Ford Transit Connect: MOT pass rate and reliability data
The Ford Transit Connect fails its first MOT more often than the average UK vehicle, by 4.7 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 169,157 individual Ford Transit Connect tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.
The numbers
| First-time pass rate | 72% |
| UK national average | 76.7% |
| Difference | -4.7 points |
| Tests analysed | 169,157 |
| Average mileage at test | 101,985 miles |
| Average year of manufacture | 2014 |
| Reliability rank | 1,705 of 2,005 models |
What this means if you are buying one
A 72% first-time pass rate means roughly 28 in every 100 Ford Transit Connects presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Ford Transit Connect tested had covered 101,985 miles and was built around 2014.
What this means at salvage auction
Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Ford Transit Connect bought as a repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.
Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. Or compare it against another model.
Looking at a specific Ford Transit Connect rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged Ford Transit Connects actually sold for at UK salvage auction, from 3 real settled sales.
Most common MOT failures on a Ford Transit Connect
- The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 2% of tests (8.7x the national rate for this defect)
- Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced, 2.1% of tests (5.73x the national rate for this defect)
- The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 4.1% of tests (4.98x the national rate for this defect)
- Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 2.4% of tests (2.96x the national rate for this defect)
- A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc, 2.7% of tests (2.37x the national rate for this defect)
- Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2% of tests (2x the national rate for this defect)
- Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 2.7% of tests (1.96x the national rate for this defect)
- Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 1.9% of tests (1.96x the national rate for this defect)
- a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 2.8% of tests (1.79x the national rate for this defect)
- A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.1% of tests (1.76x the national rate for this defect)
From 247,839 DVSA-tracked Ford Transit Connect tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.62% of these flagged Ford Transit Connect defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.
Ford Transit Connect pass rate by model year
Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each Ford Transit Connect year:
- 2002 Ford Transit Connect - 59.2% first-time pass, 250 tests
- 2003 Ford Transit Connect - 57.1% first-time pass, 2,395 tests
- 2004 Ford Transit Connect - 57.2% first-time pass, 3,470 tests
- 2005 Ford Transit Connect - 56% first-time pass, 4,814 tests
- 2006 Ford Transit Connect - 56.5% first-time pass, 6,978 tests
- 2007 Ford Transit Connect - 56.6% first-time pass, 7,971 tests
- 2008 Ford Transit Connect - 57.5% first-time pass, 7,147 tests
- 2009 Ford Transit Connect - 57.8% first-time pass, 4,950 tests
- 2010 Ford Transit Connect - 57.4% first-time pass, 4,962 tests
- 2011 Ford Transit Connect - 60.8% first-time pass, 5,682 tests
- 2012 Ford Transit Connect - 63.3% first-time pass, 5,645 tests
- 2013 Ford Transit Connect - 66.2% first-time pass, 4,305 tests
- 2014 Ford Transit Connect - 74.1% first-time pass, 10,408 tests
- 2015 Ford Transit Connect - 76.7% first-time pass, 12,986 tests
- 2016 Ford Transit Connect - 79.5% first-time pass, 13,897 tests
- 2017 Ford Transit Connect - 81.6% first-time pass, 18,136 tests
- 2018 Ford Transit Connect - 81.5% first-time pass, 16,640 tests
- 2019 Ford Transit Connect - 80% first-time pass, 14,961 tests
- 2020 Ford Transit Connect - 81% first-time pass, 11,138 tests
- 2021 Ford Transit Connect - 84.9% first-time pass, 11,034 tests
Ford Transit Connect by fuel type
Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number:
- Diesel Ford Transit Connect - 72.5% first-time pass, 165,797 tests
- Petrol Ford Transit Connect - 79.2% first-time pass, 1,955 tests
Other Ford models
- Ford Fiesta - 71.7%
- Ford Focus - 74.4%
- Ford Transit - 67.6%
- Ford Kuga - 82.4%
- Ford Mondeo - 72.2%
- Ford Ka - 72.2%
- Ford Ranger - 76.9%
- Ford C-Max - 74.8%
Models with a similar pass rate
- Ford Mondeo - 72.2%
- Ford Ka - 72.2%
- Nissan Note - 72.1%
- Lexus Is200 - 72%
- Vauxhall Astra - 71.9%
- Alfa Romeo Giulietta - 71.9%
If this van is a salvage or write-off
- What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
- What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
- Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
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