The picture
Transit Courier: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 28,644 MOT tests, the Transit Courier returns 75.5% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is windscreen damage. A number-plate lamp out and tyre tread under the limit round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 73,832, 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.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
1,887 occurrences · 6.6% of tests
- 02
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources
1,520 occurrences · 5.3% of tests
- 03
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
1,063 occurrences · 3.7% of tests
- 04
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
885 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
- 05
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
561 occurrences · 2.0% of tests
- 06
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
527 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
- 07
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
505 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
- 08
Obligatory mirror or device slightly damaged or loose
497 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
- 09
A tyre cords visible or damaged
417 occurrences · 1.5% of tests
- 10
A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED
399 occurrences · 1.4% 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 4 failures
£156–£405
If every one of this Transit Courier'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.
Tools that pre-empt a retest.
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
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Owner reports · Honest John
What owners actually report.
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
Good to drive, comfortable cabin, practical load area, option of LED loadspace lighting.
Where it falls short
I'm looking for recommendations for a small van with a budget of £14k and would like a large enough rear space to allow for occasional nights away. I have considered either the Nissan NV200 or Ford Transit...
Buying or keeping a Transit Courier?
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 Courier 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.