Faults:

Quite a lot but mostly wear and tear.

Clutch, oil leak, suspension parts, etc.

Interior rough as expected from a well used works van.

Some cosmetic rust, but nothing major.

General Comments:

This Transit like many started out life as a works vehicle, but I have had it a while now and have slowly been converting it to a motor-home.

Lots of space in this box van version; interior was wood-lined so not too many rough parts to fix.

Surprisingly decent to drive. A little noisy on the motorways however. Power and economy is decent so long as the van is not overloaded. 2.0 turbo diesel, not the later 2.2 turbo diesel, this one is more reliable.

A popular choice, these vans are economical to run and you can do pretty much anything you want to them, they have many uses. Maybe not the best in their class (I preferred my old Renault actually) but it is easy to see why they are popular vans in the UK.

Faults:

3 x sets wheel bearings.

2 x central locking modules.

Battery (after 2 months).

Vacuum pump on engine causing a large oil leak and power steering and brake failure!

Intermittent cold start problems, causing the engine to cut out when cold (never cured).

2 x clutches.

Noisy back axle.

General Comments:

Neither the dealer, or subsequent independent garages have been able to cure the stalling problems, which have been there almost from new. I get the standard answer whenever it goes in for servicing that "It should be fine now". It never is.

This van has cost me a fortune in repairs. The faults list above is not exhaustive, but I cannot remember the rest at the moment. Whenever I call the garage, they seen to say that "it is a common fault on these Transits", whatever I am calling about!

I bought a Transit because I expected reliability and relatively cheap running costs, but I was wrong. I have only kept it so long because whenever I spend a lot of money on it, I think it will be OK for a while. Now I am told the back axle is noisy and may need seeing to in the near future. I am cutting my losses and probably replacing it with a Fiat Ducato or similar, which I also have on my fleet and has given me little to worry about in 60000 miles.

General Comments:

Thinking of buying a new ice cream van? Then visit the worlds leading specialist vehicle builder here. Satisfaction guaranteed.

But don't automatically buy a Ford Transit; consider having your investment built on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.

The Ford Transit I have is the most uncomfortable vehicle I have ever driven; the driver's seat has given me back problems. Ford's "customer care" is non existent, and the Customer Relationship Centre is a farce. After almost 12 months Ford still have not fixed the problem, and I doubt they are bothered either. The so called "Backbone of Britain" is damaging my backbone. I certainly would never ever recommend a Ford to anyone.