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Ford Transit, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

460,298 Ford Transits are licensed in the UK, the 12th most common model on the road. In 2025 they passed 62.4% of initial MOT tests, 9.9 points below the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific Transit? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Ford Transit at the MOT

62.4% of 281,097 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Transit 467th of 575 models. Ford Transits aged 3 to 5 years passed 78.6% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 55.2%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Ford Transit62.4%
  • All Ford modelsThe Transit is 6.4 pts behind68.8%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Ford Transit tests in 2025.

  • 3 to 5 years5,277 tests78.6%
  • 6 to 10 years152,800 tests67.3%
  • 11 years and over120,854 tests55.2%

Where Transits fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Ford Transit tests in 2025.

  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment24.7%
  • Suspension20.2%
  • Brakes17.6%
  • Body, chassis, structure15.2%
  • Visibility6.9%

The items testers recorded most often were joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (6.7%), rigid brake pipes excessively corroded (4.9%) and component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (4.5%).

The MOT page lists every common Transit MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Ford Transit MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The Transit's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.24.7% of Transit failure items

  2. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.20.2% of Transit failure items

  3. Brakes

    Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.17.6% of Transit failure items

Ford Transits in the UK

460,298 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 23% since the end of 2014.

Change since 2014
−23%from 601,646 licensed
Typical year of first use
2017half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2017 or earlier
First registered in 2025
36,361against 36,397 in 2024
Declared off the road
156,59225% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Ford Transits since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 2014601,646
End of 2015582,884
End of 2016570,764
End of 2017548,499
End of 2018528,366
End of 2019505,751
End of 2020490,501
End of 2021493,016
End of 2022488,021
End of 2023471,561
End of 2024463,569
End of 2025461,796
End of June 2026460,298

How old they are

Licensed Ford Transits by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year

A further 22,010 were first used before 2006.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
202535,04536,361
202435,24936,397
202327,66428,830
202230,61733,583
202130,59434,395
202019,04921,978
201922,59626,892
201827,18433,468
201721,79327,818
201622,38531,125
201517,97827,366
201414,493
201322,109
201222,195
201124,870
201017,944
200912,579
200814,015
200711,315
20067,411

17,978 Transits first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 66% of the 27,366 first registered that year.

Transit engines and fuel

2.2 litre engines made up 62% of Ford Transit MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.0 litre at 31%. Diesel accounts for 96% of licensed Transits and battery electric for 2.3%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 280,974 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 2.2 litre62.5%
  • 2.0 litre30.6%
  • 2.4 litre4.5%
  • 2.5 litre2.1%

Fuel type, licensed Transits

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol6,6371%
Diesel442,69496%
Battery electric10,5722%
Hybrid electric19<0.1%
Other fuels3760.1%

Ford Transit recalls

39 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Ford Transit. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Transit is affected.

  1. Jun 2026 R/2026/268

    Multi Vehicle Line: Unintended High Beam Behaviour - Compliance

    Transits built Mar 2026 to May 2026 · 14,599 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Affected vehicles may experience erratic behaviour of the Glare Free High Beam function under certain circumstances.
    Remedy
    Update the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems Electronic Control Unit software.

  2. Apr 2026 R/2026/178

    25C56 Transit - Potential Incorrect CO2 Emissions Recorded On The Certificate Of Conformity

    Transits built Mar 2022 to Jan 2024 · 602 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles the Certificate of Conformity (CoC) may contain inaccurate CO2 data. As a result the CoCs state a lower CO2 value than intended.
    Remedy
    Dealers will exchange CoC papers and help owners update their vehicle's registration documentation. Ford will reimburse any underpaid purchase tax due as a result of the vehicle's re-registration.

  3. Apr 2026 R/2026/172

    26C15 Transit - Instrument Panel Cluster Configuration Update

    Transits built Dec 2020 to Oct 2021 · 17 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    According to Ford's records certain Transit vehicles may not have the remedy for Compliance Recall 21C32 installed correctly but were recorded as having received the repair successfully. Because the correct configuration update may not have been installed on these vehicles the underlying condition may still exist therefore these vehicles may still have the incorrect configuration loaded onto the Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC). On affected vehicles an incorrect Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) configuration may have disabled the Advanced Emergency Braking System warning messages. Although the system remains functional the instrument cluster may not display the required warning message and no chime may sound which could result in the vehicle not complying with applicable regulations. Dealers will update the Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) configuration to the latest available level.
    Remedy
    Dealers will update the Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) configuration to the latest available level.

  4. Apr 2026 R/2026/031

    25SD9 - E-Transit - Halfshaft Retention Force

    Transits built Dec 2021 to Jan 2026 · 9,319 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles left-hand rear half shafts were not fully seated into the electric drive assembly which may result in premature wear and a leak. This may eventually lead to a loss of motive power or unintended vehicle movement while the vehicle is in Park (if the parking brake is not applied).
    Remedy
    Check with a gauge disassemble and check further if necessary. Replace parts if required.

  5. Mar 2026 R/2026/137

    26S20 Transit - Lower Arm Rear Bolt Replacement

    Transits built Jan 2025 to Jun 2025 · 4 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles one of the front suspension bolts may have been overtightened during manufacturer which may cause it to weaken and fracture over time.
    Remedy
    Replace the affected front suspension bolt.

  6. Feb 2026 R/2026/032

    25SC5 Transit Automatic Transmission Wiring Damage

    Transits built May 2024 to Oct 2025 · 1,408 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles insufficient clearance between the wiring harness and transmission housing may lead to damaged wiring or chafing which can cause a short circuit and arcing increasing the risk of fire.
    Remedy
    Check the wiring harness. Repair reposition and secure if necessary.

  7. Feb 2026 R/2026/024

    25C62 - Transit - Double Chassis Side Marker Lamps Missing

    Transits built Aug 2025 to Dec 2025 · 94 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Affected vehicles have been produced without the required front side marker lamps.
    Remedy
    Remove the existing front door body side mouldings and replace with new body side mouldings that include the side marker lamps.

  8. Feb 2026 R/2026/048

    25C80 Transit - Body Control Module Software Update

    Transits built May 2024 to Jun 2024 · 4 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles the software repair for previous recall 25C80 may not have been delivered properly and incorrect Body Control Module (BCM) software may prevent the side parking lights from functioning as intended
    Remedy
    Update the BCM software and perform an additional verification process to ensure the configuration has been installed correctly.
How to check a specific Transit for recalls

Transit vs similar cars

Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.

Other Ford models

The most-tested Ford models in 2025, against the Transit's 62.4% MOT pass rate.

All 27 Ford models

Ford Transit FAQs

How many Ford Transits are there in the UK?

460,298 Ford Transits were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 156,592 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Ford Transit reliable?

MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 62.4% first-time pass rate for the Ford Transit across 281,097 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Ford Transit had any recalls?

39 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Ford Transit. The most recent was published in June 2026. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

What should I check before buying a used Ford Transit?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and brakes. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

How do I check a Ford Transit's history?

Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.

Already found a Transit?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Ford Transit history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Ford VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.