Independent · Not affiliated with NHTSA or any automaker MethodologyData sourcesData refreshed Oct 6, 2026

2013 Ford Transit Connect: Problems, Recalls and MPG

What this means

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2013 Ford Transit Connect, most recently filed June 2022. Owners have filed 32 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the power train. In NHTSA crash tests it earned 2 stars overall.

Data summary generated from official records. Methodology Data: NHTSA, DOT, EPA · Refreshed Oct 6, 2026
Caution Fewer than 50 complaints filed. With this few reports, patterns may not be meaningful.
Compare

Recalls (4)

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for the 2013 Ford Transit Connect. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗

Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.

Check on NHTSA ↗
Listed for 2013 Ford Transit Connect. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 22V413000 Filed Jun 10, 2022

Unintentional Rollaway Due to Detached Shift Cable

Power train · automatic transmission · gear position indication (prndl)
Official NHTSA text
Summary
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.
Consequence
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.
70.3% repairedof 2,925,968 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 22V413000
Listed for 2013 Ford Transit Connect. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 21V376000 Filed May 24, 2021

Unintentional Rollaway Due to Detached Shift Cable

Power train · automatic transmission · gear position indication (prndl)
Official NHTSA text
Summary
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.
Consequence
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.
69% repairedof 192,080 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 21V376000
Listed for 2013 Ford Transit Connect. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 17V209000 Filed Mar 27, 2017

Engine Cylinder Head may Leak Oil

Engine and engine cooling · engine
Official NHTSA text
Summary
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2014 Escape, 2014-2015 Fiesta ST, 2013-2014 Fusion and 2013-2015 Transit Connect vehicles equipped with 1.6L GTDI engines. If the vehicle is started and driven with an insufficient level of coolant within the engine cooling system, the engine cylinder head may overheat, crack and leak oil.
Consequence
If the cylinder head cracks and leaks oil, the oil may contact a hot engine or exhaust component, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install a coolant level sensor and the supporting hardware and software, free of charge. Interim notices informing owners of the safety risk were mailed April 21, 2017. The recall began on January 5, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S09.
72.4% repairedof 208,584 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 17V209000
Listed for 2013 Ford Transit Connect. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 14V706000 Filed Nov 5, 2014

Wheelchair Lift - Platform Cracking

Equipment adaptive/mobility
Official NHTSA text
Summary
Cummings Mobility Conversion & Supply (Cummings) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 Ford E-150, E-250, E-350, Chevrolet Express, 2006-2008 Dodge Sprinter, and 2009-2014 Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, and 2013 Ford Transit Connect vehicles manufactured January 1, 2006, to October 8, 2014, equipped with certain model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts manufactured by Ricon Corporation after January 1, 2006. The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may crack.
Consequence
If the platform side plates crack, the lift platform can separate from the lift and come to rest against the vehicle's lift door. When the doors are opened, the platform may fall out, increasing the risk of injury to the lift operator.
Remedy
Cummings will notify owners to take buses to a Ricon dealer or service center who will install supplemental platform support bumpers. Any platform that has already started cracking will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began January 13, 2015. Owners may contact Cumming's customer service at 1-800-639-5438 or Ricon customer service at 1-800-322-2884. Cumming's number for this recall is 14E-041.
26.5% repairedof 34 vehicles
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 14V706000

PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.

Owner complaints (32)

32 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The power train is mentioned most often.

3involved a crash
0involved a fire
0injuries reported
0deaths reported

As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.

Most-reported components

Complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 Ford Transit Connect, by component (top 10). One complaint can list several components, so these add up to more than 32.Source: NHTSA ODI owner complaints · Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 · Report a data error

How 2013 compares with other Transit Connect years

Best and worst Transit Connect years →
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
This year (2013)Other yearsStill collecting reports

Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Crash tests: 2 stars overall

Overall★★☆☆☆
Frontal crashDriver 3★ · Passenger 3★★★★☆☆
Side crashDriver 2★ · Passenger 5★★★☆☆☆
Side pole★☆☆☆☆
RolloverRollover risk 25.6%★★★☆☆
Front seat of a modern car with the seat belt buckled across the passenger seat
Compare fairly. Compare stars only between vehicles of similar size and weight. Ratings apply to the tested configuration.

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), 2013 Ford Transit Connect van fwd, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Fuel economy: up to 23 mpg combined

23
mpg combined
21
city
27
highway
EPA annual fuel cost
$2,900
CO₂ tailpipe
386 g/mi
EPA class
Special Purpose Vehicle

What it costs you to run

$2,840per year
$237per month
652gallons a year

Miles ÷ 23 mpg × $4.354 (EIA US average regular, week of Oct 5, 2026, all taxes included). Source: EPA · EIA.

EPA label estimates from lab tests; your mileage will vary.

Specs by configuration

2013 Ford Transit Connect configurations with EPA data
Engine · transmissionDriveCity / Hwy / CombEPA $/yrCO₂ g/mi
2 L 4-cyl · 4-speed automaticFront-Wheel Drive21 / 27 / 23$2,900386
2 L 4-cyl · 4-speed automaticFront-Wheel Drive22 / 26 / 23$2,900378

Source: EPA fuel economy data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026. Configurations are listed when EPA and NHTSA records match.

Used blue SUV on a sunny dealer lot with its hood open and a clipboard on the fender

Looking at a 2013 Transit Connect for sale?

Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.

All Transit Connect years

Where to next

2013 Ford Transit Connect FAQ

How many recalls does the 2013 Ford Transit Connect have?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns: 22V413000 (power train), 21V376000 (power train), 17V209000 (engine), 14V706000 (equipment). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.

What are the most common 2013 Ford Transit Connect problems?

Owners filed 32 complaints with NHTSA. Power train (7), Engine (5), Structure (4) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.

What mpg does the 2013 Ford Transit Connect get?

EPA rates the 2 L 4-cyl · 4-speed automatic version at 21 city, 27 highway and 23 combined mpg. Other configurations are listed in the fuel economy section.

What safety rating did the 2013 Ford Transit Connect get?

NHTSA rated the 2013 Ford Transit Connect van fwd 2 stars overall, with 3 stars frontal, 2 stars side and 3 stars rollover (25.6% rollover risk).

How does the 2013 Transit Connect compare with other years?

Among the 2010–2019 Ford Transit Connect model years at least five years old, the 2018 drew the fewest complaints (22) and the 2014 the most (127). The 2013 drew 32. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.

How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes

Processing

  • Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
  • Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.

Limitations

  • Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
  • Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
  • Recent model years are still collecting reports.

Review

Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.

Changelog

  • 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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