Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Transit Connect, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Engine6
- Visibility5
- Visibility/wiper4
- Electrical system4
- Seats2
- Structure2
- Seat belts2
- Tires2
- Fuel system, gasoline2
- Electronic stability control (esc)2
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 20 2012 Transit Connect vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 8 people died inside them, and 3 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2012 Ford Transit Connect failed the safety check 1.89% of the time — 25% less often than the average 2012 passenger car (2.52%). Median odometer at inspection: 122,933 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
In the Netherlands
23 first registered in 2012 are on Dutch roads; 65% arrived later as imports. Median list price when new: €25,776.
Most common APK defects
- Bandenspanning niet op juiste waarde12
- Ruitenwisserinstallatie geeft onvoldoende zicht11
- Band onvoldoende profiel7
- Dimlicht onjuist afgesteld5
- Kentekenplaatverlichting werkt niet (goed) / ontbreekt4
- Overmatige vloeistoflekkage overige vloeistoffen4
- Rem- of parkeerremkabel / buitenkabel ondeugdelijk4
- Remlicht werkt niet (goed)4
Colours
RDW Open Data: registered vehicles and APK defects (CC0) · defect descriptions in the RDW's Dutch wording
In the United Kingdom
2 cars built in 2012 were licensed for the road at the end of 2025.
Department for Transport and DVLA, vehicle licensing statistics (table VEH0124, year of manufacture) · Open Government Licence v3.0
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 6,105 of these cars first registered in 2012 took their annual MOT test. 57% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2012 the figure was 66%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2012 |
|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 20.8% | 14.3% |
| Brakes | 18.8% | 7.7% |
| Suspension | 13.0% | 12.2% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 10.3% | 3.8% |
| Tyres | 8.6% | 7.0% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 7.0% | 3.2% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
Crash-test ratings
NHTSA 5-star results for 1 variant; 0 of 1 rated variants score five stars overall. Rollover risk is the estimated chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
| Variant | Overall | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 Ford Transit Connect VAN FWD | ★★☆☆☆ | 25.6 % |
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- No
- Lane departure warning
- No
- Best overall rating
- 2 / 5
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), api.nhtsa.gov · US federal work, public domain
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 10.0–10.2 L/100 km (about 23–24 mpg US), CO₂ 230–235 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transit Connect Wagon · Special purpose vehicle · Regular gasoline | 11.0 | 8.8 | 10.0 |
| Transit Connect Van · Special purpose vehicle · Regular gasoline | 11.3 | 8.8 | 10.2 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
2 Transport Canada recalls for the 2012 Ford Transit Connect.
| 2014134 15 Apr 2014 | Visual System Certain vehicles may not comply with Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 205 - Glazing Materials. The lower edge of the center sun-shade area of the windshiel… |
| 2012242 30 Jul 2012 | Other On certain vehicles, the wiper arm pivot pins could become loose, causing noisy wiper operation and inconsistent clearing of the windshield. Continued usage cou… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
Ford Motor Company is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Transit Connect vehicles. The wiper arms may not be adequately riveted resulting in incomplete or inconsistent clearing of the windshield and possible detachment of the wiper arm.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Ford told its dealers about the 2012 Ford Transit Connect: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 11008948 | While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. |
| 10254138 | All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during initial delivery. Unlike the integrated (wired) factory keypad, the accessory keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the vehicle using a diagnostic scan tool. If the wallet card for an accessory keypad is lost, follow these steps to recover the code. Dealer Key Code access is granted through the Dealer Program Enrollment System (DPES); dealership managemen |
| 10235153 | For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle identification number (VIN) from a different vehicle. Most modules on these affected vehicles are VIN/vehicle specific and hardware variations between modules do exist. Swapping a module from a vehicle or ordering a module using a different vehicle/VIN can cause ineffective repairs and additional vehicle down time. Make sure all appropriate Workshop Manual (WSM) procedures are |
