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2021 Ford Transit Connect: common problems

Owners of the 2021 Ford Transit Connect filed 12 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and powertrain. The maker issued 56 service bulletins for this year. We found 1 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints
12
Technical service bulletins (TSB)
56
YouTube repair videos
1

What fails most often

7654321
  1. 1 Service brakes 50% of all complaints
  2. 2 Powertrain 42% of all complaints
  3. 3 Engine 17% of all complaints
  4. 4 Wheels 17% of all complaints
  5. 5 Forward collision avoidance 8% of all complaints
  6. 6 Fuel/propulsion system 8% of all complaints
  7. 7 Visibility 8% of all complaints
Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

Drive: FWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 12 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

Components owners complain about

ComponentOwner complaintsinvolving a crashTechnical service bulletins (TSB)
Service brakes600
Powertrain5012
Engine200
Wheels200
Forward collision avoidance100
Fuel/propulsion system100
Visibility100
Electrical system0019
Equipment0015
Backover prevention003
Engine and cooling003
Communication002
Structure002
Lane departure001

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 1,428 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (among the 32% least complained about).

On average one model year of the Transit Connect has 28 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 12, below average.

What to check before buying

Manufacturer service bulletins

Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.

NHTSA lists 56 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.

Repair videos

We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2021 Ford Transit Connect?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, powertrain, engine. Total complaints: 12. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (25%), warning lights, check engine (25%), jerking, harsh shifts (8%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2021 Ford Transit Connect?

NHTSA lists 56 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2021 Ford Transit Connect from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2021 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.