Ford Transit Custom reliability: what the MOT shows

176,450 Transit Customs had an MOT in 2025. 77.2% passed first time, against 81.7% for other cars of the same age and mileage. Most of the gap comes from cars registered from 2021 to 2022, which fail on lights and electrics 2.1 times as often as comparable cars.

77.2%passed first time

−4.5points against cars of the same age and mileage

2.3×as many body and structure failures as comparable cars

Report card

Ford Transit Custom MOT results by registration year

Each dot compares how often Transit Customs of that year failed on one area of the test with cars of the same age and mileage.

Much betterBetterAbout the sameWorseMuch worse

Year	Passed first time	Against same age and mileage	MOTs
2018	75.0%	−2.0	27,644
2019	77.1%	−2.8	41,318
2020	78.1%	−4.4	32,957
2021	78.4%	−5.4	41,554
2022	77.3%	−7.4	31,979

Much worse: failed on that area at least 1.5 times as often. Worse: 1.15 to 1.5 times. Better: up to 0.87 times. Much better: two-thirds as often or less. Gaps under half a percentage point count as about the same. Registration year is the year the car was first used.

Ford Transit Custom years to avoid, going by the MOT

Behind2018 to 2020−2.0 to −4.4 ptsMost common failures: headlamp (not working on dipped beam) in 2018 and 2019; wipers (does not clear the windscreen effectively) in 2020. 101,919 MOTs.

Well behind2021 to 2022−5.4 to −7.4 ptsMost common failure in every one of these years: wipers (does not clear the windscreen effectively). 73,533 MOTs.

Well behind: 5 or more points below cars of the same age and mileage. Behind: 1.5 to 5 points below. Level: within 1.5 points. Ahead: 1.5 or more points above.

What fails

Ford Transit Custom common faults at the MOT

1.9% of Transit Custom MOTs failed on body and structure, against 0.8% for cars of the same age and mileage, and 6.1% on visibility, against 3.4%.

Most common failures

Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively3.5%Cars of the same age and mileage: 1.9%

Headlamp: not working on dipped beam2.9%Cars of the same age and mileage: 0.9%

Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick2.6%Cars of the same age and mileage: 1.8%

Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords1.7%Cars of the same age and mileage: 1.8%

Stop lamp: not working1.5%Cars of the same age and mileage: 0.6%

Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt1.4%Cars of the same age and mileage: 0.4%

Headlamp aim: too high1.3%Cars of the same age and mileage: 0.8%

Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1.3%Cars of the same age and mileage: 2.1%

Transit CustomSame age and mileage

Fails more often than other cars

Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded9.1×0.48% of Transit Custom MOTs (856) against 0.05% for cars of the same age and mileage

Mirrors: seriously damaged, affecting the rear view6.9×0.34% of Transit Custom MOTs (608) against 0.05% for cars of the same age and mileage

Front fog lamps: not working4.1×0.45% of Transit Custom MOTs (801) against 0.11% for cars of the same age and mileage

Brake pads: worn down to wear indicator3.5×0.74% of Transit Custom MOTs (1,299) against 0.21% for cars of the same age and mileage

Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt3.3×1.40% of Transit Custom MOTs (2,463) against 0.43% for cars of the same age and mileage

Headlamp: not working on dipped beam3.1×2.92% of Transit Custom MOTs (5,156) against 0.95% for cars of the same age and mileage

Mileage

Behind at every mileage

Transit Customs pass less often than cars of the same age and mileage at every mileage, by 3.8 to 5.2 points. The gap is widest at 120k+ miles.

Transit Custom, first-time pass rateCars of the same age and mileage

Check these before you buy a used Transit Custom

What testers most often noted as advisories on Transit Customs in 2025: wear that passed but was close to failing. Figures in brackets are for cars of the same age and mileage.

Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge12% (15%)
Brake pads: wearing thin10% (8%)
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened6% (6%)
Condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing5% (5%)
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively4% (2%)
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material3% (0%)
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive3% (1%)
Pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement2% (2%)

Questions about Transit Custom reliability

Is the Ford Transit Custom reliable?

At the MOT, 77.2% of 176,450 Transit Custom MOTs in 2025 passed first time, against 81.7% for cars of the same age and mileage. 2018 to 2020: behind (−2.0 to −4.4 points). 2021 to 2022: well behind (−5.4 to −7.4 points).

Which Ford Transit Custom years should I avoid?

Going by 2025 MOT results, 2018 to 2020 and 2021 to 2022. Those cars passed first time −2.0 to −4.4 and −5.4 to −7.4 points against comparable cars.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Transit Custom?

Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively: 3.5% of Transit Custom MOTs, against 1.9% for cars of the same age and mileage.

How we measure

Data. Every car MOT in Great Britain in 2025 (31,475,521 first tests on cars first used 2005 to 2022), from DVSA's anonymised MOT test data. Retests are left out.

Passed first time. A car passed if its first test that year ended in a pass. Cars that failed and were fixed within the hour count as fails, as DVSA counts them.

Same age and mileage. We group every car by the year it was first used and its mileage (under 30k, 30–60k, 60–90k, 90–120k, over 120k). The comparison figure is what those groups scored, weighted to match the Transit Custom's mix of ages and mileages.

Model. Every car DVSA records as a Ford Transit Custom: 75 recorded model names, from "TRANSIT CUSTOM" to trims such as "TRANSIT CUSTOM 300LIMITD EBLUE".

The full method, including how each report-card dot and year group is decided.