2018 Ford Transit 2.0L Diesel · LG18 CFV

Recorded across six DVSA tests from June 2021 through September 2025, this 2018 Ford Transit carries a brake-focused mechanical narrative, with the offside rear outer brake pad reaching a Dangerous classification of less than 1.5 mm in early September 2025 before the vehicle was presented again two days later and passed with no defects recorded. The same month-on-month turnaround illustrates how rapidly brake friction material can deplete on a working van, and the 2025 test is best understood as a single repair event rather than a broader mechanical turnaround. Beneath that isolated failure lies a more persistent pattern: front brake pads were flagged as wearing thin on three consecutive tests in 2021, 2022, and 2023, accompanied in 2022 by pitted or scored front brake discs and three tyres approaching the legal limit at both front corners and the offside rear. A 2021 advisory also noted the park brake only just passed and may require repair or adjustment. The most recent two tests in 2024 and the later 2025 pass carry no advisories at all, so the immediate roadworthiness record is clean, but the earlier cluster of brake and tyre items points to a chassis that consumes consumables at a steady cadence. The 2024 and 2025 silent tests suggest the braking system and tyres have been refreshed since the 2023 advisory pass, though the underlying wear rate has been demonstrated. Against an age of roughly eight years, the recorded odometer reading of 115,647 miles equates to an annual accumulation of approximately 14,456 miles, which is high for a vehicle of this age and consistent with sustained commercial or fleet use. There are no extended gaps in the annual MOT cadence, with tests recorded in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, indicating the vehicle has been in regular service throughout the recorded period rather than left standing. That continuity, combined with the elevated mileage, means wear on suspension bushes, coil springs, brake calipers, wheel bearings, driveshaft joints, and clutch or dual-mass flywheel components should be considered proportionate to a hard-working van. Mileage progression between tests appears broadly linear rather than showing sudden jumps or suspiciously low years, and there is no evidence in the file of a period off the road that would prompt concern about dormant faults such as seized brakes or perished fuel lines. For a prospective buyer, the brake components are the clearest area for focused inspection given their repeated appearance in the MOT record. On a test drive, listen for any grinding or squeal from the offside rear corner in particular, and feel for a soft or excessively long brake pedal that could indicate a caliper slider that has begun to seize, especially as the offside rear pad was the component that dropped below 1.5 mm. Confirm visually that the rear calipers and slider pins are free, and inspect the front discs through the wheel for visible lipping or a blueing of the disc surface, since the 2022 advisory noted pitting and scoring that often returns under heavy use. Check the park brake travel and holding strength on an incline, as the 2021 advisory noted it only just passed. With three tyres flagged for edge wear in 2022, pay attention to steering pull or uneven tracking and verify current tyre tread depths are well above the legal 1.6 mm minimum, ideally with even wear across the tread face rather than feathering on the edges. The high annual mileage also warrants a closer look at the suspension and drivetrain that the MOT history does not directly cover. On the road, listen for clonks or knocks from the front end over speed humps and potholes, which would suggest worn anti-roll bar drop links, wishbone bushes, or top mounts, and feel for any vagueness or rattle through the steering wheel that could indicate worn track rod ends given the mileage. From inside the cab, listen for any whining from the transmission or vibration through the prop shaft under load, and check for clutch slip on inclines or a juddering take-up that would be consistent with a van that has worked hard for its years. Inspect the underside for any signs of oil misting around the engine and gearbox joins, corrosion on brake lines along the chassis rails, and any cracking or deterioration of the subframe mounting points, as these are common wear items on Transits of this age and mileage that would not necessarily appear in the MOT file. A corroborating inspection of the service book evidence and a thorough pre-purchase mechanical check at a van specialist would be prudent given the demonstrated brake wear pattern and the working-van usage profile.