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My first thought is that reverse is a non synchromesh gear. Ive had transmissions in the hazy distant past that would act like that. Second thought is that the clutch may not have enough freeplay and is actually transmitting a bit of power or spinning the transmission a bit even with the clutch peddle depressed all the way. I'm not sure you don't have transmission issues. Many years ago I had a 1985 Merkur XR4Ti which destroyed its transmission. If I recall one of the symptoms was difficulty engaging reverse. Or may have been the Fiesta (1978) that had a bearing go bad which caused play in the shaft. I got lucky on the Fiesta, it had a magnetic drain plug which collected the metal and all it needed was a replacement bearing. When the XR4Ti was right it was very quick for it's time.

I agree about the Nissan vans but I do see a fair number of them around.

I think the real solution is to put the engine, transmission and computer from a Focus ST. Now that would make a difference. Could be done for about the price of a nice used TC though. Was down at APR last week - they are a VW/Audi tuner - and looked at a VW 2.0 turbo that could be had for about $15K (Im talking about the engine+turbo+intercooler). It made lots of HP :-) As for the TC I love mine but do occasionally wish for more. Don't know why Ford doesn't make a go fast version. A TC with the engine and brakes from the ST along with a bit of firming on the suspension would make a nice sport van.

I see a fair number of the Rams and Nissan NV200 and even the Chevy City Express but not so many Mercedes. I have the Titanium level TC and while not plush its not so bad on the inside. The seats aren't great but are not that bad. Ive always avoided leather and this is only my second vehicle with leather. The first being a Mercedes 190E that couldn't drive by a repair shop without stopping in for a visit. My TC is not powerful but does OK, drove over to Atlanta last Wednesday to IKEA. Bought some cabinets loaded up and left downtown at 5PM! Yes that's right into the teeth of rush hour. The TC did fine, it doesn't have an overabundance of torque so have to be heads up on low speed stop and go in heavy darting traffic but it does carve thru traffic nicely. To me it feels bigger than it is but it turns and moves like a much smaller vehicle. My daughter had a Honda Odyssey which is much more ponderous. I don't miss stuff like the lane guidance, blind spot detection etc. I do really like the backup sensors and camera. The rain sensing wipers are really nice. As for noise it is not bad, It does make a difference how the back of the van is configured. With seats up it is quite than with seats down. It will cruse with the flow of traffic on the interstates here in the south - which sometimes is well above the posted limits. Something I like about it is the fact it drives and corners like a car but with an elevated seating position. No it's not going to win lots of drag races but if you need to accelerate it does it well enough. Something that is really nice about it is the low floor height combined with the tall roof. You can put stuff inside that wouldn't fit in an ordinary van. The seat heights are such that most people can sit in them without effort, they are not high or low. My 90 YO mother-in-law loves to ride in it as it's easy to get in and out. I took her somewhere in the Volt and it is much more difficult for her to get out of as it is lower.

Congrats on your TC, it does drive very nicely. Glad you got the license plat screws out, on one of mine I actually pulled the nut part out of the body. I then had a hole in the rear door of my brand new TC!!!! They have metric threaded bolt holes which are an insert into the sheet metal and then crimped from the back side. I couldn't figure out how to easily put a replacement in (part is very expensive for what it is) so I went with a license plate frame and sed two other bolt holes - carefully checking to make sure what size bolt was needed. Got bolts at Home Depot and also cut down the license plate mounting bolts for the new frame to make sure they didn't go thru the new frame and rub against the paint. 2 hours of my time to fix something that would have taken a few minutes for the dealer to do correctly.

