Ford Transit 350 Ecoblue MOT pass rate & common failures
1,755 MOT tests on the Ford Transit 350 Ecoblue (2019–2024) give it a 90.7% pass rate. Against all cars of a similar age (8.2% fail rate), the Transit 350 Ecoblue comes out 1.2pp worse. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 5.9% of all tests — 3.1 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, brake pads and malfunction indicator lamp — headlamp aim alone was recorded 48 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the Transit 350 Ecoblue fails 4.8% of the time in the 0-30k band and 5.9% at 120-150k, a spread of only 1.0 points.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 13.3% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 2.7% of tests failed in 2021 against 10.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Transit 350 Ecoblue model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 138 | 92.0% | 8.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 612 | 91.3% | 8.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 560 | 86.1% | 13.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 344 | 94.5% | 5.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2023 | 55 | 98.2% | 1.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2024 | 46 | 95.7% | 4.3% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 5.9% | 104 |
| 2 | Brakes | 2.9% | 50 |
| 3 | Tyres | 2.7% | 48 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.3% | 41 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.0% | 35 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.4% | 25 |
| 7 | Suspension | 0.9% | 15 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.7% | 13 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 48 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 36 |
| 3 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 34 |
| 4 | Washers | 22 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 19 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 18 |
| 7 | Wipers | 18 |
| 8 | Individual direction indicators | 17 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 13.3% | 234 |
| 2 | Tyres | 10.5% | 185 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 5.0% | 88 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.6% | 80 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 3.5% | 61 |
| 6 | Other defects | 3.1% | 54 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 826 | 4.8% |
| 30-60k | 534 | 13.3% |
| 60-90k | 251 | 15.1% |
| 90-120k | 96 | 11.5% |
| 120-150k | 34 | 5.9% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 75 | 2.7% |
| 2022 | 135 | 5.2% |
| 2023 | 296 | 5.7% |
| 2024 | 560 | 11.6% |
| 2025 | 689 | 10.6% |
What to check before buying a Ford Transit 350 Ecoblue
- Lighting & signalling (5.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (2.9% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Tyres (2.7% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Ford Transit 350 Ecoblue?
90.7% of the 1,755 Ford Transit 350 Ecoblue MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 9.3% fail rate, across model years 2019–2024.
What does the Ford Transit 350 Ecoblue most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 5.9% of tests, then brakes (2.9%).
How much does mileage affect Transit 350 Ecoblue MOT results?
Fail rates run at 4.8% for cars in the 0-30k band and 5.9% for 120-150k, a 1.0-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,755 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.