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I used to run some aftermarket filters but was always particular as to which ones. Now I stick closer to the manufacture recommended. Last year K&N had a run of motorcycle filters that would open up - separate base from can! Not good on a motorcycle when it gets on the rear tire. It was so bad many tracks outright banned K&N oil filters. Seems like a lot of companies chase lower manufacturing costs but loose control of quality. I’m about to change my TC oil for the first time and was contemplating Castro. Vs Mobile 1. I run Castrol motorcycle oil in my Ninja which has a 16,000RPM redline and power get big at about 8,000RPM. The first engine mechanical failure I’ve seen is my sons VW turbo which we found large metal flakes and a small screen in the oil pan hI refer to it as VW’s special oil additive). Working on that makes me appreciate the underhood area of the TC.

Welcome, 2016 is a great year :-)

Welcome, like the color. Totally agree with you on the low load height. I haul my scooter in the back and it's nice not having to roll it up a steep ramp - or have so far to fall if I mess up! Looks like your is the wagon version with the seats. I have the big WeatherTech mat that goes over the top of the seats when they are folded. Not only does it protect them but does bridge some of the gaps. I've also taken out the rear seats and it works well that way as well. Currently I've got one of the rear seats in. There are some great threads from some very clever folks on how they have modified their TCs.

Yes, that’s exactly how I wound up with a white Titanium. Totally agree on dealer installing stuff although the dealer service on my Volt has been first class the one time I had an issue. I don’t hate white but would have rather had a red or green.

I’ve only removed the rear seats and they were not difficult - heavier than you might think. As I recall the bolts are Torx 55, 2 in the front and 2 in the back. Slid the seat forward and did the back 2 and then slid sear back to do the front 2. Lift up and out. I think the middle ones are a bit more complicated but will worry about that when I do it. Currently running with just one of the rear seats in.

Congratulations on your new van. We need photos, I can understand ordering, you can pick color and options.

Good review, ive had my ‘16 for 6 months and have only put 4,500 Miles on it (would have has less but my son’s car broke and he’s been driving my City car). Totally agree about the 2.0 eco boost engine. Not sure gas mileage would have been worse. My neighborhood is hilly and if I don’t get some interstate driving in I’m below 20 mpg. Even on the interstate I only get 25 maybe 26 on the interstate. Just returned from Itally where I saw a few Transit Connects as well as a smaller Ford van. My rental was a C Max Grand which I can only describe as a slightly bigger C Max with sliding rear side doors and two fold down seats in the back for a total of 7 seats. In the middle row the center seat would fold and stow under the right seat which was nice when traveling. It had a diesel which got about 40 mpg at 80mph which is the speed limit on the Autostrada. Not much acceleration though. Transmission was the automatic with a clutch instead of a torque converter. Several of the places we went had steep narrow and twisty streets particularly Monaco. It was a challenge to drive it so that the clutch wasn’t slipping too much. I noticed other cars in stop and go driving moving a car length at a time rather than very slowly creaping. I would prefer a 10 speed auto over that one. An amusing part was it had the Ford MyKey which the rental agency had taken advantage of to set max speed at 140 kph which is 10 above the speed limit and not a problem usually. However due to inaccuracy in the speedometer it was actually 135 kph which gave me no ability to speed up to get around the vehicle going just a bit slower.

Just returned from a trip to Italy and Monaco. Had a Ford C-Max Grand rental car. It's a C-Max but a bit longer with two fold down seats in the back for a total of 7 seats. As I would expect a lot of the controls were very similar to my '16 Transit Connect. It had a really cool display in the info part of the dash which had 7 boxes corresponding to the seats. A fastened seat belt had a green check and if unfastened it changed to red. The driver could immediately tell who had unbuckled. It was a very nice system and I wondered if my Transit Connect could be programed to show the same thing. We went to Monaco for the Historic Races. One of the groups was the pre war cars. It was amazing to watch them and see how fast they would go. These are cars from the 20's and 30's. The drivers did not wear seat belts! Monaco is a street course and is not a place to make a serious mistake. I was amazed at how hard they were driving. For the gear heads out there the sounds were amazing. Attached photo is not one of my best but does show the driver and lack of seat belt and roll bar.

