Which year Ford Transit is most reliable?

Based on 1,451,042 vehicles (1980–2024) and millions of DVLA MOT records.

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Not just "newer is more reliable"

These rankings compare each year at the same mileage point — a 2003 Transit at 80,000 miles is judged against a 2014 Transit at 80,000 miles, not its full lifetime average. Verdicts are also relative to this model's own average, not a universal scale. That's the difference between "old cars wear out" and "this year is genuinely more or less reliable."

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Years to look for

2014–2022

Above-average pass rate — these years consistently do better than other Transits

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Below model average

1980–1995

Lower pass rate than other Transits — worth checking the MOT history before buying

See common failures for 1984 →

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Dataset

1,451,042

vehicles · 1980–2024 · millions of MOT records

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CarHunch sweet spot — 2001–2019

These years hit the reliability-to-value sweet spot: a 67.6–82.0% pass rate, well above this model's median, but old enough to have depreciated significantly from peak price. If budget matters alongside reliability, start your search here.

Pass rate by year

Year	Pass rate	Vehicles
2022	87.2%	19,351	Recommended
2021	85.3%	830	Recommended
2020	82.3%	1,306	Recommended
2019	81.9%	22,607	Recommended
2018	81.9%	51,838	Recommended
2017	82.0%	78,264	Recommended
2016	81.0%	77,732	Recommended
2015	79.8%	68,761	Recommended
2014	77.7%	58,224	Recommended
2013	71.9%	54,003
2012	69.9%	49,250
2011	70.2%	55,398
2010	70.2%	48,516
2009	69.7%	39,547
2008	69.0%	59,010
2007	69.0%	61,924
2006	68.8%	56,973
2005	69.1%	53,750
2004	68.7%	57,895
2003	68.4%	57,362
2002	67.8%	56,979
2001	67.6%	55,066
2000	65.9%	45,842
1999	65.5%	45,184
1998	65.3%	48,962
1997	64.3%	44,361
1996	63.2%	37,981
1995	62.0%	33,667	Below avg
1994	58.9%	23,325	Below avg
1993	58.5%	17,277	Below avg
1992	57.8%	14,032	Below avg
1991	55.9%	9,081	Below avg
1990	54.5%	9,507	Below avg
1989	55.2%	10,423	Below avg
1988	50.5%	5,498	Below avg
1987	38.0%	4,776	Below avg
1986	34.7%	2,408	Below avg
1985	10.8%	4,364	Below avg
1984	5.9%	4,876	Below avg
1983	11.5%	1,484	Below avg
1982	15.1%	812	Below avg
1981	18.0%	615	Below avg
1980	16.3%	814	Below avg

Click any year to see full MOT history, common faults and comparisons for those cars. Verdicts are relative to this model's own average — a good Land Rover year is judged differently from a good Toyota year.

How each year holds up at higher mileage

Each line is a different model year. The mileage ranges are divided into 5 equal groups based on how this model is actually driven in the real world — so you're comparing like-for-like, not arbitrary round numbers.

Only years with enough data across at least 3 mileage ranges are shown. Newer years appear in blue; older years in amber.

How is this measured?

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What "pass rate" means

The percentage of all MOT tests that resulted in a pass — counted across a car's whole life, not just its first test. Higher means fewer failures over time.

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Mileage groups built from real data

We split this model's real-world mileage history into 5 equal groups — so each slice contains the same number of cars, not an arbitrary round number like "0–30,000 miles."

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Does age still matter?

Yes. A low-mileage 20-year-old car has still had 20 years of weather, perishing rubber, and ageing electrics. Comparing at the same mileage narrows the gap between old and new — but doesn't erase it entirely.

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Why this beats surveys

Our figures come from the DVLA's national MOT database — over 50 million real test results from accredited garages, with no opinions involved. Most reliability guides are based on owner surveys with a few hundred responses per model.

What next?

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