Know Your MOT
27.8%fail rate

Ford Tranist common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Ford Tranist fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 162 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 27.8% of MOT tests recorded on the Ford Tranist in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is lamps & electrical, which makes up 51.1% of the Ford Tranist's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, suspension, brakes, visibility/wipers. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Lamps & electrical51.1% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Suspension42.2% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Brakes33.3% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Visibility/wipers22.2% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Other15.6% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Tyres11.1% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the lamps & electrical failure: Ford Tranist headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Ford Tranist headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Ford Tranist headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Ford Tranist suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Ford Tranist suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Ford Tranist suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Ford Tranist brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Ford Tranist brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Ford Tranist brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Ford Tranist wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Ford Tranist wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Ford Tranist wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Ford Tranist tyresSearch Amazon for Ford Tranist tyresaffiliate searchFind Ford Tranist tyres on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Ford Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rateFord Focus MOT failures26.1% failure rateFord Transit MOT failures31.1% failure rateVauxhall Corsa MOT failures30.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain