Faults:

When I bought it, the clutch was broken, so I had to replace it.

It has new brakes and a timing belt that was serviced a year later. I also replaced the heating and air conditioning system two years after I bought the van. Being over 20 years old, the vehicle doesn't have many electronics, so I haven't had any problems in that regard. The engine hasn't been touched; I only had it checked at the time of purchase, but it works fine.

General Comments:

Since we're very close to retirement, my wife and I decided to make a change in our lives during this final stage of our lives. We decided to dive headfirst into the world of camper vans. Our goal is to have a camper that can be used until the end of our lives, so when we decided on a van, we chose an older one (20 years old when we bought it) that was well-maintained and fairly inexpensive. It cost us around 7,000 euros.

Our goal was to have a reliable, durable, and inexpensive van with spare parts, and fortunately, the Transit fits these requirements perfectly.

The items I purchased, which I mentioned earlier, were all sourced in the UK, all at a very affordable price, considering it's an older vehicle and Ford has spare parts available for this type of vehicle from the 1990s. The van is a camper, so it comes much better equipped than the commercial and work version. It has electric windows, air conditioning (not very necessary in Northern Europe, but I've used it a few times), and the driver and passenger seats are much more comfortable and suitable for long trips.

As for the vehicle's mechanics, it's truly what I expected, especially its reliability. It's clearly a well-made vehicle, designed to last. Although I changed many things at the time of purchase, in almost 170,000 km it hasn't had a single problem. The naturally aspirated 2.5-liter engine is the best it has; it runs like the first day. While it's a bit noisy, it's not at all unbearable, and it holds up well at cruising speeds of 120-130 km/h on the highway. It's the heart of the vehicle and its best feature.

I hope to enjoy it for many more years; so far, it's given us a lot of satisfaction.

Faults:

There is really nothing wrong with the van except some undercarriage rust which I am about to repair.

The plastic around the front windshield was brittle and fell off so I had it replaced.

All the systems are shipshape except the rear defroster, but that's an easy fix.

General Comments:

The van handles exceptionally well and at times I forget I am driving a van at all.

It is steady, smooth, and although it doesn't necessarily feel solid like some American vans I've owned, it feels well-built.

It has been extremely reliable although I've had it for about a year now, time will tell.

The engine and drive-train are in flawless condition and it ticks like a clock.

All the power components (brakes, door locks) work perfectly as well, and the only concern I've had to deal with is the occasional oil change and diesel fuel filter change.

I can understand why these are so popular. I will however add that it seems that this van was loved and well-cared for. If you get one of these that's been beat up, it could turn into a bit of a nightmare.

The vehicle is also a bit noisy in the cabin, but it has extra insulation so it's not a major headache.

Faults:

I change the brake discs, and all other brake parts for the front and rear brakes.

Driver's seat is in bad shape.

Not so good to drive in Finnish winter for rear axle drive, but so nice...

General Comments:

It likes diesel, especially if you like to drive over 80km/h.

On highway at 80kmh it runs quite okay.

Faults:

Gearbox broke down at 170000 km.

Problems with door locks.

Lots of rust.

Other minor faults.

General Comments:

The car is terrible to drive, it is very noisy and uncomfortable.

Fuel consumption is quite high, more than 10 liters/100km on highway.

The car is difficult to drive on icy and snowy roads.

I hate this car, VW Transporter is much better.