Ford Transit MOT failure rate and common faults
267,199 Ford Transit vans aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 37.5% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 29.9% of the time, which makes the Ford Transit 26% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
37.5%
failed first time
267,199 MOT tests in 2025
+26%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 29.9%
9 of 24
age adjusted rank
among vans and pickups; 1 fails least
128.1
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 109.3
What fails on a Ford Transit MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Ford Transit MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts | 84.7 |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded | Brakes | 61.8 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 53.1 |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 51.2 |
| Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength | Suspension | 47.0 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 44.2 |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | Lights and electrics | 40.6 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 32.8 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 32.6 |
| Integral vehicle structure condition: corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced | Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts | 26.8 |
Ford Transit MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,824 | 16.7% | 11.4% | 41,800 |
| 2021 | 1,827 | 19.5% | 12.8% | 53,900 |
| 2020 | 1,468 | 22.4% | 14.1% | 64,400 |
| 2019 | 2,714 | 24.9% | 16.5% | 78,100 |
| 2018 | 18,498 | 28.9% | 19.1% | 91,300 |
| 2017 | 42,798 | 32.5% | 21.8% | 100,300 |
| 2016 | 40,418 | 32.6% | 25.1% | 109,700 |
| 2015 | 34,644 | 34.2% | 28.1% | 120,300 |
| 2014 | 27,818 | 35.8% | 31.4% | 127,500 |
| 2013 | 18,526 | 44.3% | 34.3% | 132,500 |
| 2012 | 13,749 | 48.9% | 36.6% | 137,600 |
| 2011 | 16,350 | 48.6% | 38.8% | 146,300 |
| 2010 | 13,334 | 48.5% | 40.7% | 149,900 |
| 2009 | 9,230 | 47.4% | 41.8% | 144,200 |
| 2008 | 9,673 | 46.1% | 42.9% | 140,000 |
| 2007 | 7,532 | 44.0% | 42.7% | 138,500 |
| 2006 | 4,392 | 41.6% | 43.0% | 130,100 |
| 2005 | 2,404 | 44.2% | 42.4% | 118,100 |
Advisories to look for in a Ford Transit's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Ford Transit, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material365.5
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement249.7
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened217.2
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge215.5
- Brake pads: wearing thin124.2
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive113.7
Checking a used Ford Transit before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Ford Transit fails more often than average on lights and electrics, suspension and brakes. Start there.
Lights and electrics
Walk round the car with every light on: headlights on dip and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate lamp. A pattern of electrical faults costs more than a bulb.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Brakes
Look through the wheel spokes at the discs for a deep lip or scoring, check the handbrake holds the car on a slope, and feel for a pull to one side when braking hard.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Ford Transit MOT questions
What is the Ford Transit MOT failure rate?
37.5% of Ford Transit vans failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 267,199 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 29.9% of the time, so the Ford Transit was 26% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Ford Transit MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 299 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt", recorded 84.7 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Ford Transit year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2006 registrations did best: 41.6% failed against an average of 43.0% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Ford Transit will pass?
No. These are averages across every Ford Transit tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Ford models
- Ford Fiesta34.1% failed
- Ford Focus31.4% failed
- Ford Kuga20.6% failed
- Ford Transit Custom22.8% failed
- Ford Ka33.3% failed
- Ford Mondeo32.3% failed
Ranked close to the Ford Transit
- Mercedes-Benz Vitorank 6
- Toyota Hiluxrank 7
- Fiat Doblorank 8
- Nissan Navararank 12
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Ford Transit vans of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.