FIXED OVER 1000 VANS! Ford Transit review from a professional car mechanic.
Вставка
- Опубліковано 4 жов 2024
- This car review is about the most selling full-size van in the US - Ford Transit. We will cover the specs of the first generation of Ford Transit on the US market which started sales in 2015 and is still in production after several modifications in 2020. When we say that we will tell you everything about Ford Transit - that means everything!!! Our "model" will be a 15-seater passenger van with base 3.7L Cyclone engine. Also, we will talk about different Ford Transit model modifications which include Ford Transit with 3.5L EcoBoost Ford Duratec engine.
We will cover all maintenance and parts cost, most common problems and how to resolve them. We will tell you how to prevent the biggest repairs and which part brands to use.
If you want to know everything about Ford Transit, take a seat, get your popcorn, and let's begin!!! But before that, don't forget to subscribe to our channel :)
We will cover:
Handling
Interior space and features
Specs
Maintenance cost
Parts brands
Most common problems and ways to prevent them
Competitors.
Connect with Atomic Car Review on social media:
Facebook / igor.zakirov.9484
Instagram: /
#FordTransit #Ford #Cars
Thank you for the HONEST review, too bad the manufacturers can’t figure this out or is it all about how they can gouge the consumer. Keep up the great work and stay safe.
Ford engineering will build parts well knowing they will fail at certain milage , after all they are engineers . Ford is doing what Mercedes got caught doing ( Volkswagen got their ass in a sling also) CHEATING LYING AND FALSELY HYPING THEIR VEHICLES WITH WALK AROUNDS SELDOM SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT ENGINE CUSTOMERS ARE BUYING .
THANKS ,JESSE
Right! The ProAce is needed!
Zzzssss, essays zzz zzz zzz zzz z// zzz****zzz,
What is your thoughts of the Nissan NV please?
I wanted a transit or promaster but after this review, I’ve decided to buy a bike
🤣
poor quality material vehicle...junk
Have you checked bike reviews? I’m going to buy a horse. Well maybe I’ll just walk.
@@rnordquestI’ve purchased a pair of legs about 24 years ago and these things were good in the beginning but all of a sudden you can hear the popping while walking and bending also like a grunting sound when getting up from a seated position not to mention it’ll only go about 15 mph for maybe 1-2 minute I’ve had to replace the ankles about 3 times in the past so maybe that’s the issue also took it through some “extremes” using them to play some basketball and football and legs just giving out in the middle of a run idk I thought these things are supposed to last about 80 years or something
@@venzenbroshighlights3259 lol I have many of those symptoms myself.
This was the first professional car review that I've watched that included a rant about the soviet union not having microbes from all the dunkin donuts garbage clogging heater vents in the 2016 ford transit. Great content!
My god this is a well crafted youtube comment. It is immaculate.
I was a Ford mechanic for many years. One of the most overlooked items concerning the cooling system is the radiator cap. For every pound pressure on the cap, it lowers the operational engine temp by 3 degrees. A cap which doesn’t hold pressure will cause higher heat, and more pressure on heater hoses.
Oh wow! Good to know. Possibly the impetus behind the bulging hoses/premature wear?
How do you fix it? New cap?
@@nigurtz445 Correct, replace it. I replace them with an OEM cap if I am servicing other items on the cooling system like a radiator, thermostat or water pump.
OK, I think we need a TOYOTA cargo van on the US market. They usually put the brand in what they made.
I was having this thought earlier today.
They do produce one, not to US though. I ran across a YT video from Europe (?) showing the Toyota van.
They do make CV's. All they have to do is bring HIACE here.
I wonder why? 🤔 It will take over all this 3 brands. Ford, Ram and Sprinter in a heartbeat.
If honda did , the rest would just stop producing junk
Own a 2019 Ford Transit 350HD Ecoboost van. I am so grateful for this video's content. It is my bible for things to look out for and ensure the longevity of my van. Good job on such an exhaustive review of the Transit. Spasibo!
