2018 Ford Transit Connect — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2018 Ford Transit Connect passed 85.4% of its 97,083 recorded MOT tests. That is 1.6 percentage points better than vans of a similar age, which fail at 16.2%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (7.5%) and tyres (6.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are brake pads, wipers and tread depth — brake pads alone was recorded 4,032 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 9.7% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 16.9% once past 150k.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 14.6% of the time against 15.3% for petrol.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 25.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 12.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 15.7% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 7.5% | 7,307 |
| 2 | Tyres | 6.0% | 5,786 |
| 3 | Visibility | 5.5% | 5,290 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.3% | 4,204 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.3% | 2,236 |
| 6 | Suspension | 1.0% | 932 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brake pads | 4,032 |
| 2 | Wipers | 3,779 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 3,725 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 3,516 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 2,657 |
| 6 | Washers | 2,248 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 25.3% | 24,604 |
| 2 | Brakes | 17.6% | 17,078 |
| 3 | Visibility | 8.6% | 8,357 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.6% | 6,386 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 5.6% | 5,416 |
| 6 | Suspension | 2.3% | 2,249 |
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 | 12,171 | 9.7% |
| 30-60k | 32,743 | 13.6% |
| 60-90k | 27,724 | 15.8% |
| 90-120k | 15,808 | 17.0% |
| 120-150k | 6,159 | 17.3% |
| 150k+ | 2,469 | 16.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 95,757 | 14.6% |
| Petrol | 1,326 | 15.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 19,307 | 12.5% |
| 2022 | 19,590 | 13.8% |
| 2023 | 19,728 | 15.2% |
| 2024 | 19,481 | 15.8% |
| 2025 | 18,977 | 15.7% |
What to check before buying a 2018 Transit Connect
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 7.5% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (7.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (6.0% 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.
- Visibility (5.5% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2018 Ford Transit Connects pass their MOT?
85.4% of the 97,083 2018 Ford Transit Connect MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 14.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2018 Ford Transit Connect?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 7.5% of tests, followed by tyres (6.0%).
Does the 2018 Transit Connect get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 9.7% in the 0-30k band to 16.9% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 97,083 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.