2023 Ford Transit Problems

What owners report

Complaints on this model year skew toward two kinds of reports: rearview camera and 360-degree camera failures that owners tie to open recalls, and driveline or transmission problems such as rear axle, differential and shifting complaints. A large share of the sample involves owners waiting on recall parts rather than a new mechanical failure, and many of the filed reports come from upfitted cargo, RV and van-conversion vehicles.

1. 1
   Back-over prevention (rear camera)

   Rearview and 360-camera image missing or blank

   • 12 complaints (20%)
   • median 27,229 mi at 2.8 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2023–2026

   Owners describe the rearview or 360-degree camera showing a blue, black or blank image, or failing to come on when the van is shifted into reverse. Several say the dealer inspected the camera, replaced a camera or the interface module, and the fault returned; others report the dealer said no remedy was available yet or found no problem. Some note the van has no rear windows, so the cameras are the only rearward view. Reported across a wide mileage range from roughly 23,000 to 31,000 miles and also on vehicles with no mileage stated; appears in early ownership as well as after several years.

   Recall 25V442000Recall 25V315000Recall 25V242000Recall 23V5980003 related service bulletins

   What to check: Put the van in reverse and cycle through every camera view, ideally more than once, before buying. Ask the dealer whether the rearview camera recalls for this VIN have been completed and whether the APIM or camera has already been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Ford is saying that there is no remedy for the rear view camera recall at the moment. I took my van in and they inspected the rear view camera and said it was fine and that there was no problem with my vehicle. This recall has caused me several damages including losing several thousands of dollars in sales revenue as I use the van to transport goods for my business.”

   NHTSA complaint #11664742, filed 2025-06

   “My cargo van has no rearward windows. It has front/rear/left/right exterior cameras which generate a simulated, 360-degree, overhead view on a monitor. The right camera functions about half of the time. Once it generated an all-orange view. Now it often generates an all-blue view. I know other Ford vehicles are subject to a recall for this software issue and Ford has (or is generating) a fix for the problem. The 2023 Transit is not part of that recall group, but it should be.”

   NHTSA complaint #11699408, filed 2025-11
2. 2
   Steering

   Recall repairs delayed or not available

   • 18 complaints (30%)
   • median 2,600 mi at 2.0 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2023–2025

   Many complaints are not about a new breakdown but about waiting: owners say they were notified of a steering, camera, tire or fuel-system recall and were told parts or a remedy were not yet available. Some report the dealer could not schedule the work for weeks, that a previous recall repair was done incorrectly, or that a vehicle remained with an upfitter or dealer awaiting the fix. Reported throughout ownership, including on vans with very low mileage such as 200 miles, and often within months of purchase.

   Recall 24V591000Recall 24V542000Recall 24V226000Recall 23V071000Recall 24V102000Recall 25V623000Recall 25V339000

   What to check: Before purchase, have the dealer run the VIN and print the open recall list with completion dates, and confirm whether any recall was previously repaired and later re-opened because of an incorrect repair.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I am filing a complaint over the delays by Ford in fixing the following recalls. I am concerned over my safety and my families safety while driving the Ford Transit. Campaign/NHTSA# 24S21/24V226 Issue Date 2024-03-22 Campaign/NHTSA# 24S46/24V542 Issue Date 2024-07-23 Campaign/NHTSA# 24S48/24V591 Issue Date 2024-08-09”

   NHTSA complaint #11616512, filed 2024-09

   “Campaign/NHTSA# 24S21/24V226 No remedy provided by Ford; Issue Date 2024-03-22 Campaign/NHTSA# 24S46/24V542 AND Campaign/NHTSA# 24S48/24V591 Ford notified me that the recall is ready for repair, however the parts are not available; my dealer has been waiting for 4 weeks now to receive the parts”

   NHTSA complaint #11643128, filed 2025-02
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Rear axle, differential and driveline noise or seizure

   • 10 complaints (17%)
   • median 34,500 mi at 1.7 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2024–2026

   Complaints describe howling or grinding from the rear, a rear wheel that seizes or drags as if the brakes were applied, and in some cases a differential or axle failure that locked the rear wheels and separated the driveshaft. Owners say dealers told them the rear axle was low on lubricant or that bearings and differential parts were damaged, and some report being charged for a repair covered by a recall. Mostly reported between roughly 5,000 and 75,000 miles, with several cases appearing after 60,000 miles; some failures happened at highway speed.

