Ford Transit MOT pass rate & common failures
The Ford Transit appears in 1,975,676 MOT tests spanning model years 1980–2025, and 75.9% of them passed. Vans of a similar age fail at 23.3%, so the Transit sits squarely on the average. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Transit years
Ranked across Transit years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 85.5% of 2019 examples pass against 68.7% of 2008 ones.
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 14.3% of tests against 10.5% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are component mounting prescribed areas, rigid brake pipes and position lamp — component mounting prescribed areas alone was recorded 125,996 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 12.9% in the 0-30k band and 28.5% in the 150k+ band, a 15.6-point spread — more than double.
The diesel cars hold up better: 24.0% fail against 27.8% for petrol, a 3.8-point gap across 1,975,537 tests.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 37.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 23.1% of tests failed in 2021 against 24.6% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Transit model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 33 | 75.8% | 24.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1982 | 34 | 85.3% | 14.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1983 | 78 | 73.1% | 26.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1984 | 140 | 83.6% | 16.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1985 | 224 | 84.4% | 15.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1986 | 269 | 71.8% | 28.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1987 | 722 | 73.8% | 26.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1988 | 1,589 | 70.6% | 29.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1989 | 2,402 | 71.8% | 28.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 2,211 | 71.7% | 28.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1991 | 1,792 | 71.3% | 28.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 1,619 | 70.8% | 29.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 1,309 | 70.4% | 29.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 2,746 | 72.9% | 27.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1995 | 4,220 | 72.3% | 27.7% | Suspension |
| 1996 | 4,941 | 72.4% | 27.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 5,185 | 73.8% | 26.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 5,918 | 74.1% | 25.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 6,318 | 74.3% | 25.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 7,029 | 74.1% | 25.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 10,009 | 71.1% | 28.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 15,786 | 70.0% | 30.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 18,907 | 68.8% | 31.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 18,052 | 69.7% | 30.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 25,240 | 69.2% | 30.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 46,694 | 69.6% | 30.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 77,195 | 69.4% | 30.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 95,178 | 68.7% | 31.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 81,620 | 68.8% | 31.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 114,420 | 69.0% | 31.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 133,851 | 69.9% | 30.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 108,912 | 71.1% | 28.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 136,147 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 183,664 | 77.4% | 22.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 222,676 | 78.8% | 21.1% | Brakes |
| 2016 | 252,102 | 81.2% | 18.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 261,472 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 111,557 | 85.1% | 14.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 11,471 | 85.5% | 14.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 659 | 91.5% | 8.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 395 | 92.7% | 7.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 784 | 87.8% | 12.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2024 | 34 | 94.1% | 5.9% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 14.3% | 282,748 |
| 2 | Suspension | 10.5% | 207,047 |
| 3 | Brakes | 9.3% | 183,280 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.1% | 160,099 |
| 5 | Visibility | 6.0% | 118,956 |
| 6 | Tyres | 4.2% | 83,410 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 3.8% | 74,366 |
| 8 | Steering | 2.1% | 41,243 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 125,996 |
| 2 | Rigid brake pipes | 108,304 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 107,104 |
| 4 | Joints | 98,284 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 89,534 |
| 6 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 85,742 |
| 7 | Pins and bushes | 82,740 |
| 8 | Headlamp aim | 68,970 |
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 | 37.6% | 743,902 |
| 2 | Suspension | 26.8% | 529,181 |
| 3 | Tyres | 21.2% | 418,791 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 13.4% | 265,006 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 11.5% | 227,402 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.2% | 220,905 |
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 | 64,796 | 12.9% |
| 30-60k | 263,402 | 16.1% |
| 60-90k | 423,288 | 21.5% |
| 90-120k | 442,246 | 25.5% |
| 120-150k | 355,331 | 27.7% |
| 150k+ | 419,466 | 28.5% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 1,963,552 | 24.0% |
| Petrol | 11,985 | 27.8% |
| Gas/LPG | 95 | 21.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 433,317 | 23.1% |
| 2022 | 420,189 | 23.7% |
| 2023 | 398,140 | 24.3% |
| 2024 | 375,210 | 24.9% |
| 2025 | 348,820 | 24.6% |
What to check before buying a Ford Transit
- Lighting & signalling (14.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (10.5% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Brakes (9.3% 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.
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?
75.9% of the 1,975,676 Ford Transit MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 24.1% fail rate, across model years 1980–2025.
What does the Ford Transit most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 14.3% of tests, then suspension (10.5%).
Which Transit years are best and worst for MOT results?
2019 has the best pass rate at 85.5% and 2008 the weakest at 68.7%, from 11,471 and 95,178 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Transit MOT results?
Fail rates run at 12.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 28.5% for 150k+, a 15.6-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol Transit more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 24.0% of the time against 27.8% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,975,676 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.