Michelin make lots of different tires including some great high performance tires. For years I’ve stayed away from “hard” tires due to their lack of performance. Usually don’t run Michelin’s due to higher cost but have had some and they had a good combination of performance and durability and were very smooth. My Volt currently has Continental tires which are a major impediment over OEM Goodyear’s. But lost some range and mileage. Buying tires used to be simple, now it’s complex with lots of choices and price points. Reviews from places like Tire Rack can be helpful. A side note is motorcycle tires. Michelin make arguably the best sport touring tire with a great combination of wet and dry performance and good traction in the cold. They have a hard compound in the center of the tread and a soft compound on the sides (for cornering) so they last well but not at the expense of handling. For me the rears last 12,000 to 15,000 Miles. My current Ninja ZX6R got 4,000 miles out of the ORM rear - “hypersport” Bridgestone S20.

Thanks for the info on the DRLs. A comment on the global window opening. Have this feature on my Volt and every once and a while I'll accidentally press the key fob while in my pocket by sitting on it or leaning on something and all the windows will roll down and it will unlock. Not a problem in the garage but a pain when it's outside. Happened in the rain one time. For now I just don't keep the key fob in my pocket.

Update, had hauled my Metropolitan scooter a few times putting it on top of the folded seats. It weighs 165 pounds so not hard to roll in. Had to take mirrors and top case off. Last week took out the back seats which was very easy except for lifting them out. They are not real heavy but awkward to lift up and out without help. Put my WeatherTech cargo mat down and a 3 x 3 MDF board on top and rolled the scooter in. Still had to take mirrors off but not the top case. I used three straps and it was very stable with no movement at all. Used a mat from IKEA at the back to go over the bumper when rolling the scooter in. Next time I'm going to get something to go between the seat and the strap. It didn't hurt it this time but worry about doing it frequently. Made a nice place to step and not worry about dirt and grime scratching the bumper. The front wheel rolls into the space between the two middle seats and the dropdown is nice in holding it in place. Also the Metropolitan has a center stand lock which keeps it from folding if it should move forward a bit. Thinking of making a wheel chock for the front which would make it easier to roll in and strap down and give me something to practice welding on. At the racetrack a scooter is extremely useful to get around on. Not only does it haul me and my gear but I also put a soft cooler with cokes and ice on the floorboard. That way I can get refreshed, cooled and caffeinated :-) Sometimes I do put some water in there as well.

Thanks Don for the description. Didn’t realize transmission had a cooler - warmer. Wonder if a malfunction of the control valve could cause issues. Temps would be elevated by the amount of heat picked up in the engine. Not enough caffeine yet so not thinking clearly but might raise temps by 40 or 50 desgrees but again could be enough to cause fluid to be above breakdown temperatures. Trying to figure why a warmer is needed, maybe for better shifts when cold. Here 10 degrees F is very cold so probably not as much of an issue. If if I was going to be regularly hauling think I’d be very seriously considering a cooler, good idea from G B L to monitor temperatures with a scanner. Have the interface and software but haven’t gone beyond testing to see if it works. On my VW’s have found it the be a handy tool particularly with a passenger monitoring. Edit: fixed what autocorrect fixed for me

Welcome, love that color. Great photo, looks like you are not the only one excited about the new van. Interested in how you like the springs, I have the LWB. Not unhappy with handling but open to improvements.

The battery is a fairly well understood part and possible could be retrofitted if it failed. The electric motor I would expect to be quite reliable as well. The power electronics and the controls for them would be a major question mark. To me bigger questions are stuff like how do the AC and heater work? Is it a heat pump like the Leaf or does it heat water like the Volt? Depending on the source those could be problem areas in a 6 year old car. Stuff like radiators (if it has them) are not so much of an issue. Battery in my Volt has been perfect but do know that it only uses the capacity between 20% and 80% and it is heated and cooled. That would be my base line and I'd compare the TC EV battery life expectancy to that. A good check would be the range on a moderate (60 degree F) day now versus when new. Totally agree with GBL's question! If it is cheap enough then I'd look at the residual value with a failed battery or electronics and that would be my value at risk. There are folks around who like to tinker with electric vehicles and a descent system would be of some value to them. I'm not familiar with Azure but did see their parts and other assets were bought by someone else in 2012. If it's super cheap and you really like the EV drive the I'd say go for it. If it's in the same price range as a used 2012 then I'd run. Edit: please keep us updated on your decision and if possible some photos would be nice.

