MOT Risk Index.co.uk

Does the Ford Transit fail the MOT on lamps, reflectors and electrics more than it should?

The Ford Transit records 34.65 lamps, reflectors and electrics failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 28.39 expected for a lcv of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+6.26, 95% interval +6.18 to +6.35). It ranks 129 of 729 models on lamps, reflectors and electrics (1 = most failures above expected).

Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on lamps, reflectors and electrics · check a Ford Transit by registration

What exactly fails on lamps, reflectors and electrics?

The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Ford Transit is “A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”, recorded 129,371 times in 2019–2024.

Ford Transit: most frequent lamps, reflectors and electrics defect wordings, 2019–2024 (30+ items each)
DVSA defect wordingItemsPer 100 tests
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources129,3716.62
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning86,0824.40
A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps80,1904.10
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning72,8983.73
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements52,7022.70

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,954,613 (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 gets a lamps, reflectors and electrics advisory, how often does it fail next time?

34.8% of Ford Transit MOTs with a lamps, reflectors and electrics advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 7,371 miles later (58,581 advisories followed).

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 58,581 (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 1998 · Ford Transit 1999 · Ford Transit 2000 · Ford Transit 2001 · Ford Transit 2002 · Ford Transit 2003 · Ford Transit 2004 · Ford Transit 2005 · Ford Transit 2006 · Ford Transit 2007 · Ford Transit 2008 · Ford Transit 2009 · Ford Transit 2010 · Ford Transit 2011 · Ford Transit 2012 · Ford Transit 2013 · Ford Transit 2014 · Ford Transit 2015 · Ford Transit 2016 · Ford Transit 2017 · Ford Transit 2018 · Ford Transit 2019 · Ford Transit 2020 · Ford Transit in Norway · Ford Transit in Finland · Ford Transit in the Netherlands · Ford Transit by postcode area · Ford Transit body, chassis and structure failures · Ford Transit brakes failures · Ford Transit vehicle identification failures · Ford Transit noise, emissions and leaks failures · Ford Transit road wheels failures · Ford Transit seat belts and airbags failures · Ford Transit steering failures · Ford Transit suspension failures · Ford Transit tyres failures · Ford Transit visibility failures