Ford
59,191 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Transit 350 Leader Ecoblues pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 0.7 points above the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — a confident result.
Pass
78.2%
Pass-after-fix
5.7%
Fail
15.4%
Avg miles
59,136
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 · 59,191 tests
Pass rate climbs 1.1 points across the cohorts — newer Transit 350 Leader Ecoblue examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.
Pass
77.6%
Fail
16.0%
PRS
5.8%
Avg mileage at test
66,238 mi
Pass
78.7%
Fail
14.8%
PRS
5.7%
Avg mileage at test
52,867 mi
Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.
The picture
The Ford Transit 350 Leader Ecoblue is a diesel-powered van sold in the UK market across multiple generations, covering a broad date range in the test population.
MOT data from 20,893 tests puts this van on a 77.8% first-time pass rate, roughly in line with the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 53,114 miles. The most common fail item is cracked or discoloured windscreen, followed by brake pads worn below 1.5mm.
Buyers weighing up a used Transit 350 Leader Ecoblue should treat the failure breakdown as a pre-purchase checklist. The pass rate is reasonable, but the gap between first attempt and a clean sheet narrows with age and mileage.
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
2,422 occurrences · 4.1% of tests
A lens defective which has no effect on emitted light
1,683 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
1,471 occurrences · 2.5% of tests
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
1,382 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
A tyre seriously damaged
1,123 occurrences · 1.9% of tests
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
877 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
Obligatory mirror or device slightly damaged or loose
861 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
858 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
783 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
597 occurrences · 1.0% 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 2 failures
£88–£195
If every one of this Transit 350 Leader 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 1.1-point gap between bands is modest — the year you buy Ford Transit 350 Leader Ecoblue makes a small but real difference to MOT outcomes.
Best band to buy
78.7%
2021+ registration
the 2021-on band climbs to 78.7% — a 1.1-point improvement. Tests in this band average 52,867 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
77.6%
2018–2020 registration
On the 2018–2020 band, the data shows a 77.6% pass rate against a fleet average of 78.7% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view, lens defective which has no effect on…, and inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…. Average mileage on test for this band is 66,238 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.
Best band to buy: 2021+ (78.7% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: 2018-2020 (77.6% pass). That's a 1.1-point spread across 27,740 older tests and 31,451 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
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
Item 02 · 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
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
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Summit ADRG-10 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS
£9.89
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Summit ADRG-47 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£9.89
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Summit
Summit ADRG-85 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS
£9.89
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Click Mechanic · affiliate
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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.
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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 350 Leader 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.
