Ford Transit (1984)

4,876 real MOT outcomes analysed • 5.9% first-time pass rate

1984 Ford Transit

CarHunch analysed 4,876 real MOT records for the 1984 Ford Transit. This breakdown of actual test outcomes — pass rates, defect profiles, mileage data — isn't published anywhere else.

Below average reliability 74.1% below UK average
5.9%
pass MOT first time
UK average: ~80%
55,569
typical mileage
27,881–75,238 middle half
2%
ever had a dangerous defect
recorded at any MOT
0.19
avg MOT failures per car
over 1.5 tests on record

Petrol vs Diesel

Pass rate difference of 5.8 percentage points — worth knowing if you're choosing between the two.

4.7%
Petrol
3,889 vehicles
10.5%
Diesel
976 vehicles

What to check before buying a 1984 Ford Transit

Practical pre-purchase checks for this age and model.

  • 📋 Check the full MOT history. Look for recurring advisories — slow-building issues like corrosion or brake wear patterns show up years before they become failures. Enter the reg below for a full AI analysis.
  • 🔍 Inspect for corrosion in person. Brake pipes, sills, subframes, and chassis legs. Surface rust is normal at this age; structural rust is a serious problem that's expensive to fix and can fail an MOT.
  • 🛞 Check tyres and brakes. The most common advisory items at this age. Budget for replacement if they're near the limit — factor this into your offer price.
  • 📄 Run an HPI check. The MOT history won't show outstanding finance, insurance write-offs, or stolen status — an HPI check will.

Before you buy a Ford Transit

MOT history is one piece of the puzzle. These checks can reveal what CarHunch can't.

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Pass Rate by Fuel Type

Fuel type Vehicles Pass rate Avg failures
Petrol (80%) 3,889 4.7% 0.16
Diesel (20%) 976 10.5% 0.34
LPG (0%) 7 9.5% 0.14
Other (0%) 2 100% 0
Gas (0%) 2 0% 0

Mileage Distribution

Most 1984 Ford Transit vehicles sit in the blue band. If the car you're looking at is outside it, it's either unusually low or high mileage for its age.

27,881
low mileage
55,569
typical
75,238
high mileage

Half of all 1984 Ford Transit vehicles fall between 27,881 and 75,238 miles.

1984 Ford Transit — Still on the Road

Numbers are declining — 17 vehicles still getting MOTs in 2025 (19% of peak).

88 17 2014 2025

Based on vehicles from this manufacture year that had at least one MOT test in each calendar year. Data from 2014–2025.

MOT History Averages

1.5
Avg MOT tests per vehicle
0.19
Avg failures per vehicle
0.6
Avg advisories per vehicle

Most Common MOT Issues — 1984 Ford Transit

Based on actual MOT test records for this model. Percentage shows how often each item appears across all vehicles in this cohort.

  • 36%
    Offside Front Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded
  • 36%
    Nearside Front Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded
  • 27.3%
    Nearside Front Axle king pin has slight play in pin and/or bush
  • 26%
    Offside Front Axle king pin has slight play in pin and/or bush
  • 25.7%
    Parking brake: efficiency below requirements
  • 21.7%
    Oil leak
  • 19.8%
    Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded
  • 18.9%
    Nearside Rear Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded

Data covers a 3-year window centred on 1984. Counts include advisories and failures.

Found a specific Ford Transit?

Enter the reg to see its individual MOT history, AI Hunches, and how it compares to this cohort.

UK

Other model years — Ford Transit:

1980 1981 1982 1983 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024