2020 Ford Transit Courier — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2020 Ford Transit Courier passed 85.1% of its 12,241 recorded MOT tests. That is effectively the same as vans of a similar age (14.3% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (8.0%) and tyres (5.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, tread depth and wipers — headlamp aim alone was recorded 515 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 10.1% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 22.6% once past 150k — 2.2× the risk.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 14.5% of the time against 15.7% for petrol.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 22.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 11.5% of tests failed in 2022 against 15.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 8.0% | 983 |
| 2 | Tyres | 5.7% | 701 |
| 3 | Visibility | 5.3% | 647 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 3.8% | 468 |
| 5 | Brakes | 2.9% | 360 |
| 6 | Steering | 1.3% | 164 |
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 | 515 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 481 |
| 3 | Wipers | 466 |
| 4 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 392 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 334 |
| 6 | Brake pads | 270 |
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 | 22.9% | 2,799 |
| 2 | Brakes | 11.9% | 1,463 |
| 3 | Other defects | 8.9% | 1,086 |
| 4 | Visibility | 8.0% | 981 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 4.2% | 512 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 1.5% | 180 |
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 | 2,264 | 10.1% |
| 30-60k | 4,887 | 14.0% |
| 60-90k | 3,413 | 17.3% |
| 90-120k | 1,248 | 18.8% |
| 120-150k | 319 | 19.8% |
| 150k+ | 106 | 22.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 8,686 | 14.5% |
| Petrol | 3,555 | 15.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 478 | 11.5% |
| 2023 | 3,859 | 13.3% |
| 2024 | 3,985 | 15.9% |
| 2025 | 3,905 | 15.9% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Transit Courier
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 8.0% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (8.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.7% 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.
- Visibility (5.3% 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 2020 Ford Transit Couriers pass their MOT?
85.1% of the 12,241 2020 Ford Transit Courier MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 14.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Ford Transit Courier?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 8.0% of tests, followed by tyres (5.7%).
Does the 2020 Transit Courier get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.1% in the 0-30k band to 22.6% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 12,241 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.