The MOT Files

Known faults, from the test record

Ford Transit common problems

What fails on the Ford Transit at MOT, which parts are behind it, and how each model year compares. From 280,871 DVSA test records.

Data updated

Quick answer

The Ford Transit's most common MOT problems are bulbs and lamps, suspension bushes, driveshaft gaiters, recorded in 45.8%, 32.1% and 25.9% of failed tests respectively. By model year, 2022 cars pass most often (83.3%) and 2012 cars least (51.1%), though most of that gap is age. Every figure here is what testers recorded, not what owners reported.

A “common problems” list is usually a forum thread: whoever had the worst day writes the longest post. This one is built the other way, from every Ford Transit that took an MOT last year and what the tester wrote down. It cannot see breakdowns, electrical gremlins or a gearbox that hunts, because the test does not check those. What it can see, it sees across 280,871 cars.

By component

What wears out on a Transit

Failure items grouped by the part behind them, with the share of failed Ford Transit tests recording each. A part can carry several DVSA wordings; they are listed beneath. One failed test often lists several items, so shares do not sum to 100%.

  1. 1.Bulbs and lamps

    45.8% of failed tests

    Filament bulbs simply expire; the cheapest and most avoidable failure on the test, and one of the most recorded.

    • “A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained12.9%
    • “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps” — explained10.1%
    • “Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning” — explained10.1%
    • “A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED” — explained5.4%

    Across all cars, bulbs and lamps failures climb 15-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long bulbs and lamps last

  2. 2.Suspension bushes

    32.1% of failed tests

    Rubber bushes in arms and links perish and split with age and load; the most recorded suspension item on the test.

    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained16.0%
    • “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn” — explained5.6%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained4.0%
    • “A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained3.6%

    Across all cars, suspension bushes failures climb 20-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long suspension bushes last

  3. 3.Driveshaft gaiters

    25.9% of failed tests

    The rubber boot over each CV joint splits with age and flexing, then throws grease and lets grit destroy the joint.

    • “A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc” — explained25.9%

    Across all cars, driveshaft gaiters failures climb 21-fold between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long driveshaft gaiters last

  4. 4.Body and structure

    19.8% of failed tests

    Structural corrosion within 30 cm of a seat belt, suspension or steering mounting fails; it is a disease of age, salt and wet storage.

    • “Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced” — explained9.7%
    • “Body, cab or chassis excessively corroded at a mounting point” — explained5.2%
    • “Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced” — explained4.9%

  5. 5.Brake pipes

    19.5% of failed tests

    Steel pipes under the car corrode from salt and moisture, fastest on cars kept outside in wet or coastal areas; failure is for excessive corrosion or damage.

    • “Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded” — explained19.5%

    Across all cars, brake pipes failures climb from nothing between three and fifteen years, peaking at 15+ years. How long brake pipes last

  6. 6.Suspension arms and mountings

    17.6% of failed tests

    Arms bend on impact and mountings corrode into the body; a corroded mounting is a structural item and fails as one.

    • “The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired” — explained17.6%

  7. 7.Wiper blades and washers

    16.9% of failed tests

    Rubber blades harden and split within a year or two; washer jets block and pumps fail.

    • “Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen” — explained8.7%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained4.7%
    • “Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen” — explained3.5%

    Across all cars, wiper blades and washers failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long wiper blades and washers last

  8. 8.Tyres

    15.4% of failed tests

    Tread wears with every mile and sidewalls age and take kerb damage; the legal minimum is 1.6 mm across the central three-quarters.

    • “Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements” — explained7.4%
    • “A tyre seriously damaged” — explained4.8%
    • “A tyre cords visible or damaged” — explained3.2%

    Across all cars, tyres failures run at a similar rate at every age, because they are replaced on a cycle rather than wearing out with the car. How long tyres last

By registration year

Transit problems by year

MOT pass rate for Ford Transit cars by the year they were first registered, from years with at least 1,000 tests. Every car in a row is the same age, so the rate is raw. Neighbouring years differ by a year of wear — a step of a point or two is age. The step at 2014, up 8.4 points, is larger than wear explains and most likely marks a change in the cars themselves.

200160%
200258%−2.0
200356%−1.7
200455%−1.5
200556%+1.0
200658%+2.7
200756%−2.4
200854%−2.1
200953%−1.3
201051%−1.1
201151%−0.0
201251%−0.3
201356%+4.6
201464%+8.4
201566%+1.6
201667%+1.7
201767%+0.1
201871%+3.6
201975%+4.0
202077%+2.4
202180%+3.0
202283%+2.9

Last column: change on the previous year, in points. Years registered within the last three years have not yet been tested and are not shown.

Before it fails

What testers warn Transit owners about

Advisories are the same parts a year or two earlier. Share of all Ford Transit tests carrying an advisory for each.

Go deeper

The rest of the Transit file

Common questions

What are the most common problems with a Ford Transit?
Going by what fails the MOT, bulbs and lamps (recorded in 45.8% of failed tests), suspension bushes (recorded in 32.1% of failed tests), and driveshaft gaiters (recorded in 25.9% of failed tests). These are the items testers actually record across 280,871 tests, not reports from owners, so they describe what goes wrong at the point where it has to be fixed.
Which Ford Transit year is the most reliable?
By MOT pass rate, Ford Transit cars registered in 2022 do best at 83.3% and 2012 cars do worst at 51.1%. Most of that ordering is simply age — newer cars pass more — so read the year table for steps larger than a couple of points between neighbouring years; those mark a change in the cars rather than the calendar. The largest such step is at 2014, up 8.4 points on 2013.
Is the Ford Transit reliable?
Adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Ford Transit passes 68.0% of MOTs against a national 72.3%. An MOT measures roadworthiness on the day rather than breakdowns or running costs, so this is a reliability measure in the narrow sense: how often the car meets the legal standard, and what stops it.
What should I check when buying a used Ford Transit?
Start with what fails most: bulbs and lamps, suspension bushes, driveshaft gaiters. Then read the car's own MOT history for advisories carried year to year without repair — the model tells you what to expect, the history tells you whether this owner dealt with it.

Analysis built from DVSA data of