Ford Transit Custom MOT failures and reliability

In 2023 the Ford Transit Custom took 104,577 MOT tests in Britain and passed 79% of them first time, above the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.

MOT tests in 2023: 104,577
First-time pass rate: 79%
All cars: 71%

What the Transit Custom fails on

Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.

Lights and electrics7.6% (all cars 11.3%)
Visibility7.5% (all cars 4.8%)
Brakes5.1% (all cars 6.8%)
Tyres4.9% (all cars 6.4%)
Body and structure1.4% (all cars 3.5%)
Exhaust and emissions1.2% (all cars 3.1%)
Suspension0.7% (all cars 9.0%)
Number plates and VIN0.3% (all cars 0.4%)

Most common failure items

Share of tests on which each item was recorded.

Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 4.8%
Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick 3.0%
Headlamp: not working on dipped beam 2.0%
Tyres, condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords 1.6%
Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 1.4%
Headlamp aim: too high 1.3%
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid 1.1%
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps 1.0%

Most common advisories

Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 12.4%
Brake pads: wearing thin 11.2%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 6.3%
Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 4.5%
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively 3.4%
Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre 2.5%
Tyres, condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords 1.9%
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material 1.6%

Pass rate by year of registration

Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.

First registered	Tests	Pass rate
2018	27,983	78%
2019	42,305	79%
2020	32,386	79%
2021	948	82%

Typical mileage by age

Average odometer reading at the MOT, by the car's age in years at the test.

Age at test	Average mileage
3 years	45,888 miles
4 years	58,422 miles
5 years	70,597 miles
6 years	74,679 miles
7 years	89,196 miles
8 years	100,744 miles
9 years	115,230 miles

Check a particular Transit Custom

Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.

Other Ford models

Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.