I have 4 kids but the youngest is 28 and she complains whenever she rides with me so I mostly leave her behind :-) I have twin 5 YO grandkids and haul them a lot. The seats go in the middle and third row without too much trouble. Mine is a 2016 Titanium with the 6 passenger configuration. The seats are not the most comfortable but work OK, today I made a 300 mile trip without issues. For most people the seat height is such that they can sit without going up or down. Putting the kids in the seats is easy and they can climb in w/o any trouble. The twins like riding in the 3rd row and it not difficult buckling them in if the middle seats are folded. My inlays are 90 and recently father-in-law couldn't walk. We took him to the doctor. It was relatively easy to get him into the front seat with my mother-in-law behind him along with their helper. My wife got a 3rd row seat as she is 5' tall and quite limber. It doesn't ride as nicely as my daughter's Honda Oddessy but handles much better. It can go around turns very quickly without much body roll. Much more car like in that respect. Sometimes I fold the rear seats down and carry stuff and still can haul 4 people. Other times I will remove the rear seats, fold the middle seats and put one of my scooters in the back. What I love is the versatility and with the high roofline it is much easier to get around inside than my daughter's Honda. As for power it isn't powerful but it will go if you keep you foot on the floor. No you wont win a lot of drag races but its OK. For those who think it is slow I offer my Honda Metropolitan scooter. A couple of days with it and the TC looks like a rocket! I haven't had any issues with it being low but I'm careful what I drive over.

My son's VW turbo made it 75,000 miles before it needed a major service - engine, clutch flywheel left driveshaft and that doesn't include the small stuff like fluids etc. On the other hand I guess I need to open the hood on my Volt and check the washer fluid, it has 60,000 miles on it and may be due for the 4th oil change in a year or so. I agree about buying used and usually do but the last 2 vehicles I've bought have been new. Bought the Volt late in 2013, deep discount, + $7,500 tax credit + over $5,000 from wife in GM credit that she would let me spend on a Corvette. OTD was about $21,000, could get anything near a nice in a used low mileage car plus operating costs have been cheap. Bought the 2016 TC new in late November 2017. Got lots off and it was only about $3 or $4 thousand more than a nice used 2016 with 15,000 miles on it. I have those 15,000 miles and an additional year of warranty. IMO when its that close then I will buy new. When looking at used TC's it seems the prices don't vary much wether its a 14, 15 or 16 and sometimes the mileage doesn't appear to affect the price that much. My son recently bought a Focus ST (hum, wonder if I could swap the wheels and tires with my TC?) again the interesting thing was the used prices were not that much lower than the discounted new prices.

WOW that's a lot! Sorry to hear about your major surgery, may you heal quickly and well. When I shattered my kneecap and had to ride thru the stores in the mobility scooters it was not fun!

Changed the oil in my 2016 yesterday and noticed some oil in the same spot. Looked like it was coming thru the threaded hole which I think is a weep hole. Maybe from rear main seal? Not sure but will keep an eye on it. Bought my '16 new in late November 2017 and it has a little less than 13,000 miles on it. I changed the oil between 5 and 6 thousand miles but didn't reset the oil service reminder. It went on at 10,200 miles. I did reset it after this oil change - no I'm not going to wait until it goes on to change the oil next time. :-) Oil on top of the engine may be from cam (valve) cover gasket leaking, sometimes the bolts on the cam cover are loose and all that is needed is a tightening of the bolts. Ive had that happen a couple of times on VW's. Doesn't look too difficult to change if needed.

Totally agree herb. My daughter has an Odyssey and it is nicer than my TC. But I didn't want an Odyssey I wanted a van that I could haul stuff like my scooter or motorcycle or bicycle or an appliance or whatever. Only advantage the Odyssey has is it can hold a longer box than my TC. For taller cargo the TC wins hands down. It is a great van that can haul people, some cargo and has wonderful headroom. With mine I have hauled a scooter one day, the next day hauled my two 5 year old grandkids and then hauled something like a dishwasher. IMO the car reviewers only want lots of seats in a big SUV, lots of HP in a car like a Corvette or Porsche. Maybe I'm just more cynical in my old age but the media reviewers seem to spend very little time actually learning about the products they are reviewing and more time drinking coffee in Starbucks while surfing the web. As for Ford, I think they have a major case of brain fade - the accountants must be running the company again! It fine to have the 2.0 in the 2019 as long as they have another engine choice. The 2.0 turbo that makes 250HP would be a wonderful addition to the van and could totally transform its character. Don't see how the gas mileage could get worse. It handles very nicely, Ive had more fun thru the corners with it than a van should be capable of. The Odyssey is not a fun vehicle in the corners but the TC with it low stance and firm suspension handles pretty well.

