2012 Ford Transit 2.2L Diesel · RO62 OSL

The defining mechanical story across five consecutive DVSA test cycles is a persistent pattern of brake line corrosion, repeated exterior lighting defects, and recurring wear items, culminating in the most recent test on 2025-02-24 which was a pass but carried five notes, several of which echo the same defects seen throughout the history. Brake pipe corrosion has appeared as either an advisory or a major failure in every recorded cycle since 2022, with the offside front and nearside rear pipes having been flagged as excessively corroded at the February 2022 failure, and front-to-rear and across-axle sections carrying advisories for grease coverage or surface corrosion across the same span. Lighting has been the most consistent failure cause, with major defects recorded for position lamps, the registration plate lamp, and the rear fog lamp across three of the four failures, while the brake pedal wearing smooth has been advised at every single test since 2022. The overall trend is not deteriorating into harder failures, but neither is the record clean; rather, the same chronic wear points keep reappearing. Against a 14-year age, the recorded 233,071 miles equates to roughly 16,648 miles per year, which is a notably high annual accumulation for a van of this vintage and points to sustained commercial or heavy-duty use rather than light private mileage. There are no extended lay-up gaps visible in the MOT record, with tests clustering consistently around February in 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, which suggests continuous operation. Mechanically, that workload profile is consistent with the components flagged: the brake pipes and pads would be expected to deteriorate faster under repeated heavy-load braking, and suspension linkages and tyres as advised in 2022 and 2024 are subjected to greater stress in a working van context. The mileage progression between tests, when cross-referenced against the advisories, broadly aligns with this kind of usage rather than any abnormal mileage spike. For a prospective buyer, the brake line corrosion record warrants the closest attention, given that excessively corroded brake pipes were a failure item in 2022 and advisories on covered or corroded pipes have continued to surface since. On inspection, look closely along the front-to-rear brake pipe runs, the across-axle sections, and particularly the offside front and nearside rear joints for any pitting, flaking, or thinning of the metal, and check that no temporary repairs such as jubilee clips, self-amalgamating tape, or grease coatings are masking active corrosion. On a test drive, listen for any sponginess or excessive travel in the brake pedal that could indicate pipe swelling or fluid loss, and observe whether the pedal feel is consistent under repeated firm application. Given that the brake pedal itself has been advised as wearing smooth at every test, it is also worth confirming that the rubber grip remains serviceable for effective foot control. The lighting history should prompt a full functional check before purchase, given that registration plate lamps, front position lamps, and rear position lamps have failed multiple times across different test cycles, and the 2025 pass was only six days after the February 2025 failure, suggesting a hurried repair rather than a thorough electrical diagnosis. Walk around the vehicle and confirm all position lamps, the rear fog lamp, the registration plate illumination, and the indicator-to-position lamp interaction operate correctly both with the engine off and at tickover, as some defects have been described as adversely affected by the operation of other lamps. Suspension and steering items advised at the 2024 test, including slight play in the nearside front anti-roll bar linkage ball joint, should be evaluated by pushing down on each front corner and checking for clonks or wandering over uneven surfaces, while the inner brake pad wear advisories from 2022 and 2024 make a thorough visual inspection of pad material through the wheel spokes worthwhile. Finally, given the high recorded mileage, check for any power steering leaks around the rack and hoses, as the 2023 failure noted fluid below minimum, and inspect the tyres closely for uneven shoulder wear consistent with the camber or suspension irregularities flagged in earlier advisories.