| 10140323 | The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The master code for the Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can be retrieved from FMCDealer - Parts and Service - Parts Product Line Information - Keys/Entry Devices - Aftermarket Keyless Entry Keypad Code Access. Access to this site is granted through Dealer Program Enrollment System (DPES) and Dealer Principal, General Manager or Parts and Service Director can authorize users. Once authorized the retrieval process for master code can be obtained. The mast |
| 10138524 | The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The master code for the Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can be retrieved from FMCDealer - Parts and Service - Parts Product Line Information - Keys/Entry Devices - Aftermarket Keyless Entry Keypad Code Access. Access to this site is granted through Dealer Program Enrollment System (DPES) and Dealer Principal, General Manager or Parts and Service Director can authorize users. Once authorized the retrieval process for master code can be obtained. The mast |
| 10109079 | Some vehicles may have a concern where the safety belt retractor webbing does not extract from the stowed position or exhibits excessive pressure on the occupant during use. This may be due to a normal condition which happens when the seatbelt retracts at a high rate of speed. The Workshop Manual, Section 501-20A General Procedures has been updated with a locked seatbelt retractor releasing procedure. |
| 10057834 | FORD: NO SERVICE ACTION IS RECOMMENDED FOR THIS CONDITION. PLEASE USE AT YOUR DISCRETION. VARIOUS 2010-2015 VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A TURBULENCE NOISE, SIMILAR TO AN HELICOPTER NOISE, AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WHEN THE REAR DOOR WINDOW(S) OR SUNROOF ARE OPEN. *TA |
| 10056144 | FORD: THE RADIATOR SIDE TANK SEAMS, EITHER RIGHT OR LEFT, IS LEAKING COOLANT DUE TO GASKET BETWEEN TANK AND RADIATOR CORE. MODEL 2012 TRANSIT CONNECT. *PE |
| 10054579 | FORD: THE REMOVAL OF FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, WHICH DO NOT HAVE THE DELETE OPTION, WILL ILLUMINATE AIRBAG DISABLE INDICATOR AND SRS WARNING LAMP IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. MODEL 2010-2013 TRANSIT CONNECT. *PE |
| 10054348 | FORD: WHERE LAMP AND SOCKET CONTACT ON FRONT TURN SIGNAL, THERE MAY BE LOOSENESS, DAMAGE, OR DISTORTION TO LAMP SOCKET, CAUSING TURN SIGNAL TO BE INOPERATIVE. MODEL 2010-2013 TRANSIT CONNECT. *PE |
| 10051774 | FORD: LAMP SOCKET, WHERE LAMP AND SOCKET CONTACT FOR FRONT TURN SIGNAL, MAY EXHIBIT LOOSENESS, OR DISTORTION, OR DAMAGE. MODELS 2010-2012 TRANSIT CONNECT. *PE |
| 10047979 | FORD: THE TERMINALS (FEMALE), IN CONNECTOR, COULD HAD BEEN DAMAGED AT TIME OF MANUFACTURING CAUSES VEHICLE TO HESITATE, STUMBLE, RUN ROUGH, OR LOSE OR HAVE LACK OF POWER. MODEL 2012 TRANSIT CONNECT. *PE |
| 10047499 | FORD: NEW AND IMPROVED, WIPER BLADE AND PIVOT ARM REPLACING OLD STYLE WIPER BLADE AND PIVOT ARM, WHICH FAILS PROPER WIPING AND/OR CLEARING, AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, AND NOT COMPATIBLE WITH OLD STYLE BLADES AND PIVOT ARM. MODELS 2011-2012 TRANSIT CONNECT. *PE |
| 10046459 | FORD: VEHICLE WOULD EXHIBIT A LACK OF OR LOSS OF POWER AND RUN ROUGH OR STUMBLE OR HESITATE, DUE TO POSSIBILITY OF SPREAD TERMINAL 69 AND/OR 70 IN POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) CONNECTOR C1753. MODEL 2012 TRANSIT CONNECT. *PE |
| 10045343 | FORD: FRONT TURN SIGNAL MAY BE INOPERATIVE DUE TO DAMAGE, LOOSENESS, OR DISTORTION TO BULB SOCKET WHERE BULB AND SOCKET COME IN CONTACT. *PE |
| 10045084 | FORD: TRANSMISSION IN VEHICLE MAY HAVE BURNT FLUID AND FAILURE OF DIRECT CLUTCH ALONG WITH NO 3RD OR 4TH GEAR AND A FLARE UPSHIFT OF 2-3 OR 2-4. *PE UPDATED 3/10/14. *PE |
| 10044231 | FORD: SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT LOW MILEAGE DUE TO INITIAL FUEL FILL BY BAF TECHNOLOGIES CNG/LPG FUEL CONVERSION PACKAGE AND LACK OF POWER ON HIGHWAY. *PE |
| 10043565 | AZURE DYNAMICS: INFORMATION PROVIDED REGARDING DEVELOPMENT OF UPDATED VEHICLE SOFTWARE FOR IMPROVED ESS & DMOC DIAGNOSTICS, AND IMPROVED DRIVABILITY. *PE |
| 10043324 | FORD: SOME MODEL YEAR VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE NO COLD AIR FROM AIR CONDITIONER OR VEHICLE OVERHEATING DUE TO A BLOWN FUSE, MAKING ELECTRIC COOLING FAN INOPERATIVE. |
| 10043321 | FORD: ON SOME MODEL YEAR VEHICLES AT THE OIL FILTER SEAL, MAY EXHIBIT AN OIL LEAK OR THE FILTER HOUSING FOR THE OIL MAY BE DISTORTED. *PE |
| 10042507 | FORD: SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT ROUGH IDLE AND/OR HESITATION, RUNS ROUGH OR LACK OF POWER UPON ACCELERATION. *PE |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)