Great info, thank you. I specifically appreciate the info regarding what areas to lube and watch for breaking/premature wear. A couple of notes: 1) The transmission coupling (guibo) was recalled (The Ford reference number for this recall is 19S38). This is likely the most critical item to address on your 2015-16 Transit. 2) I understand your perspective on tire/brake wear for highly loaded commercial vehicles, BUT as another perspective, my T350 passenger van's OE tires lasted 40K miles, and at 55K miles I am still on the original brake pads, with decent pad thickness left. 3) I was able to undo all the suspension/subframe bolts without much trouble at 50K miles, tough my van has never seen salt. Overall, my 3.5EB Transit has only seen the dealer once (trailer tow module recall) and has otherwise been superbly reliable. I've done all routine maintenance myself, including trans/diff fluid /sparkplug etc change at 50K. Looking forward to many more years of (hopefully) reliable service, and I always appreciate other people's perspectives on what to look for to keep things running smoothly.
The great shift coupling broke on me multiple times before there was a recall.
THAT'S WHY I ADMIRE YOU🤕
One if the best reviews I've ever seen...so much detail and knowledge. Great job. 👍🏾
Got a 2016 transit 3.2 diesel, 32.7mph hwy. Kids and wife love it
Because of cost I've been researching between the ProMaster and the Transit and this is the conclusion that I have come to;
What I have determined is it is not a choice between the best one based on features, but rather which one SUCKS THE LEAST as evident by recalls and ongoing mechanical problems.
However, I still haven't figured out which one that is.
Chevy Express is the most reliable
@@oldwortex5818 Outdated and low roof. Not really suitable for van life. GM is stupid for not recognizing this market, but that is typical for them. Lacking in leadership, as are most companies.
@@matthewk6731 Low roof, yes but the Van is more comfortable to drive than the Transit. I had both. In the Chevy the seating position is like in a car, you don't hunch over the steering wheel. Suspension in the Chevy seems a bit more comfort oriented. The Transit is very tight and no leaning but harsh ride (T350) Overall it is a much more modern Van and more tight handling but unless you need a tall roof, the Chevy isn't a bad choice. Can tow twice the size, comes with transmission cooler and 120V outlet. (neither comes with the Transit) . The new Chevy Van will most likely be offered in tall version too. GM milks this cow till it dies :-)
@@oldwortex5818 The higher roof is necessary for van life. Being able to stand up in your living space is pretty nice.
@@mowgli6345 How about cut open the roof top and attach fiberglass high-top? Will that work?
I'm a commercial fleet owner. Have 1000 Toyota Hiace in Australia and NZ and 200 Chev 2500 Express in USA. The No.1 thing a commercial fleet owner wants is reliability and durability. The Toyotas run up to 600-700,000kms EASILY, same engine, often same transmission. Things like head lights and door handles never just break. I could go on and on about how good they are. The Chevs are noisy, low-tech, with V6 or V8 engines that have little power for their size, transmissions fail every 100,000 miles. Honestly they are crap.
WHY?
There is a 25% import tax on commercial vans into the USA. Basically a trade barrier to protect US Automakers. The result? poor quality products for American consumers.
No need to lie about being a fleet owner
Ur right on the button bout chev vans and also known for rusting to nothing
What I learned may not apply but just because Toyotas are more reliable - they can be just as difficult to fix. Is that really necessary? It makes leasing the only viable option!
Best video on this topic. No other channel goes into this detail. Keep them coming!
Great review. Love the accent. Love "brake engineers from FORD FIESTA department "
What year is yours? Mine is 2016 and have to take transit to mechanic every year because of brake or a/c issues. We bought it under 30k miles about 5 years ago and its still under 50k miles
Pretty interesting rear brake info, considering how expensive those vans are, built cheaply, great info!
Dunkin’ Donuts! I lost it. 😂 Good vibes.
There should be a video like this for every car out there. :). thank you for making this video
So many say the Ram vans are junk, but my 2014 Promaster has had only minor, normal vehicle issues. The Pentastar 3.6 (same as Jeeps) never let me down yet.
You are lucky!
This video almost talked me out of buying the transit and going with the Chevy. I've had 2 new econolines and 1 new chevy van, kept all 3 until around 150K when they started falling apart. But I will say, I had MUCH less problems with the chevy. So when I got to the end of the video I was very surprised that he recommended the ford over the chevy.
I was thinking about upgrading from a 2010 Toyota tundra with 260k miles to 2016 ford transit with 175k miles… I heard some bad things but this video made it clear! I have it so easy with my tundra doing only basic maintenance for so long and no issues at all!!
