The 2018 Ford Transit Connect is associated with 22 official NHTSA owner defect complaints and 6 safety recall campaigns in the federal safety database. The most frequently reported component area is Steering, accounting for 5 reports (23% of total complaints). EPA testing covers 6 certified vehicle configurations spanning 2.5l 4-cyl powertrain configurations. Gasoline and hybrid variants deliver 22 to 23 MPG combined.

Key Data Findings
  • • NHTSA Owner Complaints: 22 reports
  • • Safety Recall Campaigns: 6 campaigns
  • • Top Reported Defect Area: Steering (5 / 23%)
  • • NHTSA Overall Safety Rating: 5 / 5 Stars
  • • EPA Efficiency: 22–23 MPG (6 variants)
Data Note: Compiled directly from official NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, and EPA FuelEconomy.gov databases.
Fuel Economy
22–23MPG
6 EPA certified variants (2.5l 4-cyl powertrain configurations)
Reported Complaints
22
22 submitted owner reports
Safety Recalls
6
6 official NHTSA recalls
NCAP Safety Rating
5 / 5 Stars Overall

What is the fuel economy and range of the 2018 Ford Transit Connect?

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by certified vehicle variant

Variant Engine Drivetrain Transmission City Highway Combined EV Range Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Transit Connect Wagon FFV 2.5L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 19 MPG 27 MPG 22 MPG — $2,800 / yr
Transit Connect Wagon FWD 2.5L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 19 MPG 27 MPG 22 MPG — $2,800 / yr
Transit Connect Van FFV 2.5L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 20 MPG 27 MPG 23 MPG — $2,650 / yr
Transit Connect Van 2WD 2.5L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 20 MPG 27 MPG 23 MPG — $2,650 / yr
Transit Connect Wagon LWB FFV 2.5L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 19 MPG 27 MPG 22 MPG — $2,800 / yr
Transit Connect Wagon LWB FWD 2.5L 4-Cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (S6) 19 MPG 27 MPG 22 MPG — $2,800 / yr
Data Boundary Note: EPA specifications are shown by certified vehicle configuration. NHTSA complaints and recall totals are recorded at the model-year level across all configurations.

What are the crash test safety ratings for the 2018 Ford Transit Connect?

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Tested Drivetrain / Cab Variant Overall Rating Frontal Crash Side Crash Rollover Rating Rollover Risk
VAN FWD —
Wagon FWD 17.9%
Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as No and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as No in official NHTSA records for tested 2018 Ford Transit Connect models.
View complete 2018 Ford Transit Connect crash test & safety breakdown →

What defect complaints are reported for the 2018 Ford Transit Connect?

Summary of 22 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
22
Crash Reports
0
Fire Reports
0
Complaints w/ Injury
0
Total Injuries
0

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Steering 5 complaints
Service Brakes 2 complaints
Electrical System 1 complaint
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES 1 complaint
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 complaint

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2018 Ford Transit Connect problems & component breakdown (17 categories) →

Are there open safety recalls on the 2018 Ford Transit Connect?

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #25V572000 Active Recall
Affected Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

Defect Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC, Mustang, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, F-450 SD, 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, 2015-2018 Edge, Transit Connect, 2016-2019 F-550 SD, Transit, 2017-2019 Econoline, and 2019 Ranger vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, inverted, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 13, 2026. Ford owners will receive letters in phases, beginning January 2026 and June 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S89. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V270. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 8, 2025.
NHTSA Campaign #25V442000 Active Recall
Affected Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION:SOFTWARE

Defect Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.
NHTSA Campaign #24V294000 Active Recall
Affected Component: VISIBILITY:FIXED PANARAMIC ROOF/SKY LIGHT ASSEMBLY

Defect Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Transit Connect vehicles. An improper bond may exist between the panoramic roof and the vehicle body, which can result in the panel detaching from the vehicle.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Dealers will remove, clean, and reinstall the panoramic roof panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 4, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S29.
View all 2018 Ford Transit Connect recalls & campaign history (6 campaigns) →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.