Used Ford Transit Custom review and buying guide (2012 to 2024): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Ford Transit Custom should you buy?

There's no safe engine here, so buy on evidence: a 2.0 EcoBlue Transit Custom (2016 to 2023) with written proof of its timing belt and injector work, or a 2.2 TDCi that's quiet from cold and isn't using much oil. The EcoBlue carries two High-rated faults, and its belt can fail between 60,000 and 100,000 miles, so one without those receipts is a gamble.

Early vans from 2012 to 2016 use the 2.2 TDCi, and it carries its own High-rated fault, built on three owners' reports, only one of them from a Transit: a 2013 van that cracked a piston at just 50,000 miles. The other two were the same engine holing a piston in another make's vehicle and seizing in a Ranger, with no single cause pinned down. If you still want a 2.2, it has to start quietly from cold and pull cleanly with no knocking.

The later EcoBlue vans, right up to the last of this generation in 2023, aren't off the hook either. The oil-bathed belt can stretch and lose teeth, blocking the oil strainer and killing the engine, and in 2019 Ford acknowledged a batch of faulty injectors from an outside supplier. Don't assume a newer van has had the problem engineered out; check the paperwork on every year.

Which Transit Custom engines are the safe choices?

Neither diesel is safe outright, and the 2.0 EcoBlue only makes sense with receipts, because its main fault involves a belt you can prove was changed. It runs its timing belt and a separate oil pump belt in oil, and Ford cut the change interval to 100,000 miles or six years. The catch is the belt can stretch and strip teeth from 60,000 miles, before it's due.

Injectors are the EcoBlue's other weak spot. Some vans built from 2016 to 2019 got faulty injectors from an outside supplier, which cost them power and dropped them into limp mode. Ford admitted the problem in 2019 and said it'd update vans that weren't yet showing symptoms, so ask for proof that work was done.

The 2.2 TDCi, fitted from 2012 to 2016, is chain driven, so there's no belt to change, but one owner's 2013 van cracked a piston, and the same engine has failed in other vehicles, with no single cause established. A knock, a warning for oil pressure or a sudden loss of power rules a van out. One owner also had injector trouble on a 2.2 that new injectors and a software update didn't cure, with fuel use creeping up.

What should you check when viewing a used Transit Custom?

Hear the engine from cold before anything else. On a 2.2 TDCi, a rattle at start-up points to a stretched chain or tired tensioner, while a heavy knock from low down, an oil pressure warning or a sudden loss of power are the signs of the serious engine failures reported on it. On a 2.0 EcoBlue, a rattle, a low oil pressure message or camshaft sensor faults are the signs of a belt that's shedding teeth.

On the drive, feel for a loss of power and any drop into limp mode, which is how the faulty injectors on 2016 to 2019 EcoBlues have shown up. Noisy idler pulleys and a belt tensioner needing adjustment have also been flagged on the 2.0 engine, so listen round the front of the engine with the bonnet up.

Check the rear door hinges for rust; they're prone to it, and regular checks plus a coat of rust inhibitor keep it in hand. On 2013 to 2016 long-wheelbase crew cabs with a top-hinged tailgate and a fully enclosed load area, there's no handle inside to open the rear door, so someone can get shut in. Barn-door vans do have handles.

Ask for invoices showing the EcoBlue's timing belt has been replaced if it's near 100,000 miles or six years old, plus proof of any injector replacement or update Ford carried out. If the load area's been panelled or racked, check nothing's been screwed through the wiring: one brand-new van burned out after a dealer did exactly that.

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

Is a used Ford Transit Custom 1st Gen (2012 to 2023) worth buying?

Buy one if it's a 2.0 EcoBlue with belt and injector paperwork, and pass on any 2.2 TDCi that knocks or loses power, because both engines in this generation have a High-rated fault that can destroy the engine. Beyond the engines, it earned a five-star Euro NCAP rating, though the middle seat is tight thanks to where the gear lever sits.

The 2012 to 2016 vans run the 2.2 TDCi, which has had serious engine failures reported between 40,000 and 50,000 miles, with no single cause behind them. Watch for a knock from the bottom of the engine, an oil pressure warning and a sudden loss of power. One owner's 2013 van cracked a piston at 50,000 miles and got no help with the repair from the dealer or Ford.

From 2016 the 2.0 EcoBlue took over, and its wet belt can stretch and strip teeth between 60,000 and 100,000 miles, blocking the oil strainer. Injectors are its other problem: some 2016 to 2019 vans got a faulty batch from an outside supplier, which Ford acknowledged in 2019, the year one owner reported their van losing power and dropping into limp mode.

What does a used Ford Transit Custom cost to run?

What do Transit Custom owners like about them?

It's quiet and refined on the move, and the cab doesn't feel like a typical van's. The interior's finished to a high standard and laid out much like a Ford Focus, so the dashboard won't feel alien if you've come out of a car.

The load bay's a practical shape: the short-wheelbase van takes three Euro pallets, and a through-load hatch means ladders and lengths of pipe fit in too. If you need seats rather than cargo space, the Kombi minibus version is a sound alternative to the Tourneo Custom, giving you the same van with room for passengers.

• The Transit Custom achieved an impressive five-star Euro NCAP crash rating, outperforming many competitors in its class.
• This van offers a refined and quiet driving experience, featuring a high-quality interior with a layout similar to the Ford Focus.
• The short wheelbase version is the only van in its class capable of carrying three Euro pallets.
• Kombi minibus versions offer a cost-effective alternative to the Ford Tourneo Custom.