I'm very careful taking off from a stop but it is way too easy for my 2016 LWB to spin the front tires (OEM). I agree the throttle is quite touchy from a stop which makes it hard to start smoothly. Exactly the opposite of my Volt which makes it interesting when switching from one to the other.

LOL, agree that is a bad day for the salesperson but they need to get it right. Depending on the problem I would not automatically write it off but certainly a bad sign. My son looked at a Ford Focus ST which had a check engine light on and it was at the Ford dealership. Car had some mods on it, price was way to high in my opinion. For about the same price he bought a new one two days ago - at a different dealership. Kind of like a shrunken flattened Transit Connect with some real horsepower. Cabin is very familiar as to be expected and I finally get my car back :-)

Sorry to hear that but better soon rather than later. Keep on looking, there are good one out there just takes patience - which is not done of my strengths.

Welcome, the Transit Connect defiantly makes a good camper. Many just put a foam mattress down and go with that. Not sure about it being more economical than a Focus ST3 though. Maybe taxes and insurance are lower but I would think the ST3 would get better fuel mileage. As for me, I'd take the motorcycle. :-)

Those are the 3rd row seats, 4 bolts each to put in or remove. Not sure how to go about adding to a cargo van, shouldn't be too hard. weldmoount nuts are under the floor plus two alignment holes per seat. In addition would need the seat belt and mounting points for it. The buckle end is part of the seat.

My money is on a connection, check fuses as well. Not sure if they have separate fuses for left and right side but really think its an unplugged connector somewhere. I don't have the manual yet but if you can check the wiring diagrams that may help on locating the issue.

Thought there was a documented issue with slow shifts. Id certainly be wanting a fluid change. Only have 12,000 miles on mine but in another 12,000 going to change fluid. As for the Triax fluid that is impressive but probably not so much difference between different automatic transmissions. Basic operating principles are the same and don't think the differences are that great so maybe a single fluid will work as they claim. Biggest issues with transmission fluid is high temperatures causing a breakdown of the fluid. G B L I'm curious as to how you are measuring the temperature? Is it thru the OBD port interface? I have the module and the software and might be interesting to look into.

Had to replace a taillight on one of my VW Rabbits, bought one on eBay. It worked just fine. Looked at the aftermarket ones and wound up going the eBay route. The used one came with the bulb carrier, if you have a cracked or broken housing the moisture often will cause the bulb contacts to corrode. Fix sooner rather than later - I love to procrastinate.

Thanks! Cool video, interesting look at the 2.5. May not be the most advanced or efficient engine but it seems to be a well designed and built engine.

Oil threads are always fun to read. It's a blast on some of the motorcycle forums! Agree with you except there can be a difference in the additive packages and the ability of some oils to last longer at higher temperatures. For most vehicles including the Transit Connect I don't think it makes much difference. I always use a full synthetic for their better temperature capability but IMO things like letting the engine come up to temperature before accelerating hard and changing the oil more frequently if taking a lot of short trips are more important. Much more concerned about the transmission fluid and it being changed on a routine basis particularly the OEM fluid. It has been a long time since Ive seen an engine failure due to poor lubrication. I'm not talking about running out or oil or having a crummy filter or a badly designed part. Have a VW in my driveway with an engine destroyed by the failure of the timing chain tensioners-lots of metal in the oil pan and low oil pressure at idle so know there are bearing issues somewhere. Not oil related though and the engine did better that the 1.8T in terms of cooking the oil. Fix one thing break two more, sigh. Its a 2009 so the Germans may have a good engine now after millions of miles of customer funded R&D.

