Used Ford Transit Connect review and buying guide (2002 to 2022): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Ford Transit Connect should you buy?

On a Mk1 Transit Connect, the 1.8 TDCi diesel's high-pressure fuel pump decides it: pump failure is a High-rated known fault on that engine across the Mk1's 2002 to 2013 run, and it usually shows up between 60,000 and 100,000 miles. Only take a TDCi with a receipt for a new pump, because without one you're buying the failure along with the van.

The other known fault hits 2011 vans, where the rear axle scrubs away the outside shoulders of the back tyres. Ford was reportedly swapping the axles, and any badly worn tyres, free of charge. A 2011 van with chewed outer edges and no record of a new axle isn't one to take home, however tidy the rest of it looks. The TDdi diesel and the 1.8 petrol have no known faults on record, but that's a gap in the record rather than a clean bill.

The Mk2, sold from 2014 to 2022, has little on record of its own, and what there is concerns the 1.0 EcoBoost petrol. Both its High known faults apply: the wet cambelt can break up and block the oil pickup between 60,000 and 80,000 miles, and on 2014 to 2017 vans the degas hose can split between 40,000 and 70,000 miles. Only buy a 1.0 with a dated belt receipt and proof the hose was renewed; the 1.5 diesel's thin record isn't a clean one.

Which Transit Connect engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

None of the engines can honestly be called the safe choice. The 1.8 TDCi carries a High-rated known fault: its high-pressure fuel pump fails, usually between 60,000 and 100,000 miles, and the engine can cut out, refuse to start or lose power. Only buy one with paperwork for a replaced pump, and treat a van without it as a pump bill waiting to happen.

On TDCi engines built from October 2007 the injection pump runs off a belt that sits in oil, due at 120,000 miles or 10 years, while earlier engines used a chain for that job. One owner's 2010 1.8 TDCi had its timing belt fail at 115,000 miles and 7 years old, so don't assume a diesel's belts are fine just because it looks tidy, and want receipts for both.

The TDdi diesel and the 1.8 petrol have nothing on record against them, but so little's written about either that they're unknowns, not safer picks. Mk1 vans only came with a five-speed manual, so there's no automatic gearbox to worry about on those.

On the Mk2, the 1.0 EcoBoost petrol isn't a safe pick without paperwork. Its cambelt runs in oil, and Ford has cut the change from 10 years or 150,000 miles to 100,000 miles or 72 months, yet the known fault has it breaking down between 60,000 and 80,000 miles and starving the engine of oil. On 2014 to 2017 vans the nylon degas hose can also snap between 40,000 and 70,000 miles, emptying the coolant and cracking the head. The 1.5 diesel's dry belt is due every 10 years.

What should you check when viewing a used Transit Connect?

Ask a TDCi seller for the fuel pump paperwork before anything else: a receipt for a new high-pressure pump. Then start it from cold and drive it long enough to warm through. Hesitant starting, a loss of power or the engine cutting out on the move all point to the pump, and any one of them is reason to leave it where it is.

Crouch behind it and run a hand across both rear tyres, because worn outer shoulders on a 2011 van point straight at the axle fault. Ask whether the axle's been replaced and for the paperwork that shows it. On a diesel, also look for receipts naming the timing belt and, on anything built from October 2007, the injection pump drive belt.

Ask for proof of two more recalls: one from 2007 for wheel nuts that could crack because they'd been wrongly heat treated, and one from 2004 for airbag wiring that could fire the wrong side airbag in a crash. Neither shows up on a walk round, so it's paperwork you're after here, not a visual check.

On a Mk2 1.0 EcoBoost, check the coolant level with the engine cold and look round the degas hose and expansion tank for crusty residue, then watch the temperature gauge the whole drive. A low oil pressure light, a heavy brake pedal or a lack of power points to the wet belt, so ask for a dated belt receipt on any van near 60,000 miles, and whether the revised degas hose Ford fitted as a service action was done.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

Should you buy a used Ford Transit Connect Mk1 (2002 to 2013)?

Buy one only with the fuel pump history sorted on a TDCi and, on a 2011 van, proof of a new rear axle. The 1.8 TDCi's high-pressure pump is a known failure between 60,000 and 100,000 miles on these vans, and the engine can cut out or refuse to start when it goes.

Past the pump, the record's short. One owner's 2010 TDCi lost its timing belt at 115,000 miles, and the pump drive belt on engines built from October 2007 is due at 120,000 miles or 10 years. Don't take the lack of other reports as proof there's nothing else; it means there's little written down, so the van's own history matters more.

What does a used Ford Transit Connect cost to run?

What do Transit Connect owners like about them?

It drives more like a car than a van. The suspension's soft enough to ride smoothly, the handling's nicely balanced and there's proper feel through the steering. The view out from the driver's seat is good and the five-speed manual's ratios are sensibly spaced, so it's an easy thing to spend a working day in.

The load bay takes two Euro pallets, and there's a short or long wheelbase to pick from depending on the work. The cabin's roomy, comfortable and solidly put together, and the dials are easy to read at a glance, while the minor controls get big buttons that don't take any hunting for.

• The Transit Connect offers a smooth ride and excellent handling balance, making it enjoyable to drive with good steering feel.
• The 1.8 litre turbodiesel engines are powerful and refined, providing good fuel economy and low emissions, all with a diesel particulate filter.
• Its large load area can accommodate two Euro pallets, with options for both short and long wheelbase models.
• The cabin is comfortable and spacious, featuring quality construction, clear instruments, and large, easy to use buttons for controls.
• Standard safety equipment is comprehensive, including Electronic Stability Programme, traction control, and Hill Launch Assist.