before each of the 4 times it's happened, I drove at least 1 hour on the highway. But an hour of highway driving will NOT always set it off. Only sometimes. Cannot replicate this issue on-demand. Attempted resolution #1: Local Ford dealer completely inspected brake system. And said rear brakes were getting low (@ 18,000 miles) They recommended I have the rear brakes replaced. I was skeptical - but I had them do it. Then same symptom happened again, a few months later. Dealer agreed to just hold onto it, and whenever they had some slow time, they would take it out for a test drive & try to replicate things. After ~ a month, they had it up on a lift – and saw... Apparently, previous owner had been backing up – over something taller than the ground clearance & snagged parking brake cable, kinking it. Their theory was: The kinked parking brake cable never let the parking brake fully release, so the slightly dragging brake cable would eventually (after an hour+ of driving) make the rear brakes overheat & after enough highway driving, rear brakes were fading until they were non-functional. Attempted resolution #2: Dealer replaced parking brake cable. Problem remains. No warning lamps lit up. Problem has not been independently confirmed or reproduced. Entire brake system inspected by dealer. NOTE: Ford recalled pickups for this issue. (recall # 20V332000)

Filed Apr 27, 2023 · Electrical · NC · fire

On March 7, 2023, at approximately 1:45 PM, Bus 437 had caught fire in the engine compartment of the vehicle while sitting in the parking lot. The bus had just came off of a route minutes before & the driver had reported the dash tell tale (warning) lights had come on. The Operator switched the engine off and then noticed smoke coming from the engine compartment area prior to the thermal event. The fire caused significant damage & the vehicle is a total loss; the engine compartment, bus body, interior as well as exterior and top cap of the bus were affected. An independent firm was hire to conduct the fire investigation ( EFI Global, Inc.) & determined the source of the fire to be a power supply from the vehicles jump box; however our history with alternator failures & consumption of these components combined with my mechanical experience leads me to believe that the root cause of this has been overlooked and the alternator failures need to be further investigated for public safety reasons. I have engage the dealer principal (Creative Bus Sales, Inc.) who we purchased the vehicle from whom is working with Ford on this matter. The Alternator is the component that I want investigated & the one in question has not been removed from the vehicle however we did break down 3 alternators from our inventory of failed cores & the findings support my theory as the alternator (diodes) being the culprit of the failures. The cause of the fire is believed to be a situation created when the single alternator overheated causing the diode bridge to fail & alternator to ignite. We have experienced alternator failures on this group of buses since the vehicles inception into the fleet going back to 2018. 38 of these model buses were purchased & placed into service in 2018 & we have replaced 283 alternators since they were placed into service (very high consumption/failure rates).

Filed Sep 20, 2021 · Engine · CA

While on a road trip with my 6 kids, I had a brake issue with my 2016 Ford Transit. The first time it happened, I was driving about 55 mph, hit the brakes and the engine revved & accelerated. I pumped the brakes, engine stopped revving. Honestly thought I did something wrong. Same thing happened again two days later. I stopped and cleaned the sensors hoping that would resolve the issue. The next day the same thing happened making it hard to stop. I went straight to Ford and had two Ford dealerships tell me the vehicle was fine. Brakes were checked and was told no problems. I asked if it could be a leak in brake booster and was told no. No lights were coming on. I took the van to Les Schwab and was told the same thing. Unsure what to do, my brother came to the rescue and took the van. He started driving it home to California from Colorado. I rented an RV and continued our road trip. 80 miles later, the engine on the van made a loud bang and ceased. No engine lights. My brother said the engine started having acceleration problems so he stopped and checked all of the fluids. Everything was fine and engine was not overheated. But, complete engine failure at 79,000 miles. This was July. Since then, we paid to have a new engine installed. My husband flew out to pick up the van and new engine started having problems. He had to fly back home. Ford has said that the new engine is bad so they are paying for rental car and getting another new engine installed. Still do not have van. It's been three months. My concern is something else is going on...just seems extremely strange. I am still worried about the braking and revving bit and wonder if anyone else has had a similar issue.

Filed Apr 21, 2020 · Engine, Steering · 74,746 miles · NY

On or about 4/8/2020 my ambulette with a passenger completely stalled. It was towed to our nys dot shop in westbury that regulates ambulettes. This vehicle , a 2015 ford transit 150 is supposed to circulate transmission fluid coming from transmission and coolant from the radiator at the same time. Coolant circulation is supposed to cool transmission fluid without being mixed. When the service is compromised and mixes together, it will contaminate both fluids-coolant in the transmission.transmission fluid,cooling system(radiator and thermostat). Coolant from the radiator will t to water pump and cool off and engine -overheating process and engine change. The earlier the contamination process is stopped, the higher the chance the transmission and engine will undergo from a complete shutdown

Filed Oct 3, 2018 · Engine · 64,000 miles · VA

I was at a red light when my car all of a sudden started to overheat, the vehicle only has 64k miles on it. Have kept up with maintenance and all of that. Turns out the water pump is bad and was leaking really bad. Not sure why this happened 3 year old ford van.