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1978 Ford Transit — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1978 perform at MOT as they age

48 years
Current Age
65.6%
Latest Pass Rate
343
Total Tests (All Years)
56,524 mi
Avg Mileage (Latest)

Data from official DVSA MOT testing records

Insufficient data for same-age comparison.

How This Car Ages

Pass rate progression for the 1978 Ford Transit as it ages.

31 yrs44.4%
32 yrs54.8%
33 yrs52.2%
34 yrs51.2%
35 yrs51.3%
36 yrs56.8%
37 yrs52.9%
38 yrs65.6%

Bar chart showing pass rate by car age from 31 to 38 years

Fail Rate %
📊 View as table
AgePass RateTests
31 yrs44.4%63
32 yrs54.8%42
33 yrs52.2%46
34 yrs51.2%43
35 yrs51.3%39
36 yrs56.8%44
37 yrs52.9%34
38 yrs65.6%32

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1978 Ford Transit pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

Trend shows improving over 8 years

Pass Rate %
📊 View as table
BuiltPass RateTests
2016 (38 yrs)65.6%32
2015 (37 yrs)52.9%34
2014 (36 yrs)56.8%44
2013 (35 yrs)51.3%39
2012 (34 yrs)51.2%43
2011 (33 yrs)52.2%46
2010 (32 yrs)54.8%42
2009 (31 yrs)44.4%63

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate
44.4%
Age (yrs) 31Tests 63Avg Mileage 66,333Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 33.3%
2010High Fail Rate
54.8%
Age (yrs) 32Tests 42Avg Mileage 56,451Top Failure Suspension — 33.3%
2011High Fail Rate
52.2%
Age (yrs) 33Tests 46Avg Mileage 55,424Top Failure Suspension — 34.8%
2012High Fail Rate
51.2%
Age (yrs) 34Tests 43Avg Mileage 56,536Top Failure Suspension — 27.9%
2013High Fail Rate
51.3%
Age (yrs) 35Tests 39Avg Mileage 70,278Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 79.5%
2014High Fail Rate
56.8%
Age (yrs) 36Tests 44Avg Mileage 60,132Top Failure Suspension — 88.6%
2015High Fail Rate
52.9%
Age (yrs) 37Tests 34Avg Mileage 92,688Top Failure Suspension — 88.2%
2016
65.6%
Age (yrs) 38Tests 32Avg Mileage 56,524Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 96.9%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1978 Ford Transit, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment
53.4%
↑ Increases with age
Suspension
51.6%
↑ Increases with age
Brakes
40.6%
↑ Increases with age
Steering
25.6%
— Consistent
Driver's View of the Road
23.7%
↑ Increases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

CategoryAt YoungestAt OldestChangeTrend
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment33.3% (31 yrs)96.9% (38 yrs)
+63.6%
🔴 ↑
Driver's View of the Road22.2% (31 yrs)40.6% (38 yrs)
+18.4%
🔴 ↑
Suspension31.7% (31 yrs)43.8% (38 yrs)
+12.1%
🔴 ↑
Brakes25.4% (31 yrs)34.4% (38 yrs)
+9.0%
🔴 ↑

Other Manufacture Years

Looking for the best year to buy? See the full comparison on the Ford Transit page →

About This Data

This page shows how Ford Transit cars manufactured in 1978 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2016, covering 343 tests. Pass rates naturally decline with age as components wear.

Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.

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