Model Reports 5 min read Updated 18 Oct 2026

Ford Transit 2014: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 64 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2014 Ford Transit were passes. Most common reason for a fail: Drive shaft joints and boots (front).

Summary

A 2014 Ford Transit passed first time about 4 in every 100 more often than the average of the 2013 and 2015 model years.

At a glance

How 26,599 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
64 in every 100
Did not pass first time
36 in every 1009,643 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
11 yearsabout 123,049 miles
First tests counted
26,599

What failed most often

  1. Drive shaft joints and boots (front)24 in every 100 failed tests
  2. Suspension arm pins and bushes (front)12 in every 100 failed tests
  3. Rigid brake pipes (front)8 in every 100 failed tests

How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.

Note:

These are patterns across 2014 Ford Transit vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. A wear pattern follows age and use more than the way the car was built. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.

Tyres

Two wear patterns. The strongest is the tyre valve (front): 19 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 9,623 of 9,643 failed first attempts (99.8%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025. Mileage is needed to compare like with like.

We only list faults with at least 20 failures and a rate of about 2.0 times that of similar cars, which keeps one-off results out of the list.

Tyre valve (front)

Failed on 28 first tests19 times as often as similar carsWear pattern

What it means

A tyre valve is failed when it is seriously damaged or misaligned and likely to cause sudden deflation of the tyre. Both versions are graded Dangerous. Only tyres fitted to the road wheels need inspecting, and a defect noticed on a spare is advised to the vehicle presenter.

Tyre valve (rear)

Failed on 38 first tests14 times as often as similar carsWear pattern

What it means

A tyre valve is failed when it is seriously damaged or misaligned and likely to cause sudden deflation of the tyre. Both versions are graded Dangerous. Only tyres fitted to the road wheels need inspecting, and a defect noticed on a spare is advised to the vehicle presenter.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 34 first tests, 9.7 times as often as on similar cars.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Brakes

Four faults. The strongest is the rigid brake pipes (front): 17 times as often as on similar cars.

Rigid brake pipes (front)

Failed on 788 first tests17 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

Chafing, corrosion or damage to a rigid brake pipe justifies rejection once its wall thickness is reduced by a set amount, although DVSA accepts this is not easy to determine. If a tester is not sure, the benefit of the doubt applies. A leaking pipe or connection is graded Dangerous on a hydraulic system and Major on an air system.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 1,906 first tests, 12 times as often as on similar cars.

Rigid brake pipes (rear)

Failed on 484 first tests5.6 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

Chafing, corrosion or damage to a rigid brake pipe justifies rejection once its wall thickness is reduced by a set amount, although DVSA accepts this is not easy to determine. If a tester is not sure, the benefit of the doubt applies. A leaking pipe or connection is graded Dangerous on a hydraulic system and Major on an air system.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 1,236 first tests, 4.8 times as often as on similar cars.

Anti-lock braking system (ABS)

Failed on 496 first tests3.6 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

ABS is failed as removed only where it has obviously been removed, because not every vehicle in the age range where removal is not permitted has ABS. A warning lamp that does not light or shows an ABS fault is Major, as is a missing or excessively damaged wheel speed sensor. Every failure row for this component is Major.

Electronic stability control

Failed on 300 first tests3.3 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

An ESC warning lamp is failed only when the tester is certain it indicates an ESC malfunction, because the lamp takes various forms and the owner's handbook may need checking. The system is also called ESP, VDC or DSC, among many other names. Every failure row is Major, covering the lamp, wheel speed sensors, wiring, other components and the switch.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Body and structure

One fault: drive shaft joints and boots (front), 5.4 times as often as on similar cars.

Drive shaft joints and boots (front)

Failed on 2,291 first tests5.4 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

What it means

A constant velocity boot that is only severely deteriorated is Minor. It is Major once it is missing, split or insecure so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt. A transmission joint excessively worn is Major, and graded Dangerous when it is so worn it is likely to fail.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 39 first tests, 5.8 times as often as on similar cars.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Suspension

Two faults. The strongest is the wheel bearings (front): 4.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Wheel bearings (front)

Failed on 418 first tests4.0 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Excessive play in a wheel bearing, or a bearing that is excessively rough, is Major. Play so excessive that the bearing is likely to break up or directional control is impaired is Dangerous, and so is a bearing so rough that it is likely to overheat or break up.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 237 first tests, 2.8 times as often as on similar cars.

Suspension arm pins and bushes (front)

Failed on 1,141 first tests2.5 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Pins and bushes on suspension arms fail as Major when they are excessively worn. They are graded Dangerous when likely to become detached. DVSA uses the same wording for a suspension joint.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 2,072 first tests, 2.7 times as often as on similar cars.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Noise, emissions and leaks

One fault: diesel emissions test (compression-ignition rules for vehicles from 01/01/2014), 3.9 times as often as on similar cars.

