2018 Ford Transit Connect 1.5L Diesel · YP68 BOF

The most recent DVSA examination on 11 December 2025 resulted in a PASS with no defects recorded, and this follows a further pass with no advisories on 18 December 2024. Reading back through the available history, the 2021 and 2023 tests were also clean passes aside from notes about underbody covers and shields being fitted, which is standard protective equipment for a commercial-derived van and is not a mechanical concern. The only meaningful cluster of defects appears in late 2022 through early 2024, beginning with an offside rear tyre cut deep enough to reach the ply or cords that caused the vehicle to fail in December 2022, followed in January 2024 by an inner-edge wear issue on both front tyres, a nail in the offside rear outer tyre, a coolant-low advisory, and a minor defect for an inoperative registration plate lamp with missing lens. The trend since then is clearly improving rather than worsening, with two consecutive totally clean passes suggesting that the tyre, lighting, and cooling concerns have been addressed. None of the recorded items point to a systemic structural, brake, or suspension problem. With a recorded 71,093 miles spread across approximately eight years, the vehicle is averaging around 8,800 to 8,900 miles annually, broadly in line with what one would expect from a small van of this type, possibly used for light urban delivery or trades work. There are no obvious extended gaps in the MOT record and no sudden jumps in mileage between tests that would suggest odometer inconsistency or unusually heavy use in a short period. The 2024 test recorded 71,022 miles, so essentially the present odometer reading has been verified almost exactly at the last MOT, which is a useful cross-check. This average annual mileage means wear items such as brakes, tyres, clutches (if applicable), and suspension components should be in a reasonable state for the age, but it does not rule out calendar-based deterioration of rubber, fluids, and electrical components. Because the MOT file is largely clean and the mileage is moderate rather than extreme, physical inspection should focus on age-related deterioration rather than high-mileage fatigue. On a test drive, listen for any clonks or knocks from the front suspension over speed humps and uneven surfaces, as Transit Connects of this generation can suffer from worn anti-roll bar bushes, wishbone bushes, and coil spring seats; uneven inner-edge tyre wear, which was flagged in 2024, can recur if camber or suspension geometry has not been checked after the replacement tyres were fitted, so inspect the current front tyres for feathering or one-sided wear. With the vehicle standing between uses, check for binding brake calipers by rolling forward slowly from a standstill with the handbrake released and feeling for any dragging, and examine the brake discs for severe corrosion pitting on the outer edges, particularly if the van has spent time parked for long periods. Verify the 12V battery health, as eight-year-old original or replacement batteries in commercial vehicles that may sit unused are prone to sulphation and cold-start failure. Given the calendar age of the vehicle, regardless of the modest mileage, confirm the timing belt or chain service interval has been observed according to Ford's schedule, as well as replacement of coolant, brake fluid, and automatic or manual transmission fluid if applicable, all of which degrade with time rather than mileage. Inspect all tyres, including the spare, for sidewall perishing and cracking from age, paying particular attention to the rear pair given the history of cuts and nails, and consider renewing all four tyres proactively if any show ozone cracking. Check for fluid leaks beneath the vehicle, particularly around the radiator, power steering, and front suspension dampers, as standing vehicles often show weeping seals that only become apparent once the seals dry out and crack. Finally, verify a complete service book history with stamps at the correct intervals, ensure the registration plate lamp housing and lens noted as missing in 2024 have been properly replaced, and confirm the coolant level is now correct, as a persistent coolant loss on a 2018 Transit Connect can indicate a failing water pump, thermostat housing, or, in the diesel variant, a small head gasket seep that warrants pressure-testing before purchase.