Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Ford Transit owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving 40-50 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling and humming sound. Additionally, the vehicle was shuddering. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure increased, and the vehicle made an abnormal loud grinding sound. The contact later noticed a burning odor inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the driveshaft flexible coupling was fractured. The mechanic determined that the flexible coupling needed to be replaced; however, the part had been discontinued. The vehicle was not repaired. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V408000 (Power Train); however, the failure persisted. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V767000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, there was an abnormal banging sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle; however, when the vehicle was shifted into drive(D), the vehicle failed to respond. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V408000 (Power Train). The contact stated that while his daughter-in-law was driving approximately 60-70 MPH down the interstate, there was an abnormally loud, unidentifiable sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the brakes were inoperable. The vehicle rolled to the side of the road. The contact stated that the repairs should be covered under a warranty for three years or 36,000 miles. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the drive shaft coupling had detached. The heater hose and brake lines had additional damage. The brake line and brake fluid warning lights illuminated after the failure. The manufacturer was contacted, who confirmed that the repairs were not covered. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, there was an abnormal banging sound underneath the floorboard. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that there was fluid puddling underneath the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The dealer informed the contact that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V767000 (Power Train), and that the failure was caused by the driveshaft separating from the flexible coupling. The contact was informed that the driveshaft had damaged the transmission and the fuel line. The contact was informed that the recall repair only covered the repair of the driveshaft and flexible coupling, and that he had to cover the repair costs of the other damages. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the contact felt a vibration coming from underneath the vehicle. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the vehicle with a damaged driveshaft that needed to be replaced. The contact previously had the recall repair for the failure performed under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V767000 (Power Train) on the front section of the driveshaft; however, the rear section of the driveshaft where most of the damage was located, needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer no longer made the part for the vehicle. The contact was informed that an aftermarket part would be ordered to replace the entire driveshaft. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving 65-70 MPH on the freeway, the vehicle began to vibrate. The contact moved to the right lane, and there was an abnormal knocking noise detected. The brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond. The contact struck the curb, ran over the curb, and pulled up the parking brake, and the vehicle stopped. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who determined that the failure was due to the drive shaft being faulty and referred him to the local dealer. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed the failure was due to the driveshaft flexible coupling. The vacuum line, brake line, and fuel line were cut, and the transmission was inoperable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. …
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while driving from a complete stop. Additionally, the contact stated that the transmission was skipping gears while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the driveshaft flexible coupling had failed. The vehicle was then taken to the local dealer, where it was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V767000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 113,500.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V408000 (Power Train); however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that while an employee was driving at an undisclosed high rate of speed, the steering wheel became loose inadvertently. The contact stated that he was concerned that the driveshaft could separate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the driveshaft was defective, and the dealer determined that the driveshaft needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V767000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated that the vehicle vibrated abnormally while driving at various speeds. The vehicle was taken for an alignment; however, after driving for five miles, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the vibration had become progressively worse. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the torque converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the transmission sensor had failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
Related recalls
Power train › Driveline › Driveshaft
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Transit vehicles. This recall includes all full-size Transit vehicles previously recalled under 17V-408 except ones that received mechanical universal joint (u-joint) as a remedy and any 156" or 178" wheelbase Chassis Cab and Cut-Away bodies models.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and as an interim repair, dealers will replace the flexible coupling every 40,000 miles until the final remedy is available.
Power train › Driveline › Driveshaft
XL Hybrids, Inc (XL) is recalling certain 2015-2018 Ford Transit vehicles modified to be equipped with XL's electric hybrid system. The cardan (universal) joint on the front driveshaft may fail, possibly causing the front driveshaft to detach.
Remedy: XL will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front driveshaft with an updated one, free of charge. The recall began April 15, 2019. Owners may contact XL Hybrid's customer service at 1-833-953-5338.
Power train › Driveline › Driveshaft
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling all 2015-2017 Transit vehicles except 156" and 178" wheelbase Chassis Cab and Cut-Away bodies. In the affected vehicles, the flexible coupling connecting the transmission to the driveshaft may prematurely fail.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and as an interim repair, dealers will replace the flexible coupling on any vehicle with more than 30,000 miles.
NHTSA investigations
Zipcar Rental Concerns
NHTSA opened this audit query to determine whether Zipcar, Inc. (Zipcar) complied with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act (Safety Act). The Safety Act requires, among other things, that a rental car company not rent, lease, or sell a recalled vehicle until the safety defect or noncompliance is remedied. 49 U.S.C. 30120(i).
Transmission complaints in other Transit years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2017 Ford Transit?
NHTSA has 40 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2017 Ford Transit, 41% of the model year's 98 complaints. The component named most often is driveline › driveshaft (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Ford Transit transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 19V-767 (driveshaft, Oct 25, 2019); NHTSA recall 19V-103 (driveshaft, Feb 21, 2019); NHTSA recall 17V-408 (driveshaft, Jun 26, 2017). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2017 Ford Transit transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 106,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.