Know Your MOT
35.0%fail rate

Ford Transi common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 391 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 35.0% of MOT tests recorded on the Ford Transi 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 51.8% of the Ford Transi'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 & electrical51.8% 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.

Suspension48.9% 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.

Brakes44.5% 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/wipers24.8% 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.

Seat belts21.9% of failures

Seat-belt failures are frays, cuts, corroded anchorages, or a belt that will not lock under a sharp pull or retract properly.

Body & structure20.4% of failures

Structural failures are corrosion in load-bearing areas, sharp edges, or insecure panels. These are inspection-and-welding jobs rather than a simple bolt-on part, so weigh them against the value of the car.

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 Transi headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Ford Transi headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Ford Transi headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Ford Transi suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Ford Transi suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Ford Transi suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Ford Transi brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Ford Transi brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Ford Transi brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Ford Transi wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Ford Transi wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Ford Transi wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the seat belts failure: Ford Transi seat beltsSearch Amazon for Ford Transi seat beltsaffiliate searchFind Ford Transi seat belts 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