Really everything !!!!! Thank you!
You are so welcome!
wow. i wish you lived in TEXAS. Yu are the guy i want to check out my Ford Transit. nice guy too.
Very informative video. Great job!
I agree about the dr. And nurses! I live in California and it drives me crazy when I see them wear their uniforms outside.
Agree!
@35:50 mins, quick review on Chevy, GMC and Dodge. This was a full course on vans; LOVE IT. Much appreciated. Conclusion- Planned Obsolescence at play in motor vehicle market, choose wisely.
And sadly, Planned Obsolescence at 40,000 for many parts that shouldn't fail at all !
Wow. Amazing review - thank you so much for posting.
Thanks for watching!
Best review and comprehensive diagnostics and preventative maintenance advice! All in one video!
I knew the rust underneath had to be an issue no matter what I was told at the dealership. This video saved me $25000+ on a poorly maintained Ford Transit 350 XLT. Looked great on the outside. Underneath was so rusted that parts were blackened. Test drove the vehicle, brakes and transmission were horrid. For $25000, I expect safety above beauty.
I am in the market for a good work van. After looking at Sprinter and finding out its deisel system is super expensive to fix, I looked to the Ram Promaster. Forget about that cheap FCA piece of junk where everything seems to break. I then look to Ford even though I swore to myself and everyone I know starting 30 years ago that I would never ever own another Ford, I come across this well made video. Confirms that my pledge is not ready to be broken. Why cant Toyota or Hyundai make a great, low cost maintenance work van like these European inspired designed vans? They would make a fortune.
Hyundai does make commercial vehicles, there just not sold in America
You are so helpful, thank you.
Thank you! Happy to hear this!
Great review. Thank God I chose my "crap" GMC van which is nearing 200k without all these problens.
👍
The LS engine is bomb proof. I know a few with close to 500k on them. The transmission and rest of the van will fail first.
Agree about the work uniforms and cleanliness
Yup
Great review. I'm all over UA-cam looking at various Vans and Van builds because I plan to get one and build it out a a campervan. I keep going back and forth in my head between ProMaster and Ford Transit.
I plan to link this video two ones I see where the people have Ford Transit. Not to scare them, but it's good information to have for preventive maintenance and help them diagnosed a problem that they might have or catch one before they have it.
As for me, I'm back in my head to the ProMaster 😄
Spooked me on the transit
@@bojangles4704 Getting a condo 😄
I would like to see a video like this for the Ram Pro Master.
We will try our best to do it!
Amazing! This is exactly the video I wish I could see on every vehicle I look at buying. I'd love to know about Mercedes vans.
Noted! Thank you for watching my video!
Thank you for your GREAT knowledge and MUCH experience. Just purchased a used 2017 Ford Transit T-150 cargo Mid-roof van for my business. I will definitely be following your channel for information and guidance moving forward with owning my van. Thank You
How’s she driving?
What a GREAT overall review!! This is so helpful thank you so much for putting this together
Thanks! I'll get a Chevy Express if I get approved.
This video is exactly what I was looking for. Thank you.
over 620 000 kms and my van is still running great. I never changed the fluid in the transmision. I change the motor oil religiously. Still have to same spark plugs and coil. Now with all this guy has said I am starting to think that once I get to 800 000 I will just sell it.
It might be a good idea :-)
What year was it you transit
@25:44 that rubber piece is called a 'guibo,' popular with BMW too. It is pronounced 'GEE-bo.' FORD has recalled them all and are now replacing with a complete UNIVERSAL as part of warranty, free of charge so don't pay for it. Book and appointment and get it done free of charge.
Very informative thank you for taking the time for a review
Are the 2020 Transits any better or the same?
So which new 2020 cargo van would you recommend for reliability? The ford transit, the ram promaster or the mecedes/freightliner sprinter? Or is there another van I didn't mention (nissan nv isn't long enough to meet industry standards
the backbone of Britain
That drive coupler has been recalled on all transits
Is that the same as a carrier bearing?
The Chevy express 3500 or 2500 vans are work horses extremely reliable...and much easier to work on if needed..
Super helpful insight, thank you very much for sharing your expertise!
