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Ford Merlin vs Ford Transit: reliability comparison

MOT pass rates, common faults and mileage compared from real UK MOT data.

Ford Merlin
90%
MOT pass rate · 10 vehicles
Ford Transit
69%
MOT pass rate · 1,477,963 vehicles
Verdict: On MOT pass rate the Ford Merlin (90%) and Ford Transit (69%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Head to head

Measure Ford Merlin Ford Transit
MOT pass rate 90% ✓ 69%
MOT failure rate 10% ✓ 31%
Faults & advisories per test 0.4 ✓ 2.9
Dangerous-fault share 0% ✓ 2%
Average mileage 15,576 mi 138,004 mi
Sample size (vehicles) 10 1,477,963

Most common faults

Ford Merlin

  1. Offside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c)
  2. Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)
  3. Nearside Front Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)
  4. Front Tie bar/rod has slight play in a pin/bush both leading tie bar bushes / fixings have slight movement (2.4.G.2)
  5. Offside Play in steering rack inner joint(s)
  6. Spare tyre defective tyre is flat

Ford Transit

  1. Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))
  2. Offside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))
  3. Oil leak
  4. Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  5. Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)
  6. Nearside Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Reliability FAQ

On MOT pass rate the Ford Merlin (90%) and Ford Transit (69%) are very close — weigh the individual measures below, and remember condition depends on age, mileage and upkeep.

Full Ford Merlin report Full Ford Transit report Most reliable cars

Pass rates are computed over completed (pass/fail) MOT tests. Reliability also depends on age, mileage and upkeep — see each model's page for the full picture.