Wagons are rare here. When I was looking last summer seemed to be a number of used ones for sale that had come from rental fleets. When I say a good number that is with a 500 mile search radius on GarGurus or AutoTrader. I have only seen 5 or 6 wagons since I bought mine. They are rare here The van version is everywhere!

Have a set of WeatherTech mats in my '16. I finally put the hold down things that came with them in because the drivers side slides a bit but not bad. Do a great job of holding the dirt, leaves, small rocks and water that gets tracked in.

Sorry no photos of it but have hauled my Honda Metropolitan scooter a few times on top of the seats. Folded all of the seats, put WeatherTech mat over the seats and a 3' square piece of MDF board on top of the mat. Rolled the scooter in and put the center stand down. That was the hardest part until I realized a piece of pipe over the leaver would work just fine to leaver the stand down. It also has a lock for the stand so it will not roll off. Used tie downs to fasten the luggage rack on the scooter to the anchors on the floor in the rear. The front wheel goes down between the two middle seats (have 6 seat configuration). It rides just fine. If I were to haul long distances would take rear seats out and tie it down more securely. Just finished a trailer build. Started with a vintage Holsclaw dirt bike trailer from the 80's. I picked it up at an estate sale. It is an interesting design with coil springs and shock absorbers. Complete disassemble, removed the rust and old paint. Painted and reassembled everything using new bolts and nuts. Also replaced the shock absorbers. Instead of putting the dirt bike rails back on I replaced the front crossmember with a piece of unistrut and built a 7 foot deck out of 5/4" x 6"deck boards. I love how in the lumber world 5/4 = 1 inch! The front and rear of the deck are caped with steel angle 1 1/4" x 1 1/4". On the front of the deck I mounted a Harbor Freight motorcycle wheel chock. The two parts that stick up above the base can be removed very easily which makes it easier to haul stuff like lumber or plywood. For plywood I'll have to make a stand so that it will be above the fenders. The capacity is a little less than 700 pounds which is more than enough for my 420 pound motorcycle. It is narrower than the TC which I like but cannot see it in the rear view mirrors except when turning. The fenders came from Northern Tool - because they were close, unstuck and inexpensive. LED lights from Amazon were installed and work very well. I have the factory towing package.

I have a 2013 Volt with over 50,000 miles. My battery is still very good but what has been not so good for my range are the Contentinental tires. They are eco or green but not as efficient as the OEM tires. However the improvement in stopping and cornering capability is a good tradeoff for me. One of my other vehicles is a Kawasaki ZX6R 636 which is a very fast Supersport motorcycle. The Volt does not accelerate, corner or stop like it does and switching between them takes a bit of paying attention, like don't pull out and hit the accelerator expecting instant acceleration. :-o

That is very impressive. Cant't think of anything I need but will keep you in mind.

mrtn, I need the name of the dealership. I'm retired but it would be nice to have a job where I got paid for not thinking :-) I would get the fluid changed. Years ago had a Safari van and the transmission started shifting less than perfectly. Took it to the local Express Oil change and the did the two bucket method which was really cool to watch. Got rid of the van with 200,000 miles on it and the transmission was still great. Had an early Ford Taurus that had the transmission rebuilt by Ford at 10,000 miles, it self destructed at 50,000 miles on vacation was taken to the cleaners by AAMCO - should have had local dealer do it. The original problem was hard downsifts when almost stopped. Local AAMCO fixed that problem when wee took it in to have it checked after the vacation rebuild - rear motor/transmission mount. It is so refreshing when you run into someone who knows how diagnose and fix things.