Appreciate your comment! Thank you
I have a 2018 transit 150 with 275000 never had any problems with it. I live in California but just bought a 3.7 with 69000 miles on it. but the one grip I have is with the trans service is it cost 700.00 to service and down for 6 HRS
Thank you for confirming my decision on a Transit.
Always glad to help! Thank you for stopping by
Thank you for all of the information. I am not a mechanic and you made it extremely easy to follow. I would love to see you create similar videos for the Ram Promaster and the Chevrolet Express.
Also, do you work on the smaller fleet vans like the Ford Transit Connect and the Ram Promaster City? If so I would love to see video on those units as well.
Thanks again for the informative video. You have a new subscriber!
Thank you for review!
Excellent review, I learned a lot that I didn't know before. Thanks
Thanks a lot!!!
I bought my 2016 this past April of 2020. It's the 250 eco boost engine. It had 89,000 miles on it. It runs good!
Thank you for the information!
Why is the battery under the seat? Less corrosion?
I bought it from a reputable dealership. It was advertised on Car Gurus.
Probably for a few reasons, design-related, but I would say the battery would last longer inside because it's not exposed as much to the cold weather.
Keep up the great work!! You are really good at what you do and I hope you do really well. Thx
Thank you so much!
17:50 Use Wire Wrap and zipties. Protective wire wrap to protect hoses and conductors from engine bay heat.
Дякую а думав купувати цю фігню, краще шукати стару модель😊
Thank goodness I found you
jessicavotran, thank you for watching! Maybe it’s a miracle:)
I just replaced the brakes on my Ford Transit XLT 350. The Fronts were at 45K and the rears still had a lot of life at 50K when I replaced them.
I upgraded the tires when the Vancos died at the 2 year mark for the second time. The Michelins I put on have been awesome and with 30K on them still have a lot of life left.
Thank you for sharing your experience! From my experience, 45K for front brakes is real numbers. For the rear one, I never saw them older than 30K. But a lot of people tell that Transit with dual rear wheel has more brake life! Thank you to telling me about Michelin. Right now we started to put Nexen - looks pretty good, differently better than the original Continental.
@@AtomicCarReview The rears are single not dualy. We live in a more rural situation. Not sure if less start and stop effected it. More gradual stops.
Fuel economy is not as advertised. But the bigger wheels do throw it all off by about 10% due to variances.
@@AtomicCarReview Idea for a video on the Transit that is sorely missing from UA-cam or any literature...
The location of the engine heater plug in on factory equipped vans.
Thanks absolutely best review ever
Great review. This info is golden. Thank you
Yahudim, thank you! Our goal is to help people to know more about used cars!
@@AtomicCarReview in going to look at a used 2018 transit tomorrow morning. I now know what to look for. Thank you again.
You can jump start the dead battery from the terminals under the hood.
Thank you so much for this video! Really appreciate it. 🙏🏽 would you be able to do a review on Nissan NV3500. What do you think about rust-proofing undercoating?
I love this content, you’re truly helping us out
Thank you for watching my video! I hope it was helpful
Love this video! I'm shopping for a used van right now, and this'll definitely help me plan my purchase accordingly. Could you do a similar video on the 2020+ model years, curious what you're seeing now that they've been out for a little bit? Thanks, and hope you keep creating content!
Thank you for watching my video!
@@AtomicCarReview Re-watched again, a year later, just to remind myself of some of the areas I need to take care of now that my van finally arrived!
Thank you SO much for this! I was about ready to buy a Transit and will not now. Too bad Toyota doesn't import their cargo vans to the states.
I owned a 2016 Transit 250 with 3.7 V6 and it was a great road trip vehicle. So much room to carry all your gear. There's just no way to carry the same amount of gear in a car or SUV. I averaged 17 mpg on the highway which is not great but not terrible for a vehicle that size. The reason I sold it was due to the poor braking. That van had the worst brakes ever. If you ever had to perform emergency braking you better pray. The longest stopping distance of any vehicle I've ever owned. The small tires in combination with small rotors and a heavy vehicle makes the van unsafe to drive in my opinion. I had so many close calls and did eventually have one rear-ender.
How do you tie the rear ending to the "poor" brakes? I have the 250 with same motor and never felt the brakes weren't adequate. Maybe you drive it too aggressively.