Its been reasonable close but those numbers are very good. Much better than what I get. Looks like you have the short wheelbase, do you have the turbo motor? Nice looking van. You did better on the color than I did (delivery van white). Yes they are hard to find although I looked the other day and saw a number of new ones on Car Gurus. I drove 300 miles to get mine but got a new 2016 a year ago. Dealer came off about $7,000. There are several threads about the automatic transmission and the "lifetime" fluid. With 61,000 miles I would recommend changing the fluid. I have a VW 2008 Rabbit with the same transmission claim - fluid is lifetime. Had it changed at about 60,000 miles and it seems to be doing OK.

While the TC may not have the bling and sheer size of other vans it is a very nice van. There are a couple of others out there but I don't think the Dodge, Chevy or Nissan are competitors - I didn't even give them a second look. They may be OK cargo vans but not for the versatility I have in the TC. Cargo wise it's about 6 to 8 inches shorter than my daughter's Odyssey van but much smaller on the outside. Seats are lower and the roof is higher. I have the Titanium version with most of the goodies. Went to lunch Sunday and parked next to a Lexus sedan with it's mirrors folded back. I clicked the lock button and mine folded back also :-) have to confess I had a bit of gleeful excitement as my Ford van had mirrors that worked like theirs. For me it the incredible versatility it has. It can be a nice vehicle to transport several people, leather seats decently quiet and rides well enough although I can't get the nose dive of a giant sized SUV when stopping. I can fold the seats flat and but the WeatherTech mat down and haul stuff like double ovens, dishwashers, furniture, cabinets from IKEA, etc. Can take the twin grandkids to Costco and buy lots of stuff and put it in the back. Those are my daughters favorite trips - she's not there! Can take the 3rd row seats out, fold the middle seats and haul one of my scooters. All of this and the van is only 3 or 4 inches wider than my Volt and 10 or 11 inches longer. I can park it in my overcrowded garage. Currently have a 1890s vintage full sized metal lathe residing in front of the van. Everyone be careful as you are driving around during the holidays. Seems like drivers are worse than ever. Pulled up to an intersection the other day just as the light changed. I stopped and wasn't paying close attention as the cars in the left turn on on the cross street started turning. As the first vehicle was most of the way across, a rollback wrecker with an SUV on it and coming from my left made a panic stop at the red light. If they had not of stooped would have broadsided on of the cars turning left. Clearly they just didn't see the red light. Maybe they mistook a green turn signal for a green light but it was too close for comfort! If it had hit one of the turning cars they would have probably been knocked into me! I also saw a Suburu driver getting an award for probably executing a 20MPH stop at a 4 way stop.

Welcome and yes antennas work best when on the roof. :-) If its just the part that screws on Ive had good success with ones from Amazon for my other vehicles. On the backup camera have you checked the lens? It may just need cleaning.

Don't think the 2018 and previous couple of years had any big changes to the dash. In 2016 they had the Ford MyTouch radio and in 2017 they went to the Sync3 which is a Sony system. I have a 2016 Titanium with the Ford MyTouch and it's not bad. Front seats sound is decent, I have a Volt with the Bose sound system and it sounds better but not by huge amounts. When shopping I was open to getting a TC with the standard radio and my plan was to upgrade it with a 3rd party radio. Spent some time looking at Crutchfields to see what was available. Have not used it but there is a third party dash insert which will fit the double din receivers. Most of the nicer units have plug ins for the backup camera and steering wheel controls. I estimated $1,000 to $1,500 to get a nice head unit and some speakers. Of course you can spend more. Best sound system I had was on my 2013 ZX6R with a Two Brothers Shorty Exhaust. :-) Full throttle above 12,000RPM sounded incredible! :-) Problem was it was LOUD! My wife almost banned me from riding it in our neighborhood - had to tiptoe out and not disturb the neighbors.

Thanks Don, now I feel stupid :-)