Ford Transit common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 592,158 initial MOT tests on the Ford Transit in Great Britain, and 62.9% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Ford Transit at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 592,158
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 62.9%
Failed at firstIncluding 7.1% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 37.1%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 9.6%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 154,534 off the road (SORN): 456,750

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the Transit fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

1Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
19.2%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
2Brakes
12.2%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
3Suspension
11.9%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
4Body, chassis and structure
9.5%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
5Visibility
7.3%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
6Tyres
5.6%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
7Noise, emissions and leaks
4.9%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
8Steering
2.7%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
9Seat belts and airbags
2.0%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Registration plates and VIN
0.5%
Number plates and the vehicle identification numberAll cars and vans: 0.3%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

Position lampsLamps and electrics5.9%
TransmissionBody and structure5.0%
Mechanical brake componentsBrakes4.8%
Stop lampLamps and electrics4.7%
Brake performanceBrakes4.7%
Suspension armsSuspension4.6%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks4.4%
Registration plate lamp(s)Lamps and electrics4.0%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First used	Tests	Passed first time	Dangerous defect
2024	413	93.7%	0.5%
2023	1,413	86.2%	3.7%
2022	31,939	76.3%	6.1%
2021	31,812	73.5%	6.6%
2020	19,768	73.8%	6.8%
2019	24,552	70.2%	7.7%
2018	46,344	69.0%	7.8%
2017	68,938	66.8%	8.0%
2016	65,987	66.7%	7.9%
2015	55,157	64.8%	8.3%
2014	43,458	61.8%	9.1%
2013	32,814	53.4%	12.2%
2012	25,878	50.5%	13.9%
2011	29,366	50.9%	14.9%
2010	22,491	50.5%	14.7%
2009	16,317	50.6%	14.2%
2008	18,554	52.7%	13.9%
2007	15,332	53.7%	13.0%
2006	9,841	55.5%	11.9%
2005	5,936	55.7%	11.5%
2004	4,547	53.2%	12.0%
2003	4,614	55.0%	11.3%
2002	4,115	56.1%	11.9%
2001	2,948	57.5%	10.8%
2000	1,762	60.6%	10.9%

Mileage

Transit mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record

Age at test	Median mileage	Readings
0 years	7,300 miles	333
1 year	28,900 miles	661
2 years	47,200 miles	24,113
3 years	54,600 miles	29,286
4 years	67,600 miles	23,400
5 years	77,400 miles	21,507
6 years	88,300 miles	34,336
7 years	95,900 miles	59,679
8 years	103,400 miles	67,074
9 years	113,600 miles	60,262
10 years	122,500 miles	48,808
11 years	127,100 miles	37,622
12 years	133,400 miles	28,192
13 years	142,600 miles	26,990
14 years	148,500 miles	26,651
15 years	147,100 miles	18,419
16 years	144,600 miles	16,418
17 years	145,900 miles	17,075
18 years	142,600 miles	11,968
19 years	131,600 miles	7,010
20 years	133,000 miles	4,493
21 years	135,200 miles	4,279
22 years	141,000 miles	4,235
23 years	143,200 miles	3,482
24 years	138,400 miles	2,360
25 years	110,400 miles	1,380

Checking a particular Transit?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

Ford Transit: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the Ford Transit?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Ford Transit was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 19.2% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 10.8% for all cars and vans. Next came brakes (12.2%) and suspension (11.9%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Ford Transit?

62.9% of 592,158 initial MOT tests on the Ford Transit in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 7.1% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.

Does a lower pass rate mean the Ford Transit is unreliable?

Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.

What counts as a dangerous defect?

One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 9.6% of initial tests on the Ford Transit found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.

Where do these figures come from?

From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

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