   Recall 24V102000Recall 24V805000Recall 26V061000

   What to check: Ask whether the rear axle lubricant level recall and any axle shaft bolt recall have been completed for this VIN. Listen for howling or whining from the rear on a test drive and check for fluid seepage around the differential cover.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Transmission, drive shaft and rear axle grenaded and shut down the vehicle. Symptoms included erratic shifting at highway speed, clunking sounds, hard downshifts at low speeds, mis-shifting gears causing performance issues. No warning lights. Codes appeared in FordPass app after vehicle shut down.”

   NHTSA complaint #11736503, filed 2026-05

   “Rear differential or axle suffered catastrophic failure on highway, causing both rear wheels to lock up and the driveshaft to shear off/separate from the differential housing. Locking rear wheels at 55mph caused the vehicle to lose traction and spin out. Vehicle crossed multiple lanes of interstate highway, colliding with a snow bank facing the wrong direction. Fortunately traffic was light (incident occurred approx. 5:30AM on Sunday) and snow prevented the vehicle from colliding with the median wall. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11565962, filed 2024-01
4. 4
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Harsh or erratic transmission shifting

   • 12 complaints (20%)
   • median 23,459 mi at 2.4 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2024–2026

   Owners report hard upshifts and downshifts, clunking at low speed, delayed or harsh engagement, and occasional slamming into a gear. A few describe the shifter moving out of drive on its own. Complaints mention dealers reflashing or repairing the transmission, and some drivers say no fault code was stored when the behavior was investigated. Scattered from just a few thousand miles to around 75,000 miles; several owners note the symptoms are worse when the transmission is cold.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive the van from cold and pay attention to the first few upshifts and downshifts, plus reverse engagement. Ask for the service history to see whether a transmission software or clutch-circuit bulletin has been applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle struggles and kicks to catch speed. At times in freeway/ street it will “jerk”/ hesitate to speed up. We have had to pull over in the middle of the freeway because it was not catching speed. No warning lights have turned on in the vehicle. It is dangerous to drive and vehicle looses speed or hesitates to pick up on speed, could cause an accident. Please help get vehicle fully checked, vehicle was made during Covid and chip shortage, I believe they rushed this vans out and did not make them properly. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11599586, filed 2024-07

   “Power train malfunction and loss of power in vehicle may cause accident due to sudden loss of speed. Vehicle makes noises and kicks when accelerating. Turbo doesn’t work properly and hesitates when engaging. The wrench light comes and goes off when turning the car back on. Vehicle often looses power while driving either due to the turbo or the power train. May cause accidents, we have had to pull over because of the power loss and for the pulling/kicking of the car.”

   NHTSA complaint #11613095, filed 2024-09
5. 5
   Engine

   Engine hesitation, loss of power or stalling

   • 5 complaints (8%)
   • median 60,000 mi at 2.8 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2024–2026

   Complaints describe the van hesitating or kicking when the driver tries to accelerate, losing speed on the highway, and in some cases shutting off completely while driving. Owners report the wrench or check engine light appearing intermittently, and dealers finding no stored codes or attributing a loss of power to water intrusion at a spark plug. Some describe repeated trips to the dealer without a lasting fix. Reported from about 15,000 miles upward, including cases around 45,000 and 75,000 miles; several owners say the problem is intermittent and hard to reproduce at the dealer.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for any stored diagnostic codes and for records of spark plug or ignition work. Test the van on a grade or highway on-ramp where the engine is under load and see whether power delivery is smooth.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The contact owns a 2023 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate properly while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the vehicle eventually accelerated after repeatedly depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated during the failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where a diagnostic test was performed; however, no cause for the failure was found. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11682813, filed 2025-08, 75,000 miles

   “The contact owns a 2023 Ford Transit. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 - 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle started to decelerate. During the most recent failure, the contact was able to drive to the dealer before the vehicle lost power. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that water was leaking into the engine, causing a shortage with the spark plugs and other electrical systems. The #4 spark plug was replaced. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11720126, filed 2026-02, 45,000 miles

Buying note. Check the open-recall status of the specific VIN and whether each repair has actually been completed, since much of what owners report here is waiting on remedies rather than new faults. A cold test drive covering reverse camera views, rear-axle noise and the first few shifts will surface most of the symptoms described in the complaints.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 54 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.