With a durable drivetrain and few serious issues aside from susceptibility to rust, there are Transits that have made it halfway to a million miles of longevity in their lifespan. So, if proper maintenance is observed and rust is prevented, most Ford Transit vans should have no problem eclipsing 300,000.
Key Points
- The Ford Transit should take most drivers beyond the 200,000-mile mark before major problems begin to appear.
- Many Transits spend their early lives as work vehicles, so when buying a used van it is important to know whether the majority of miles were racked up on the highway or in the city.
- Rust is the Ford Transit’s Achilles heel and weather, therefore, has to be combated swiftly and diligently to ensure the longevity of the vehicle.
- Smaller issues like loss of A/C, brake wear, and dirt in the fuel system are common, especially on higher-mileage Transits.
- The Ford Transit’s recalls are relatively few in the last decade and centered around a problem with the driveshaft, but overall the Transit’s drivetrain has been finely manufactured.
If Properly Maintained, a Transit Van Used Mostly for Highway Driving Should Last Owners Beyond 200,000 Miles
The Ford Transit van is widely beloved, and it has been used by all manner of businesses from painters to electricians to fish tank installation services as a work vehicle. These business vans are meticulously maintained and expected to get a lot of rotations on the odometer before they keel over.
This steadfast reputation among all makes of cargo vans, not just Transits, has led to a surge in custom camper vans. The owners of these mobile houses expect the same from their vans as local businesses—for them to last a long, long time.
So, how does the Transit measure up? With so many people getting into the custom van culture, used Transits are usually found with over 100,000 miles already on the odometer, often sold by businesses with no further use for them.
If it has been properly maintained and driven more on the highway than in the city, drivers should expect a Transit to easily eclipse the 200,000-mile mark, according to owners.
Around-town Transits have a Shorter Life Expectancy than those Driven on the Highways
Highway-driven vehicles last much longer than cars caught in stop-and-go city traffic on a daily basis, and the Ford Transit is a perfect example of this.
A formerly work-used Transit that operates in one city, seeing red lights, traffic, and often avoiding accidents, is going to have much more wear and tear on the body, brakes, and will have had many more times where it was turned off and back on—experiencing poorer fuel economy and higher oil consumption than a highway-driven vehicle as a result.
When buying a high-mileage vehicle, particularly one like the Transit—which you might want to take you to far reaches of the country—it is important to know how the miles were put on the odometer, rather than just the number of miles.
Transit’s Problems Really Begin Appearing at Over 200,000 Miles
With the Ford Transit, regardless of how the miles are put on the dash, they’ll really start adding up once the van is a little ways over the 200,000-mile mark, though there are reports of a half-million miles being put on a Transit.
While the Transit’s engine has the endurance to make it further, the chassis is most often the first thing to go on the Ford van. Transit bodies are incredibly susceptible to rust—the old nemesis of all machinery.
This goes for both well-used and even new models of the van. When your Transit finally kicks the bucket, it’s most likely going to be rust that does it in.
Additionally, high-mileage Transits often experience a few problems that are not life-threatening to the vehicle, but are a major headache for drivers: AC issues, premature break wear, and a loss of power often attributed to debris in a fuel system that is prone to infiltration.
A testament to the well-made nature of the Transit, the most commonly reported issue is the touch-screen infotainment center, and there is little else to be said from customers in the way of problems.
The Transit’s Body Is Its One Major Flaw, but if Properly Treated, the Ford Van Should Last a Lifetime
Overall, the Transit is a highly dependable vehicle, appearing on lists of most reliable vans. And most buyers have no issues purchasing a Transit with over 100,000 miles on the odometer.
There have been hardly any manufacturing hiccups for Ford when producing the Transit’s drivetrain, except a 2019 recall for driveshaft couplings and a related 2021 parking brake cable recall. Ford has put some of its best work into the cargo van, but the body of the Transit is its one downfall.
The Ford Transit’s rust issues are pervasive and require the utmost diligence to ward off oxidization. This means cleaning the undercarriage often and addressing any wear to the body or chassis immediately with rust-preventative measures.
However, if proper preventative maintenance is observed, and small issues like brakes and AC are nipped in the bud, drivers should likely expect to see a van that could approach or eclipse the 300,000-mile threshold before finally giving in.
Photos: Ford
