Does the Ford Transit Custom fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Ford Transit Custom records 0.40 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 0.75 expected for a lcv of the same age mix: about as expected for its class and age (the difference is within its interval or under 0.5 items per 100 tests) (−0.35, 95% interval −0.38 to −0.32). It ranks 268 of 640 models on steering (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on steering · check a Ford Transit Custom by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Ford Transit Custom is “Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc”, recorded 419 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 419 | 0.12 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 330 | 0.09 |
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 227 | 0.06 |
| Power steering fluid leaking or system malfunctioning | 182 | 0.05 |
| Power steering fluid level below minimum mark | 40 | 0.01 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 350,490 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Ford Transit Custom gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
5.7% of Ford Transit Custom MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 12,212 miles later (582 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 582 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Ford Transit Custom 2015 · Ford Transit Custom 2016 · Ford Transit Custom 2017 · Ford Transit Custom 2018 · Ford Transit Custom 2019 · Ford Transit Custom 2020 · Ford Transit Custom in the Netherlands · Ford Transit Custom by postcode area · Ford Transit Custom body, chassis and structure failures · Ford Transit Custom brakes failures · Ford Transit Custom vehicle identification failures · Ford Transit Custom lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Ford Transit Custom noise, emissions and leaks failures · Ford Transit Custom road wheels failures · Ford Transit Custom seat belts and airbags failures · Ford Transit Custom suspension failures · Ford Transit Custom tyres failures · Ford Transit Custom visibility failures