FORD TRANSIT1987 · 2.5L Diesel

The 1987 Ford Transit presents a stable roadworthiness trend, with the most recent test on 19 June 2025 at 67,393 miles returning a pass and no defects recorded. Prior tests in April 2024 at 67,373 miles and March 2023 at 67,158 miles also passed cleanly, showing no advisories or escalating faults across the three most recent examinations. The maintenance record indicates consistent compliance with statutory testing rather than deferred rectification. Recorded mileage sits at 67,393 against nearly 39 years of service, an average of roughly 1,728 miles per year and exceptionally low for a working van of this era. The records show a sharp rise between the February 2022 test at 56,735 miles and the March 2023 test at 67,158 miles, adding over 10,000 miles in just over a year after likely prolonged inactivity. From 2023 to 2025 the van covered only 235 miles, confirming it has returned to minimal use. The DVSA entry for 11 February 2022 lists both a fail and a pass on the same day at identical mileage with no defects recorded, a clerical anomaly rather than a mechanical rejection. A buyer should still commission an in-person inspection of structural integrity and corrosion, given the vehicle's age and the limitations of a clean MOT where hidden chassis rust and perished rubber components may pass unnoticed. Suspension bushes, coil springs, and brake discs warrant physical checks for age-related degradation despite the absence of advisories. The low annual mileage and apparent standing periods raise the risk of seized calipers, flat-spotted tyres, and fuel system contamination that a static test cannot reveal.