Pass rate, every year
75.6% Around average
1,107,503 tests across 25 model years, 2000–2024.
−5.4 pts vs the national average
Ford Transit MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics
Best year to buy
2024 96.9%
The strongest of the 25 years on record. See the 2024 page →
Worst year to buy
2010 68.6%
28.3 points below the 2024 peak. See the 2010 page →
The Ford Transit MOT pass rate is 75.6%, −5.4 percentage points below the UK average. That is 1,107,503 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2000 and 2024. This page lists the most common Ford Transit MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
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MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Ford Transit MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
Ford Transit MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average
The Ford Transit passed on its first attempt in 69.2%, and its overall record sits −5.4 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Ford Transit in the 2023–2025 data: 1,107,503 tests across 25 model years (2000–2024). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 1,107,503 |
| Overall pass rate | 75.6% |
| Passed on first attempt | 69.2% |
| Average mileage at test | 103,972 mi |
| Model years covered | 2000–2024 (25 years) |
| Versus UK national average | −5.4 pts below |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Most Common Ford Transit MOT Problems by Failure Category
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Ford Transit, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 31% |
| Visibility | 22% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 20% |
| Suspension | 19% |
| Brakes | 8% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1% |
| Tyres | 0% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 0% |
Shares are over the Ford Transit's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Around 31% of the recorded Ford Transit failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (7.4%), "Position lamp not working" (2.3%), "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps" (1.9%) among the Ford Transit's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Visibility
Around 22% of the recorded Ford Transit failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (8.1%), "Mirrors slightly damaged" (0.8%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (0.7%) among the Ford Transit's visibility faults.
Body, chassis, structure
Around 20% of the recorded Ford Transit failures fall in the Body, chassis, structure section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (4.4%), "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (4.0%), "Integral vehicle structure condition corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced" (0.5%) among the Ford Transit's body, chassis, structure faults.
Top Recorded Ford Transit DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Ford Transit, each with how many of the model's 1,107,503 tests it was noted on.
- "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 90,098 Ford Transit tests, 8.1% of the model's MOT record.
- "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 82,030 Ford Transit tests, 7.4% of the model's MOT record.
- "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 48,443 Ford Transit tests, 4.4% of the model's MOT record.
- "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 44,590 Ford Transit tests, 4.0% of the model's MOT record.
- "Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded" (Major) — noted on about 33,537 Ford Transit tests, 3.0% of the model's MOT record.
- "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 33,345 Ford Transit tests, 3.0% of the model's MOT record.
What Transit fails on more than most
The 8 biggest of 11 failure items this model records at least 1.5 times the UK rate for. One has a part guide — what to buy, which brands, and what the tester looks at next time.
| Failure item | This model | UK | × UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stop lamp partly not working | 3.2% | 0.4% | 8.0× | £3–£12 |
| Integral structure corroded | 3.9% | 0.6% | 6.5× | £180–£450 |
| Chassis corroded | 3.0% | 0.5% | 6.0× | £180–£450 |
| Wheel bearings has excessive play | 3.3% | 0.6% | 5.5× | £20–£55 |
| Mirrors slightly damaged | 2.2% | 0.4% | 5.5× | £3–£15 |
| Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded | 24.5% | 4.6% | 5.3× | £80–£180 part £25–£55 |
| CV boot split or insecure | 5.0% | 1.2% | 4.2× | £80–£250 |
| Registration plate lamp inoperative (single lamp) | 3.1% | 0.9% | 3.4× | £5–£20 |
Rates are a share of this model's own tests (1,107,503 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items Transit records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs
Best and Worst Ford Transit Model Years by Pass Rate
The strongest Ford Transit model year on record is 2024 (96.9% across 228 tests), and the weakest is 2010 (68.6%). The gap between them is 28.3 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
Ford Transit reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 2.5 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 Transit | 228 | 96.9% |
| 2023 Transit | 1,054 | 93.1% |
| 2022 Transit | 2,507 | 90.9% |
| 2021 Transit | 4,175 | 87.6% |
| 2020 Transit | 5,111 | 86.2% |
| 2019 Transit | 9,738 | 84.4% |
| 2018 Transit | 66,966 | 83.2% |
| 2017 Transit | 158,867 | 80.7% |
| 2016 Transit | 152,202 | 79.3% |
| 2015 Transit | 133,556 | 77.3% |
| 2014 Transit | 108,992 | 76.2% |
| 2013 Transit | 78,179 | 72.9% |
| 2012 Transit | 60,992 | 70.6% |
| 2011 Transit | 73,857 | 69.4% |
| 2010 Transit | 61,587 | 68.6% |
| 2009 Transit | 42,596 | 69.1% |
| 2008 Transit | 46,399 | 69.4% |
| 2007 Transit | 36,309 | 70.5% |
| 2006 Transit | 20,738 | 71.1% |
| 2005 Transit | 11,182 | 70.2% |
| 2004 Transit | 8,004 | 70.3% |
| 2003 Transit | 8,546 | 69.4% |
| 2002 Transit | 7,130 | 71.6% |
| 2001 Transit | 4,818 | 72.0% |
| 2000 Transit | 3,770 | 74.8% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Ford Transit Owners
These checks follow this Ford Transit's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Ford Transit.
-
the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”
Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.
-
the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”
Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.
-
the brake pipes — “rigid brake pipes excessively corroded”
Brake pipes run under the car, usually in front of the rear wheels. Flaking or crusty metal is what fails; a light dusting of surface rust does not. Worth asking a garage to look while it is on a ramp.
Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Ford Transit. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
Frequently Asked Questions: Ford Transit MOT & Reliability
What is the Ford Transit MOT pass rate?
75.6% of the 1,107,503 recorded Ford Transit MOT tests ended in a pass, −5.4 percentage points below the national average. 69.2% of those passed on the first attempt.
Which Ford Transit model years pass the MOT most often?
2024 is the strongest Ford Transit year on record at 96.9%, while 2010 is the weakest at 68.6%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
What are the most common Ford Transit MOT failures?
The most recorded Ford Transit failures are "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" and "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" — together around 16% of tests, mostly in the Visibility section.