The Ford E-Transit Custom, a versatile van designed for business use, was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) investigation period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. This investigation uncovered widespread mis-selling practices in motor finance arrangements involving
discretionary commission payments, which affected an estimated 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) worth £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026).
## How the Ford E-Transit Custom was Typically Financed
The Ford E-Transit Custom was frequently financed through PCP and HP agreements with typical loan amounts ranging from £20,000 to £45,000. Common finance providers for this van model included
Black Horse,
Lombard,
Close Brothers Motor Finance, and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions. These agreements often featured balloon payments at the end of the term, which could make it difficult for some customers to settle their debt if they decided not to purchase or refinance the vehicle.
## The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA investigation into motor finance revealed that many dealerships received discretionary commission arrangements from lenders when selling vehicles on PCP and HP plans. These commissions were often undisclosed, leading to a potential conflict of interest where dealers had an incentive to recommend more expensive finance options to customers. As a result, customers may have been sold agreements with higher interest rates or excessive fees than necessary.
The investigation found that these mis-selling practices affected an estimated 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) across the UK, involving approximately £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026) in total loan amounts. The average customer was overcharged by around £829 per agreement (FCA estimate), highlighting the widespread nature of this issue.
## How to Check Your Agreement Look for any clauses mentioning discretionary commissions or DCA (Discretionary
Commission Arrangement). check the dates of your finance agreement to ensure it falls within the FCA investigation period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024.
If you notice any discrepancies in your terms and conditions or if your loan was arranged during this specific timeframe, there is a possibility that your agreement could be affected by these mis-selling practices. It is important to gather all relevant documents and evidence before approaching your lender for clarification.
## How to
Complain Directly to Your Lender for Free
If you suspect that your Ford E-Transit Custom finance agreement was mis-sold, the first step should be to contact your lender directly. Common lenders for this model include Black Horse, Lombard, Close Brothers Motor Finance, and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions. These companies have established procedures in place to handle complaints regarding motor finance agreements.
You do not need a
claims management company to file a complaint; you can approach your lender independently without any cost. Be sure to provide all necessary documentation and evidence supporting your claim. Lenders are required by law to respond to your complaint within eight weeks, providing either a resolution or an update on the progress of your case.
## Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). "Motor Finance: Discretionary Commission Arrangements." 2024.
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) Census. 2021.
Based on 577,026 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Ford Transit has a pass rate of 73.3%. This is below the national average of 79.6%, meaning the Transit has a higher-than-average failure rate in MOT testing.
The Transit pass rate is slightly below the overall Ford average of 78.3%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 117,451 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 73.3%
- MOT failure rate: 26.7%
- Tests analysed: 577,026 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 117,451 miles
- Ford average pass rate: 78.3%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.