Ford
2,673 MOT tests analysed. sits above the UK fleet average — here's where Transit 290 Trend Ecoblues pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 4.6 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
82.2%
Pass-after-fix
3.4%
Fail
12.7%
Avg miles
56,812
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Diesel cars registered from September 2015 generally meet Euro 6 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
Performance by cohort
2 year bands · 2,673 tests
Pass rate climbs 3.0 points across the cohorts — newer Transit 290 Trend Ecoblue examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
80.9%
Fail
14.4%
PRS
2.8%
Avg mileage at test
62,413 mi
Pass
83.9%
Fail
10.2%
PRS
4.1%
Avg mileage at test
49,095 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
Across 966 MOT tests, the Transit 290 Trend Ecoblue returns 81.5% first-time pass — above the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A cosmetically defective lens and brake pads worn below 1.5 mm round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 49,782, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
ABI Insurance Group
Around the UK fleet average for insurance cost. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
18–32
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Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
142 occurrences · 5.3% of tests
A lens defective which has no effect on emitted light
94 occurrences · 3.5% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
76 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
Obligatory mirror or device slightly damaged or loose
75 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
43 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated
38 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc
33 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
28 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Wiper blade defective
27 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction
24 occurrences · 0.9% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 3 failures
£96–£255
If every one of this Transit 290 Trend Ecoblue's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Year-band analysis
First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 3.0-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Ford Transit 290 Trend Ecoblue makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
83.9%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 83.9% — a 3.0-point improvement. Tests in this band average 49,095 miles — roughly 13K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, lens defective which has no effect on… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.
Band to be cautious about
80.9%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 80.9% pass rate against a fleet average of 83.9% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, less than 1.5 mm thick, and slightly damaged. Average mileage on test for this band is 62,413 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (83.9% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (80.9% pass). That's a 3.0-point spread across 1,550 older tests and 1,123 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Replacement wing mirror glass
A cracked mirror glass on the offside is a fail; nearside is an advisory. £8 of self-adhesive replacement glass clears it.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
My Motor World · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Summit
Summit ADRG-18 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£8.79
View at My Motor World →
Summit
Summit ADRG-10 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS
£9.89
View at My Motor World →
Summit
Summit ADRG-47 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£9.89
View at My Motor World →
Summit
Summit ADRG-85 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS
£9.89
View at My Motor World →
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
Book a mechanic at your door.
Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
Owner reports · Honest John
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
What's good
More refined and better to drive than most rivals. Punchy and efficient diesel engines. New interior technology from 2024.
Where it falls short
Other vans offer more overall load volume. Some rivals are fresher. Range-topping trim/engine combo expensive.
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a Transit 290 Trend Ecoblue and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.
