2015 Ford Transit Custom — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2015 Ford Transit Custom passed 76.2% of its 1,170 recorded MOT tests. Vans of a similar age fail 21.6% of the time, so this is 2.1pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in body, structure & corrosion, brakes and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — body, structure & corrosion (9.3%) and brakes (8.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are joints, pins and bushes and rigid brake pipes — joints alone was recorded 103 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 14.0% in the 0-30k band and 28.9% in the 150k+ band, a 15.0-point spread — more than double.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 38.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 19.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 25.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Body, structure & corrosion | 9.3% | 109 |
| 2 | Brakes | 8.4% | 98 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 7.0% | 82 |
| 4 | Suspension | 6.3% | 74 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.6% | 65 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 4.7% | 55 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joints | 103 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 66 |
| 3 | Rigid brake pipes | 50 |
| 4 | Brake pads | 41 |
| 5 | Wipers | 39 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 30 |
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 | 38.1% | 446 |
| 2 | Suspension | 26.6% | 311 |
| 3 | Tyres | 21.5% | 252 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 12.3% | 144 |
| 5 | Visibility | 9.2% | 108 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.9% | 104 |
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 | 43 | 14.0% |
| 30-60k | 215 | 19.5% |
| 60-90k | 266 | 20.7% |
| 90-120k | 260 | 24.6% |
| 120-150k | 158 | 28.5% |
| 150k+ | 228 | 28.9% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 182 | 19.2% |
| 2022 | 218 | 22.5% |
| 2023 | 245 | 25.7% |
| 2024 | 260 | 24.6% |
| 2025 | 265 | 25.3% |
What to check before buying a 2015 Transit Custom
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: body, structure & corrosion accounted for 9.3% of tests. Start there.
- Body, structure & corrosion (9.3% of tests): The one to take seriously on older cars — corrosion to structural areas can be costly and is an MOT failure. Typical repair: £200–£1,500+.
- Brakes (8.4% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (7.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£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 2015 Ford Transit Customs pass their MOT?
76.2% of the 1,170 2015 Ford Transit Custom MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 23.8% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 Ford Transit Custom?
Body, structure & corrosion, recorded in 9.3% of tests, followed by brakes (8.4%).
Does the 2015 Transit Custom get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 14.0% in the 0-30k band to 28.9% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,170 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.