2020 Ford Transit Courier: common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2020 Ford Transit Courier?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2020 Ford Transit Courier than on all cars registered in 2020.

• Number plate lights5.6× usual
  Ford Transit Courier

  5% All 2020 cars

  0.9%

  Failed outright at MOT: 1.2%, against 0.3% of all 2020 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £5–£40 our estimate

  At the viewing: Check the number plate lights work and the plates are clean and legal.

• Brake lights10.7× usual
  Ford Transit Courier

  4.3% All 2020 cars

  0.4%

  Failed outright at MOT: 4.2%, against 0.3% of all 2020 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

  At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

• Number plates4.7× usual
  Ford Transit Courier

  4.7% All 2020 cars

  1%

  Failed outright at MOT: 0.5%, against 0.2% of all 2020 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £5–£40 our estimate

  At the viewing: Check the number plate lights work and the plates are clean and legal.

• Windscreen3.2× usual
  Ford Transit Courier

  5.5% All 2020 cars

  1.7%

  Failed outright at MOT: 0.3%, against 0.1% of all 2020 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £60–£300 our estimate

  At the viewing: Check for chips or cracks in the driver's view.

• Engine warning light5.9× usual
  Ford Transit Courier

  4.1% All 2020 cars

  0.7%

  Failed outright at MOT: 4.1%, against 0.7% of all 2020 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

  Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

  At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

Common 2020 Ford Transit Courier MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2020 Ford Transit Courier MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

• Tyres
  29% of testsRough price £70–£150

  At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

• Lights and electrics
  18% of testsRough price £10–£80

  At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

• Brakes
  14% of testsRough price £150–£350

  At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

• Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
  11% of testsRough price £15–£250

  At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

• Suspension
  7% of testsRough price £120–£400

  At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

• Exhaust and emissions
  2% of testsRough price £100–£1,200

  At the viewing: Look for black soot in the tailpipe, listen for blowing from the exhaust and check for engine or DPF warning lights.

Known faults on the 2020 Ford Transit Courier

Reported by owners, mechanics and buying guides for this model and age. Check which engine the car has, as some apply to one engine only.

• Timing belt that runs in oil (1.0 EcoBoost)

  1.0 petrol (EcoBoost and non-turbo)

  Ford’s 1.0 three-cylinder petrol uses a timing belt that runs in the engine oil on most cars. If oil changes are late or the wrong oil is used, the belt breaks down and sheds rubber that blocks the oil supply, which can wreck the engine. Some later cars have a timing chain instead: a Ford dealer can tell you from the VIN. Ford’s change interval is 10 years or 150,000 miles, and the belt isn’t covered by warranty.

  At the viewing: Ask for a full service history with the right oil, and when the belt was changed. An oil-pressure warning light, a rattle or a rough idle are warning signs.

  Source: Parkers: everything you need to know about the Ford wet belt

• Oil pump belt that runs in oil (2.0 EcoBlue diesel)

  2.0 EcoBlue diesel (most Ford 2.0 diesels from about 2018)

  The 2.0 EcoBlue diesel drives its oil pump with a belt that runs in the engine oil. As it wears it can shed rubber and cut oil pressure, which can wreck the engine. Ford has shortened the change interval on the Transit to 6 years or 100,000 miles.

  At the viewing: Ask when the oil pump belt was last changed, and watch for an oil-pressure warning light.

  Source: Parkers: everything you need to know about the Ford wet belt

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2020 Ford Transit Courier

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

1. Has the timing belt been changed, and is there a full service history with the right oil?
2. Has the oil pump belt been changed, and is there a full service history?
3. Any recent work on the number plate lights? (Flagged at MOT 5.6× as often on the 2020 Ford Transit Courier as on other cars the same age.)
4. Any recent work on the brake lights? (Flagged at MOT 10.7× as often on the 2020 Ford Transit Courier as on other cars the same age.)
5. Any recent work on the number plates? (Flagged at MOT 4.7× as often on the 2020 Ford Transit Courier as on other cars the same age.)
6. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?