Best Ford Vans

This is a review for a 2019 350L 6 speed auto FWD Transit. My boss bought the van new in 2020 for an AusPost run in rural NSW and I then bought it… Read more

from her at 130,000kms when I took over the contract. Initially we both loved the van. Great to drive - comfortable, quiet, plenty of power, handled and drove like a big car. All the mod cons are there - heated seats, heated windscreen and mirrors ( fantastic on winter mornings to de-ice the windscreen ), great view through high mounted rear camera, nice low seating position ( great for reaching letterboxes etc ). Fuel consumption was pretty good for a 2.5 tonne vehicle - 8 litres per 100 km on the highway, rising to 11.5 litres with the stop/start nature of the post run. Tyre and brake use is pretty high - front tyres last around 40,000kms, rears 50,000, and brake pads around 60,000kms - but that’s to be expected with a large van doing stop/start driving at highway speeds. Lots of design details are really well thought out like the way the rear barn doors fold back flat without the big metal stays of the Renault Master, and the 1001 storage pockets in the cabin. All up it was a revelation compared to previous vans (Hiace, iLoad, Master). It even looks pretty good, as far as vans go.

But then the problems started at 50,000kms with a wheel speed sensor intermittently putting the van into limp home mode. Not long after, a DPF sensor failed which meant the filter wasn’t doing a burn. Both annoying but minor issues fixed under warranty. Then the first of five CV joint failures. These are not covered by warranty and at $1000 each (fitted) more than just annoying - not just the cost but the time off the road and hassle of organising a rental etc. My neighbour has a Toyota Corolla with 400,000 on the clock and still has the original CV joints. The Transit on the other hand has now averaged 1 CV joint failure a year since 2020 - hopeless. Then the auto gearbox died at 150,000kms. Valve/solenoid failure apparently. Replaced under warranty, but was off the road for 6 weeks. Ford paid for some, but not all, of the rental van costs. Another CV joint failed at 190,000kms and the wet belt (timing belt) and accessory belt were replaced at 200,000kms (standard maintenance rather than failures, but $2,500.00 nevertheless - why not use a timing chain like every other diesel?). The van was then good until 240,000kms when the gearbox died again. It overheated the transmission oil and contaminated the valve/solenoids. Now out of warranty, it cost just under $5000 to fix and $2000 in rental van costs. None of that covered by Ford. It now drives beautifully again, but for how long?

If you’re going to build a commercial vehicle, make it tough enough to do the job. Surely? I own and run the van. I pay for the fuel, consumables like tyres and brakes and servicing, so there’s zero incentive for me to flog the thing. I service it by the book and treat it with respect. Two dead gearboxes and five CV joint failures is unacceptable. It could be that in lighter duty use, as a camper van etc that it’s a solid and reliable choice, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend testing that theory.

Great to drive, but unreliable in commercial use. NOT recommended