We bought a 2019 Transit Connect Cargo XLT for my wife, new - had it special ordered. We did some conversion work on it, insulation, lighting, a roof vent, power, etc. so that we could camp in it, but also use it for cargo when needed.
It was a great vehicle for us with two exceptions:
PCV valve fails on a pretty much exact 25,000 mile schedule. It is NOT easy to get to/change.
Transmission fails every 40,000 miles.
The 8F35 transmission is a box of junk. At 35,000 miles it started shifting hard. At 40,000 miles the hard shifts became extremely bad, and it also started slipping. We took it into Ford and they said the transmission was scrap. They replaced it under warranty.
At 80,000 miles, the exact same thing started happening again. Hard shifts, slipping under torque, slamming into gear. Both the powertrain and extended warranty had expired, Ford quoted $8500 for a replacement transmission, or $6500 for a refurb.
I decided that we were not going to be spending $8500 every 40,000 miles for a new transmission. So I traded it.
I've had seven Ford vehicles in my life, including the last four vehicles. The last two of them have had massive transmission problems, requiring replacement at low miles. My father's 2020 F-150 is now having transmission problems as well, with only 45,000 miles on it. Until Ford gets their act together, I'm done with Fords.