That is the first time I've heard that. Probably overtightened and possible cross threaded . Sounds like you have tried the helicoil fix, you are on the best path at this point. These engines are shared with other Ford cars particularly the Focus so would think a head would not be too difficult to get for a reasonable price. I have the 2nd (US) generation and don't know as much about the 1st gen but have seen some posts about wheel bearings and transmissions. I bought an interface off Amazon and downloaded the Forscan software so I can read the codes and reset stuff, better than the generic diagnostic code readers. Not sure how well it works with the 1st gen. With reasonable care I think these engines are reliable. I like the layout under the hood, much better than some other cars I've owned - GMC Safari and VW New Beetle turbo to name a couple of the worst for getting to stuff. Have been dealing with my son's VW 2.0 turbo recently. His oil pressure light came on at idle the other day. Took it to a place and they checked it and swapped switch to a diesel version (lower set point). I'm NOT OK with that fix but it got him home, now I get to diagnose it while he's driving my Volt! He's about to graduate so almost done fixing his car :-) Checked on prices for an oil pump, first price I saw was $1,784 - includes balance shafts which are part of oil pump, then realized it was for the other version of the engine! His oil pump is $234. Have friends with BMW's, there are some real high dollars issues there as well. Seems like every manufacturer has some issues that have very expensive fixes.

Have your kids discovered the secret compartment on the floor under the rear of the front passengers seat? Took me a couple of months before I knew it was there! Found an online version of the owners manual which is handy for quick learning about features. Mine came with the 2017 manual, guess the dealer lost the 2016 one as they had it for about a year. On the iPad as about to leave for school bus duty - taking the twin grandkids to school. I’ll post the link later. I remember my my dad putting seat belts in cars when I was a kid, remember him helping friends put seat belts in their car after the had a crash and their kids were injured but recovered. Remember the car seat for our first kid who was born in 1980, scary by today’s standards.

Welcome, great you found one you wanted when you needed it. My TC is the first vehicle in a while I've not bought in panic mode. I see you have the roof racks which should be able to carry a 4x8 sheet of plywood. I'm currently rebuilding an old trailer to haul my motorcycle and scooters but will also haul stuff like plywood and lumber for house projects. I take my twin 4 YO grandchildren to school several times a week and it is very nice. Their seats are higher than a car but not as high as a my daughter's Honda van. Funny thing is they prefer my Volt as they like to what the energy monitor display on the center console and count the number of bars the battery has used. I got the WeatherTech mat for the back which goes over all the seats when they are folded flat. Have haunted a lot of stuff including my Honda Metropolitan scooter. The scooter took a little thinking to get it right. For stuff like ovens dishwashers I use a MDF board over the rubber mat to spread the load a bit. Sometimes I'll leave the mat in and just have the rear seats folded. Not a perfect solution but it works. It drives very nicely and is stable when cornering, feels sporty next to the Honda van or the Hyundai Tucson rental I had last week. Love the size, lots of space inside but small on the outside.

If the seal is leaking after a day or two my first thought would be wrong seal, too much internal pressure or surface problems either on the shaft that goes thru the seal or the housing the seal is pressed into. By surface problems I mean scratches. Not certain about heat shield but would expect one around the cat. They should get it right. Many years ago I had a Ford Taurus transmission die on vacation in Sarasota FL. The AAMCO place charged us a fortune and was slow! The local AAMCO shop when we took it in for an adjustment said something like "they charged you a lot" which made me think I was overcharged a bit. Very last visit to AAMCO. Transmission needed a rebuild 40,000 miles later when we traded for a GMC Safari. It's transmission lasted over 200,000 without any issues and only a couple of fluid changes. People talk about driving the wheels off, my wife did! The right front ball joint failed twice. First turning around in a driveway and the second at about 15 MPH. The wheel just leaned over into the van.

Welcome, there are a number of posts about folks camping with their TC's. I have a '16 bought new in November. I have plans to camp some in mine but not so much to turn it in a camper but taking it places and spending a night or two in it. LOL about the gas mileage shock. I've had a Volt for 4 years and having to get used to watching the gas gauge was a shock. Generally I only use gas when on a trip and sometimes go weeks without using any in the car. Also have a supersport motorcycle and after riding a bit have to remember acceleration isn't instant. Like the color, mine is white but that is good in the summer here. If you are getting rid of the seats, the middle seats will be a very easy sell. People are all the time looking for the two middle seats to replace the three seat configuration.