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MOT fail rates by first-use year

2011 Ford Transit MOT fail rate and common faults

How Ford Transit cars first used in 2011 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 78,316 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated

At 14 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 14 (n=16,655)47.7%
All cars at 14 years (n=6,054,526)40.3%
Difference+7.4 pts
MOT tests of 2011 cars, 2022 to 202578,316

What stands out

  • In 2025, at 14 years old, Ford Transit cars first used in 2011 failed 47.7% of MOTs (16,655 tests), 7.4 points above the 40.3% for all cars that age.
  • From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 11 to 14 years old, the fail rate moved from 49.3% to 47.7%.
  • Ford Transit cars first used a year earlier, in 2010, failed 48.1% at the same age of 14 years (15,929 tests, in 2024).
  • The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Ford Transit at 14 years, is component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength, at 8.6 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 0.8).

MOT fail rate by test year

Ford Transit cars first used in 2011: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test yearAgeMOT fail rateTests (n)All carsDifference
202211 years49.3%21,88333.3%+16.1 pts
202312 years49.3%20,73636.0%+13.3 pts
202413 years48.7%19,04238.3%+10.4 pts
202514 years47.7%16,65540.3%+7.4 pts

Most common faults at 14 years

These figures cover all Ford Transit MOTs at 14 years: cars first used 2008 to 2011, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=63,257). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail itemPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Side/position light not working Wear8.75.4
Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength8.60.8
Brake light not working Wear7.13.5
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Wear6.91.9
Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded6.11.1
Anti-roll bar link worn4.11.5
Suspension arm bush worn4.02.1
Leaf spring: fractured3.90.1
Integral vehicle structure condition: corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is significantly reduced3.80.2
Steering track rod end: ball joint play3.72.0

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=63,257). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

AdvisoryPer 100 MOTsAll cars
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material27.96.0
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive20.48.5
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened17.711.0
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement15.88.4
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear13.718.4
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear13.15.6
Brake pads wearing thin Wear10.27.2
Windscreen: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view9.43.1
Integral vehicle structure condition: is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced7.50.6
Chassis condition: is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced6.70.7

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=63,257). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 14 years

These figures cover all Ford Transit MOTs at 14 years: cars first used 2008 to 2011, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=63,257). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

FuelShare of testsMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars, same fuelMedian mileage
Diesel99.8%48.2%63,08940.8%140,345 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 14 years

These figures cover all Ford Transit MOTs at 14 years: cars first used 2008 to 2011, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=63,257). At 14 years, Ford Transit cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (49.9%, n=26,399) than those at 30,000 to 60,000 miles (32.8%, n=2,566). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
30,000 to 60,000 miles32.8%2,56630.5%
60,000 to 90,000 miles46.2%5,61139.5%
90,000 to 120,000 miles51.1%11,30844.0%
120,000 to 150,000 miles52.0%14,71544.8%
Over 150,000 miles49.9%26,39944.3%

Car tax rules for a 2011 car

  • Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

  • Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2011 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
  • The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Ford Transit

Other Ford models first used in 2011

ModelAge at testMOT fail rateTests (n)All cars
Ford Transit Connect (2011)14 years in 202545.9%5,13540.3%

More on the Ford Transit

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2011 Ford Transit cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.