1981 Ford Transit — MOT History by Age

How cars manufactured in 1981 perform at MOT as they age

45 years

Current Age

57.5%

Latest Pass Rate

439

Total Tests (All Years)

66,717 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 1981 Ford Transit as it ages.

28 yrs49.2%

→ ↑0.8%

29 yrs50.0%

→ ↑0.9%

30 yrs50.9%

→ ↑16.4%

31 yrs67.3%

→ ↓2.7%

32 yrs64.6%

→ ↓9.6%

33 yrs55.0%

→ ↑3.0%

34 yrs58.0%

→ ↑10.8%

35 yrs68.8%

→ ↓11.3%

36 yrs57.5%

📊 View as table

Age	Pass Rate	Tests
28 yrs	49.2%	61
29 yrs	50.0%	62
30 yrs	50.9%	57
31 yrs	67.3%	49
32 yrs	64.6%	48
33 yrs	55.0%	40
34 yrs	58.0%	50
35 yrs	68.8%	32
36 yrs	57.5%	40

Pass Rate Trend

How the 1981 Ford Transit pass rate changes as it ages, from first MOT to most recent.

📊 View as table

Built	Pass Rate	Tests
2017 (36 yrs)	57.5%	40
2016 (35 yrs)	68.8%	32
2015 (34 yrs)	58%	50
2014 (33 yrs)	55%	40
2013 (32 yrs)	64.6%	48
2012 (31 yrs)	67.3%	49
2011 (30 yrs)	50.9%	57
2010 (29 yrs)	50%	62
2009 (28 yrs)	49.2%	61

Year-by-Year MOT Results

2009High Fail Rate

49.2%

Age (yrs) 28Tests 61Avg Mileage 69,642Top Failure Suspension — 34.4%

2010High Fail Rate

50.0%

Age (yrs) 29Tests 62Avg Mileage 56,017Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 38.7%

2011High Fail Rate

50.9%

Age (yrs) 30Tests 57Avg Mileage 78,373Top Failure Suspension — 29.8%

2012

67.3%

Age (yrs) 31Tests 49Avg Mileage 60,476Top Failure Suspension — 22.4%

2013High Fail Rate

64.6%

Age (yrs) 32Tests 48Avg Mileage 57,492Top Failure Brakes — 62.5%

2014High Fail Rate

55.0%

Age (yrs) 33Tests 40Avg Mileage 53,826Top Failure Suspension — 72.5%

2015High Fail Rate

58.0%

Age (yrs) 34Tests 50Avg Mileage 59,409Top Failure Suspension — 102.0%

2016

68.8%

Age (yrs) 35Tests 32Avg Mileage 56,905Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 50.0%

2017High Fail Rate

57.5%

Age (yrs) 36Tests 40Avg Mileage 66,717Top Failure Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 102.5%

MOT results for 1981 Ford Transit by test year
Test Year▲	Age (yrs)▲▼	Pass Rate▲▼	Tests▲▼	Avg Mileage▲▼	Top Failure▲▼
2009	28	49.2%	61	69,642	Suspension — 34.4%
2010	29	50.0%	62	56,017	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 38.7%
2011	30	50.9%	57	78,373	Suspension — 29.8%
2012	31	67.3%	49	60,476	Suspension — 22.4%
2013	32	64.6%	48	57,492	Brakes — 62.5%
2014	33	55.0%	40	53,826	Suspension — 72.5%
2015	34	58.0%	50	59,409	Suspension — 102.0%
2016	35	68.8%	32	56,905	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 50.0%
2017	36	57.5%	40	66,717	Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 102.5%

Common MOT Failures

Top failure categories across all test years for 1981 Ford Transit, with age trends.

Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment

52.1%

↑ Increases with age

Suspension

47.7%

↑ Increases with age

Brakes

39.2%

↑ Increases with age

Seat Belts and Supplementary Restraint Systems

22.0%

— Consistent

Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions

20.6%

↓ Decreases with age

How Failures Change With Age

Comparing failure rates between the youngest and oldest test years.

Category	At Youngest	At Oldest	Change	Trend
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment	27.9% (28 yrs)	102.5% (36 yrs)	+74.6%	🔴 ↑
Brakes	23.0% (28 yrs)	65.0% (36 yrs)	+42.0%	🔴 ↑
Suspension	34.4% (28 yrs)	75.0% (36 yrs)	+40.6%	🔴 ↑
Exhaust, Fuel and Emissions	29.5% (28 yrs)	22.5% (36 yrs)	-7.0%	🟢 ↓

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 1981 perform at MOT as they age. Data spans from 2009 to 2017, covering 439 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.