The Ford Transit van 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. The FCA found that many dealerships, including those offering Ford Transit vans, were involved in
discretionary commission arrangements with lenders, which may have led to mis-selling of motor finance agreements.
## How the Ford Transit was Typically Financed
During the period under investigation, the Ford Transit van was often financed through PCP and HP agreements. These financing options allowed customers to drive away a new vehicle for an initial term while making monthly payments. For a Ford Transit, typical finance amounts ranged from £20,000 to £45,000, with most contracts lasting between 36 and 60 months.
Common lenders providing finance for the Ford Transit included
Black Horse,
Lombard,
Close Brothers Motor Finance, and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions. Under PCP agreements, a balloon payment or Guaranteed Minimum Future Value (GMFV) was often required at the end of the contract term to either purchase the vehicle outright or return it.
## The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA's investigation into motor finance practices uncovered significant issues with discretionary commission arrangements. These schemes allowed car dealerships and their staff to receive additional payments based on the type of financing chosen by customers, such as PCP versus HP. Dealers had incentives to push certain products that might not be in the best interest of buyers.
The FCA estimated that 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) during this period (FCA estimate), resulting in a total overcharge of £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026). On average, each customer was overcharged by about £829 (FCA estimate).
## How to Check Your Agreement
Dates: The agreement must have been signed between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024.
2.
Type of Finance: Check if it was a PCP or HP agreement.
3.
Lender Information: Identify the lender, such as Black Horse, Lombard, Close Brothers Motor Finance, or Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions.
4.
Discretionary Commission (DCA): Look for any mention of discretionary commission arrangements in your contract documentation.
If you find that your agreement meets these criteria, it is possible that you were involved in a mis-sold finance arrangement.
## How to
Complain Directly to Your Lender for Free
You do not need a
claims management company to address issues with your Ford Transit finance agreement. Common lenders such as Black Horse, Lombard, Close Brothers Motor Finance, and Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions offer their own complaint resolution processes. You can contact them directly through their customer service channels to discuss any concerns you have about the terms of your financing.
When making a complaint, gather all relevant documentation including your finance agreement, payment records, and any correspondence with the lender. This evidence will help support your case and ensure that your concerns are addressed properly without unnecessary intermediaries.
## Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). "Retail Conduct Regime: Motor Finance Market Investigation." 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.