Ford Claims 98% Of All US Transits Are Still On The Road, But The Number Is Not The Whole Story

Everyone wants reliability from their new car, whether it be a weekend sports car for carving up the local canyon roads, or a cheap and cheerful commuter, perfect for zipping around the city center and stealing those last tiny parking spaces nobody else dares squeeze into. However, while reliability is indeed useful for everyone, it's of the utmost importance for work vehicles — like vans and pickup trucks — which are relied on daily to keep companies large and small running efficiently.

Vehicles like these more often than not spend hours each day blasting up and down highways with stop-offs kept to a minimum in order to maximize deliveries and therefore profits. So, how does one choose a reliable work vehicle? You can check out what Consumer Reports says are the most reliable pickups, or you can follow interesting stats, like the one Ford recently published. The Blue Oval automaker has announced that 98% of all Transit vans made in the United States are still on the road, which is a hugely impressive feat, especially when you consider that the Transit was produced in huge numbers. If it's for a super-limited sports car, all of a sudden the effectiveness dilutes somewhat, but there's north of 1.5 million Transits on U.S. roads, so color us impressed.

These should send green flags flying for anyone considering a Transit as their new work vehicle, as with so many still out on the roads, it paints a pleasant picture of what ownership will look like for them. However, in order to get the full picture, it's important to look past the numbers — what lies between the lines in this instance? We look at production numbers and years to decide truly how impressive Ford's reliability announcement really is.

First thing's first, we don't mean to cast an unjust shadow on Ford's achievement — 98% of all Transits sold in the U.S. still motoring along is impressive. How impressive? That's certainly up for debate. Consider this — Land Rover reported in 2015 that roughly 70% of all original Land Rover models were still on the road. The first models debuted way back in 1948. Millions were made; many lived very hard lives on farms and others were put to work day-in and day-out. While that figure comes from the manufacturer itself, it is a testament to the lasting rugged dependability of the old 4X4. In comparison, the Ford Transit wasn't made in the U.S. until 2011, which means the oldest examples are only turning 15 this year.

Surely you'd expect a 15-year-old van to still be able to complete daily rounds, or are we just being pessimistic? Again, 98% is still a huge percentage, but it's not clear whether Ford Transits are still around in huge numbers due to their mighty reliability, or simply due to the fact they're still fairly new. The E-Series, on the other hand, traces its roots back a while longer in the U.S., and anyone who knows them will happily confirm they've earned their reputation for reliability over those years.

In order for the Transit to develop the same unquestionable reputation as the cool E-Series vans, more time needs to pass. Let's see how many of those 98% are still doing the rounds in another decade. If even 80% are still firing up each morning and heading off to work, we'll gladly rank the Transit alongside the E-Series in terms of dependability.