@@albowrx In 35 years of driving that's the first time I've rear ended anyone. I've owned everything from Toyota Corollas to full size trucks and I've never had brakes that bad. And I had several close calls where the braking distance was way longer than it should be.
I have a 2015 Transit 250ecoboost. My biggest gripe with the van is that Ford's manual says to do your first transmission service and your 1st differential service both at 150K. If you follow their recommendations then you'll more than likely have to replace both like I did costing almost 7k. I did bring it to 2 diff Ford dealers to get the trans serviced and I was shocked to hear both dealers tell me they can't do a trans service on this vehicle. 3rd party mechanics all told me I'd be looking at close to several hours labor to service the trans and would cost roughly $8-900. This subframe pisses me off. I'm going to go back to the Chevy Express vans.
I watched this to find out about the issues of this van, but stayed for the in-depth look at a vehicle in general.
I wish there was a vehicle that all they did was engineer it with better parts until there was nothing left to break. Every year they'd just release the same thing but with upgraded parts.
But where's the money in an indestructible vehicle?
Ask Toyota.
Great video my guy👍🏽
AtomicCar Review This is the best video ever for a fleet manager.
Can any Transit owner instruct where the front tow hook location is? I tried to pull a Transit 250 out of a snow-bank. There was absolutely no visible recovery point, or, place to thread in a recovery eyelet. There is one recovery point, 18" behind the front wheel, but, that would rip the front bumper off if we winched from there. We read the manual and al it say is "Ford Motor Company produces a towing manual for all authorized tow truck operators. Have your tow truck operator refer to this manual for proper hook-up and towing procedures for your vehicle."
Hi. Sorry for the late reply here. Most of the time the vans get towed to us, but our customers complain about the same! If you found it - let me know :-) It is not the right way to do it, but you can use the subframe in this case.
Could you please review RAM Promaster and Sprinter vans with gas engine? Thank yo for such a detailed review
Very nice video, practically a bible for transit owners. I am looking to buy a used one and this video is a perfect guide to vehicle inspection.
Where is your shop located? I would trust you 100% with my van when I buy one.
I've owned my transit 5 years. Its not cheap or unreliable. Its about average. My brothers have f150 and silverado. The silverado has been the most expensive to maintain. A good friend had a chevy van with a 6.0 and the oil pickup seal went out and toasted the cam bearings.
Great video! thank you. looking at taking the jump into an AWD extended high roof.
Great video I was thinking of getting a 2016
Can you please do the same review for the Ford Transit Custom?
The drive shaft recall, first of all ford sends the dealer a short shaft and couplers .also that new shaft may not be balanced, so check on that before they begin, will save you a lot of time
Could you do a video on how to replace the exhaust manifolds on the 3.5 Ecoboost Transit please? Thanks 🙏
Awesome video!
Thanks for the visit!
How come all the great mechanics have a foreign accent? Thanks for this video now I change my mind
I don't know ))) Maybe because of the mentality??? I just love tech stuff and cars especially.
i do carpet for living i looked at ford and too bad that the box to the seats only 12 ft and rear wheels too far so when you drive steep hill it tuches the ground, and when looking at them after couple of years donk like how they look, too wiggly for me, plus the wiring under the hood is to the right and water dripping in it. Just ordered Sprinter with longest body and love how it looks, much better quality for me
In Canada, very few private buyer purchase Ford Transits because Ford does not make the monthly payments very attractive. Mostly fleets purchase these vans. Most popular in Canada is the Ram Promaster and the Mercedes Sprinter. Mercedes makes their leases very attractive to the private owner which they know is their main market.
Thank you for the info! In USA it is opposite
Can you use ethanol free gas in this vehicle
Toyota needs to stop fucking around and start bringing their cargo vans to the US.
These vans are everywhere in the UK. Here the most common engine is 2.2 ECOblue diesel engine. There is also a petrol. European versions and Asian ones are built in Turkey older ones were built in Southampton, UK. The city I live in
i7ve been trying my best to be able to afford get one of those wheels. thank you for sharing this info with us. subs!
Which would you say is most reliable, Promaster or Transit? (& if Transit which engine?)
there is a TSB for the rubber trans coupling. Had mine done last year at dealer expense.
Thank you!