Diesel emissions test (compression-ignition rules for vehicles from 01/01/2014)

Failed on 799 first tests3.9 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 26 first tests, 3.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Lamps and electrical

One fault: side repeater indicators, 2.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Side repeater indicators

Failed on 369 first tests2.6 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Sequential or dynamic direction indicators are not a reason to fail. Where a side repeater is required, it is allowed to be part of the front direction indicator if it has a marked wraparound lens, or an amber light coming through the front lens when viewed from a set distance to the side of the rear bumper. A lens defect with no effect on the emitted light is Minor, and one that adversely affects the light is Major.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Advisories

Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.

An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail. Advisories for the faults above are shown with those faults.

Power steering pipes and hoses (front)

Noted on 194 first tests19 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

Engine mounting condition (front)

Noted on 45 first tests7.4 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

Brake light (rear)

Noted on 406 first tests7.4 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Other power steering components

Noted on 40 first tests4.5 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

MOT pass rates

How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.

Passed first time
64in every 100
Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station
5in every 100
Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed
31in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 63.7% of 26,599 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 69.1%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 5 fixed and the 31 not fixed make the 36 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Same model, other years

Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.

406080100199520002005201020142020Older carsNewer cars
4060801002000201020142020Older cars

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb.

YearPassed first timeFirst tests
199460 in every 100364
199559 in every 100548
199659 in every 100643
199764 in every 100694
199861 in every 100774
199964 in every 100783
200063 in every 100886
200159 in every 1001,014
200257 in every 1001,490
200355 in every 1001,729
200453 in every 1001,599
200554 in every 1002,209
200657 in every 1004,061
200755 in every 1006,955
200852 in every 1008,917
200951 in every 1008,514
201050 in every 10012,354
201150 in every 10015,280
201250 in every 10012,952
201355 in every 10017,619
2014 This car64 in every 10026,599
201565 in every 10033,241
201667 in every 10039,075
201767 in every 10041,381
201871 in every 10017,846
201975 in every 1002,613
202077 in every 1001,424
202180 in every 1001,776
202283 in every 1001,748

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

Mileage makes a modest difference on a 2014 Transit.

Of 2014 Transit vehicles with under 89,000 miles, 68 in every 100 passed their 2025 MOT first time. With 162,000 miles or more, 64 in every 100 did.

Under 89,0005,284 tests
68
89,000–112,0005,331 tests
63
112,000–134,000 Typical car5,223 tests
62
134,000–162,0005,400 tests
62
162,000 and over5,323 tests
64

What to check at your mileage

How often each fault turned up on a failed first test, by the car's mileage. Read it as: what is likely to need looking at on a car like the one in front of you.

Under 89,000112,000–134,000162,000 and over
Drive shaft joints and boots (front)8.49.18.2
Suspension arm pins and bushes (front)3.34.34.2
Rigid brake pipes (front)2.83.22.7
Windscreen washers2.12.62.5
Tyre condition (rear)1.62.42.0

Faults per 100 first tests, by the car's mileage at the test.

When a car fails

28in every 100

of failed cars had one item to fix.

48in every 100

of failed cars had three or more items to fix.

8in every 100

of all first tests had a defect the tester marked dangerous (unsafe to drive away).

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line, for cars of this model year tested in 2025. Each mileage band holds a fifth of the tests. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

A 2014 Ford Transit passed first time about 4 in every 100 more often than the average of the 2013 and 2015 model years. In 2025, 63.7% of 26,599 first MOTs on the 2014 Ford Transit passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 69.1%. Among 9,643 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Rigid brake pipes (front) appears more often than on similar cars (8.2% of those tests; 788 observed failures; about 17× more often than similar cars). There is no single reliability score here; this is a pre-purchase checklist built from DVSA open data, not a guarantee for any individual car.
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that most often failed a 2014 Ford Transit at the first attempt were Drive shaft joints and boots (front) (23.8%), Suspension arm pins and bushes (front) (11.9%) and Rigid brake pipes (front) (8.2%), each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong most often on the car. The common faults table shows a different measure: faults that are unusual compared with similar cars.
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Rigid brake pipes (front) (8.2% of those tests; 788 observed failures; about 17× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Rigid brake pipes (front) shows up more often than on similar cars (8.2% of those tests; 788 observed failures; about 17× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault. Age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase checkpoint, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2014 Ford Transit include Rigid brake pipes (front), Drive shaft joints and boots (front), Wheel bearings (front). These are the faults that stand out compared with similar cars, not a complete list of what can go wrong on any individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2014 Ford Transit (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics, not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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