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E397 GBY

1987 Ford Transit

Multi-colour Diesel 2496cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires29 Mar 2027
Tests24 (18 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate75%

Mileage

82,766 mi
Last recorded82,766 miles
Recorded on30 Mar 2026
Typical for 1987 Ford Transit58,852 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Ford
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationE397 GBY
MakeFord
ModelTransit
Year1987
ColourMulti-colour
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine2,496cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

18 pass 6 fail
Pass 30 Mar 2026 82,766 miles

Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Suspension component ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Fail 30 Mar 2026 82,766 miles

Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Rear Direction indicator not working (4.4.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Suspension component ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Play in steering rack inner joint(s) ()

Pass 30 Mar 2025 80,532 miles

Exhaust emits blue smoke during acceleration (8.2.1.2 (g))

Front Engine mounting damaged but not to excess (6.1.8 (a) (i))

Front Vehicle structure or chassis corroded within 30cm of a mounting, but not seriously affecting overall security (6.2.2 (d) (i))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Seat belt webbing slightly damaged or frayed (7.1.2 (b))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Rear Parking brake lever defective but can be satisfactorily operated (1.1.6 (d))

Rear diff has leak

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced vehicle has rust allover (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 6 Aug 2023 77,280 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Steering rack gaiter damaged or deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (i))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Offside Front Lower Suspension arm ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced vehicle has rust allover (6.1.1 (c) (i))

Pass 16 Jun 2022 74,124 miles
Pass 23 Apr 2021 70,980 miles
Pass 27 Feb 2020 68,711 miles
Pass 6 Sep 2018 65,702 miles
Fail 6 Sep 2018 65,702 miles

Nearside Front Tyre has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (5.2.3 (d) (i))

Pass 30 Aug 2017 32,285 miles
Fail 30 Aug 2017 32,285 miles

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Pass 19 Aug 2016 29,540 miles

Offside Front Vehicle structure has slight corrosion (6.1.A.1)

Pass 19 Aug 2015 26,856 miles
Pass 3 Mar 2014 21,453 miles
Pass 4 Mar 2013 27,161 miles
Fail 27 Sep 2011 14,771 miles

Nearside Front coil spring worn (2.4.C.1b)

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear Leaf spring splayed but action not impaired (2.4.B.1c)

Nearside Rear Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Offside Front coil spring worn (2.4.C.1b)

Offside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear Leaf spring splayed but action not impaired (2.4.B.1c)

Offside Rear Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Offside Rear Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is distorted but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Offside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (8.2.2)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Pass 27 Sep 2011 14,771 miles

Nearside Front coil spring worn (2.4.C.1b)

Nearside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Nearside Rear Leaf spring splayed but action not impaired (2.4.B.1c)

Nearside Rear Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Offside Front coil spring worn (2.4.C.1b)

Offside Headlamp deteriorated but light output not reduced (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear Leaf spring splayed but action not impaired (2.4.B.1c)

Offside Rear Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Offside Rear Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is distorted but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Parking brake lever has little reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Fail 24 Sep 2011 24,627 miles

Nearside Rear Rear wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.6.1)

Nearside Rear Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is severely distorted (2.4.A.3)

Offside Front Headlamp not working on main beam (1.7.5a)

Offside Rear Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.6.1)

Offside Rear Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is severely distorted (2.4.A.3)

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)

Pass 18 Aug 2010 3,279 miles

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive (2.4.A.3)

Oil leak

Propshaft component defective

nearside front track rod has slight play

offside front track rod has slight play

Pass 5 Aug 2009 22,639 miles

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Fail 5 Aug 2009 22,639 miles

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Offside Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

Rear fog lamp switch faulty (1.3.1a)

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Pass 8 Aug 2008 9,221 miles
Pass 6 Aug 2007 90,024 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 10 Aug 2006 80,162 miles

How Reliable is the Ford Transit?

Based on 16,371,688 MOT tests across 1,454,648 vehicles.

68.7%
Pass Rate
7,998
Miles/Year
37
Year Lifespan
1,454,648
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Registration plate lamp not working 551,926
Brake pipe excessively corroded 469,823
Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded 469,369
Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded 418,048
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 414,266
Full Ford Transit reliability report

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E397 GBY is a 1987 Ford Transit in Multi-colour with a 2,496cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 24 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 75%.

Across all 1987 Ford Transit models, the average MOT pass rate is 62.2% with a typical mileage of 58,852 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a Ford Transit fails its MOT is registration plate lamp not working, accounting for 551,926 recorded failures. If you're considering buying E397 GBY, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Ford Transit typically stays on UK roads for around 37 years. At 39 years old, this Ford Transit is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of E397 GBY?

You can check the full history of E397 GBY by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was E397 GBY registered?

E397 GBY is a 1987 Ford Transit, first registered on 23 November 1987.

Is E397 GBY safe to buy?

The MOT history for E397 GBY shows 24 tests with a 75% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does E397 GBY have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on E397 GBY. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.