Thank you for watching us!
great advice !!! is the 2020 transit 150 AWD 3.5 litre non turbo a safe purchase? Thanks for your time....
Thank you for the super video! This really was nice with you answer! But Please explain which cargo when you recommend to use? Thank you very much!
This was a very informative video, thank you! 🚐
Are you serious? The GM vans are known as being the most reliable. I have had them for 25 years and NEVER been stranded once. I currently have an Express 1500 and it has 260,000 kms on it and it still has the original engine and transmission. It is old and rusty but it refuses to die. Just google around what people say who have owned the various van brands. They will say the Chevy and GMC are the most reliable. By far. In the 25 years I have been driving GM vans, I have put about $2500 into repairs. In 25 years. That is about $100/yr in repairs!
You just listed a litany of Transit issues that the GM vans do not have. Then you said you know nothing of the Promaster. Well, if you did, you would know it has major transmission issues. So if you don't even know that, why should we assume you know anything of the GM vans?
I totally agree with you about the engine and transmission on the Express van but the maintenance is much harder than Ford vans. Plus it has a huge problem with the rust, ABS units, electronics. Also, the water pump is always leaking which can cause the engine overheating. The biggest difference is driving style. The Transit is the van of the future, GM is a horse ride ))) About RAM - I told about the transmission problem at the end of the video. Yes, GM is good to have but only in southern states, and if you are not picky about the driving style. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
I have the "crap Gmc savana" that still pushing at 410k 😂
So we are about to order a 2021 Ford Transit to convert into an adventure van. Are we buying a crap quality vehicle? You think the Ram Pro Master is better or just as bad? Would you think we should buy an extended warranty? I like your honest review. It's refreshing to just hear the truth about stuff, especially from a mechanic who actually works on the vehicle.
Thank you for your feedback! I cannot tell you a lot about RAM since we do not have many of these vans in our garage, but the biggest problem with them is transmission. The rest of the parts are pretty reliable. Transit is not the best van on the market but you do not have many choices. And compared to the rest of the vans, it is not the worst choice.
@@AtomicCarReview thanks!
They probably increased brake bias to aid in stoping a loaded van. City busses primarily stop from the rear not the front.
Спасибо!
Awesome !!!!!!!!
Wow this is so comprehensive. Thank you for this. Would you recommend the ram promaster over transit or is it just as unreliable? I was going to go with the transit because I heard horrible things about the promaster. Now I’m wondering if I should just keep looking for an older style ford or Chevy with a high roof.
Ha...sorry I just finished the video now and saw that this is still your recommendation. Do you think a low mileage econoline is a good alternative? Thanks again for the video.
In general, Promaster and Transit are more modern vans and are more comfortable during daily work. Most of the parts for Ford Transit are more reliable compared to old Econoline, but Transit requires more often maintenance which could be pricy.
About Promaster: I can't position myself as a big expert to talk about this model as we did no see them in our garage much, but it definitely has a nice engine. However, the transmission from Dodge Caravan is questionable. Maybe Promaster is even better but I can’t prove this.
GMC and Chevy are too old and not the best by quality. Econoline is good and the company which we serviced kept purchasing Econoline’s as long as possible, but because right now they can’t find new Econolines anymore, they completely switched to Transit. Plus Ford gives them a nice rebate for each new Transit, which RAM never did.
The biggest issue with Econoline is the transmission and it depends how heavy is your van. The transmission can work from 60K to 120K. I saw bigger and smaller numbers. Also, the suspension on Econoline is weaker but the van has better tires and brakes.
Also, if you have a choice, I would choose Econoline with5.4L engine. The 4.6L is fine also but has problems with spark plugs that blowout and coolant leak from intake manifold.
Today I worked on Transit with a horrible problem (rusty bolts which hold subframe) and saw a couple more new places with broken shitty Transitharnesses. Also, think about Nissan VAN. We don’t have many of them in our garage but they were pretty good before. The biggest issue for Nissan is rust, but if you live not in the snow area, Transit, Nissan, Chevy and GMC going to have much fewer problems.
AtomicCar Review .
Rams are shit
Same here.
I bought an 18 new....64k and no problems......but im worried about long term cost of repairs. Im really thinking about selling and getting a gm.
Nope, there are few YT transit videos on here, one with 600k miles and the other with 45k miles.