Ford Transit: common faults & what to check

Which Ford Transit are you looking at?

5 generation variants documented. Pick the shape you recognise: the faults, the servicing and the timeline below all narrow to it. Free, no account needed.

Diesel

4 variants documented

2000–2014VH2000–2014VH2.2 turbo-dieselDieselDocumented issues3 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: Bidgee via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

2000–2014VH2000–2014VH2.4 turbo-dieselDieselDocumented issues4 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: Bidgee via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.

2014–nowVO2014–nowVO2.0 EcoBlue dieselDieselDocumented issues4 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

2014–nowVO2014–nowVO2.2 turbo-dieselDieselDocumented issues5 knownSee faults & what to checkKickTyres illustration, not a photograph.

Engine not documented

1 variant documented

1986–2000VE1986–2000VEEngine not documented for this generationEngine not documentedDocumented issues0 knownSee faults & what to checkPhoto: Kieran White from Manchester, England via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.

Now narrow it to the engine

A 1.8 and a 2.4 of the same car do not fail the same way, so the faults below narrow to the engine as well as the year. Free, no account needed.

Start your free check on this Ford Transit

No plate needed. You get the risk score, the buyer's checklist and the guided inspection for the exact car you picked above — not the whole nameplate.

The checks worth doing on a Ford Transit before you hand over any money. Every documented fault is listed below, each with its own page.

• Serious issue

  Demand full oil service history — correct low-ash spec at no more than 15,000 km intervals (10,000 km is better for urban vans).

  See why

  2.0 EcoBlue wet timing belt (belt-in-oil) — catastrophic failures, interval slashed

  The 2.0 EcoBlue diesel runs its timing belt inside the engine in oil. Diesel dilution of the oil from DPF regenerations attacks the belt; failures have been documented at as little as 50,000-60,000 km, and shed belt material also blocks the oil pick-up. The problem is bad enough that Ford officially cut the replacement interval from 10 years/240,000 km to 6 years/160,000 km, and Dayco has published technical warnings about the job. A snapped belt is valves-into-pistons — effectively an engine. On any EcoBlue Transit, belt history and oil history decide whether you buy.

  What you would notice

  • Low oil pressure warning
  • Rattle or slapping from the front of the engine
  • Rubber debris in the oil at services
  • Sudden total engine failure with little warning

  Typically $2,000–$12,000 to put right.

• Serious issue

  Cold-start the engine and observe exhaust for white steam (not condensation).

  See why

  Duratorq diesel EGR cooler crack causing coolant ingestion

  Ford Transit 2.2 and 2.4 Duratorq diesel engines develop cracks in the EGR cooler core, allowing engine coolant to enter the intake manifold and combustion chambers. This is well-documented in AU independent fleet workshops and Ford technical service bulletins. The result is white smoke from the exhaust, rapid coolant loss, and if unaddressed, hydrolock or head gasket failure. Affects both the V184 and early V363 Transit generations.

  What you would notice

  • White or grey steam-like smoke from the exhaust, especially on startup
  • Coolant reservoir level dropping without visible external leak
  • Sweet smell from the exhaust
  • Possible coolant contamination in engine oil (creamy residue on dipstick)

  Typically $700–$2,000 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Idle the van and press/release the clutch listening for a rattle that appears and disappears.

  See why

  Dual-mass flywheel and clutch wear — rattle and take-off judder

  Transits doing urban stop-start delivery work chew through dual-mass flywheels and clutches: rattling at idle, judder pulling away loaded, and eventually gear-selection trouble. A DMF plus clutch on a Transit is a gearbox-out job and one of the biggest routine bills these vans generate. A van that has spent its life around town with no clutch invoice is a van about to hand you one.

  What you would notice

  • Rattle at idle that changes when the clutch pedal is pressed
  • Judder or shudder pulling away, worse loaded or uphill
  • Rattle on engine start-up and shutdown
  • High or slipping clutch bite point

  Typically $2,200–$4,200 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Walk the van with a magnet or a fingertip: sills (lift any covers), all four arch lips, door bottoms and the windscreen surround.

  See why

  Body rust — sills, wheel arches, front panel seams and door bottoms

  Mk6 and Mk7 Transits rust with total commitment: sills, front and rear wheel arches, door bottoms, the front panel seams and around the windscreen. Much of it starts behind trim and under sealant where you cannot see it until it erupts. On a working van this is WoF/CoF trouble and structural sill rust can make an otherwise good van uneconomic to certify. Assume rust until proven otherwise on anything pre-2014.

  What you would notice

  • Bubbling along sills and arch lips
  • Rust streaks from door bottom drains
  • Crusty seams around the windscreen and front panel
  • Filler or fresh paint patches on lower panels

  Typically $400–$4,000 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Cold-start the van and listen for uneven, knocky running that smooths out unevenly.

  See why

  2.2/2.4 TDCi injector failure and injectors seizing into the head

  Injector failure is the signature fault of the Mk7 (and early Mk8) Transit's 2.2 and 2.4 Duratorq diesels: rough running, black smoke, hard starts, and — because the injectors sit deep in the head and carbon up — injectors that seize solid. Removing a seized injector needs specialist extraction gear and can escalate to cylinder head removal. Dirty rural fuel and stretched fuel-filter intervals accelerate it. Budget per-injector, and pray they come out.

  What you would notice

  • Rough idle, knocking or 'nailing' from the engine
  • Hard starting, especially warm
  • Excessive black smoke under load
  • Chuffing noise from a leaking injector seat

  Typically $700–$4,500 to put right.

• Costly issue

  Connect diagnostic equipment and read DPF soot load percentage and restriction pressure.

  See why

  V363 Duratorq 2.0 EcoBlue DPF blockage and regeneration failure

  The V363 Transit's 2.0 EcoBlue diesel DPF blocks readily when the van is used for stop-start urban delivery – precisely the most common Transit use case. Incomplete passive regeneration cycles cause rapid soot loading. Ford's active regeneration requires sustained motorway driving, which fleet delivery vans rarely achieve. Repeated failed regenerations cause fuel wash-down into oil and ash accumulation requiring DPF replacement.

  What you would notice

  • DPF warning light and engine management light
  • Engine power reduced (limp mode)
  • Oil level above maximum on dipstick (fuel dilution from regeneration wash-down)
  • Diesel fuel odour from engine oil

  Typically $500–$4,000 to put right.

Ford Transit service schedule

What falls due, and at what distance, for each generation of the Ford Transit. These are the model’s intervals — the car’s own service book is the only thing that can tell you what has actually been done to it.

What these repairs cost on other cars

Some of the Ford Transit’s documented faults are repairs other models share. Each page lists the documented NZ cost for every model it affects.

• Cambelt Replacement Cost
• DPF Repair and Replacement Cost
• Diesel Injector Replacement Cost
• EGR Valve and Cooler Repair Cost

Other Ford models