What All This Means for Older Ford Vans

If you're still running an older Ford van in 2026, you’ve probably started feeling the pressure. With more towns and cities tightening their emissions rules, the cost of staying on the road in a non-compliant vehicle is rising fast.

Whether you’re based in London, Birmingham, Manchester or beyond, clean air zones are now part of daily life. And if your Transit, Custom or Connect doesn’t meet the current emissions standards, it’s only going to get more expensive to ignore it.

Here’s what these changes mean for your van, and how you can avoid paying through the nose just to keep driving.

What Is ULEZ and How Is It Changing in 2026?

ULEZ stands for Ultra Low Emission Zone. It’s a scheme introduced to improve air quality by charging drivers of older, more polluting vehicles a daily fee to enter certain areas.

London kicked things off, but in 2026, several other UK cities are introducing or expanding their own clean air zones, including:

• Greater Manchester
• Sheffield
• Newcastle
• Liverpool
• Bristol
• Glasgow
• And more to come

Many of these zones are now charging £12.50 a day for non-compliant vans. That’s over £3,000 a year if you drive daily in affected areas.

Which Vans Are Being Hit?

If your Ford van is diesel and registered before September 2016, chances are it doesn’t meet Euro 6 emissions standards. That means you’ll get charged every time you drive it into a ULEZ or Clean Air Zone.

This includes many Transit Mk7s, older Transit Customs and Connects. Even if your van is mechanically sound, if it’s not compliant, it’s costing you money just by being on the road.

What About Broken or Failing Vans?

If your van’s already suffering from issues like:

• Wet belt failure
• EGR or DPF faults
• MOT emissions failure
• Engine management lights
• Or it’s simply not starting anymore

It’s likely no longer worth sinking money into. Add in the new ULEZ charges, and you’re throwing good money after bad.

This is where acting early can save you a fortune.

Don’t Wait Until It’s Worth Nothing

The older and more non-compliant your van is, the faster its value will drop.

ULEZ expansion and emissions legislation are pushing more owners to upgrade, flooding the used van market with older stock. That means if your van is broken or borderline, now is the best time to sell it before the value drops off a cliff.

How to Reclaim Value from Your Van in 2026

At Broken Ford Vans, we buy non-compliant, broken or non-running Ford vans across the UK. If your van’s failed an MOT, developed engine issues or no longer meets emissions standards, we’ll still give you a proper offer.

We don’t pay scrap prices. We’re specialists in Ford Transits, Customs and Connects, and we know the value of the parts, even if the engine’s gone.

Here’s how we make it easy:

• Free collection from your home, yard or site
• Fast, fair valuations, with a no obligation quote
• Instant payment on collection
• All DVLA paperwork handled for you

If your van’s not ULEZ compliant and not worth fixing, get a quote from us today and move on without losing more money to charges or repairs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Euro 6 mean for Ford vans?
Euro 6 is the emissions standard that most Clean Air Zones use. If your Ford van is diesel and registered before September 2016, it likely doesn’t meet Euro 6 and will be charged daily in ULEZ areas.

Will my broken van still have value if it’s not compliant?
Yes. Even if your van isn’t roadworthy or compliant, there’s often value in the parts. We regularly buy vans with engine issues, emissions faults or MOT failures.

Is it better to scrap or sell a non-compliant van?
Scrap yards offer a flat rate based on weight. We offer a valuation based on what can be reused or broken down. Most of the time, you’ll get a lot more selling to us.

Do you buy vans that don’t run?
Absolutely. We collect non-runners across the UK. Just tell us what the issue is and we’ll give you an honest valuation.

Do I need to deliver the van to you?
No. We come to you. Free collection is included with every purchase, no matter where you are in the UK.

Final Word

2026 is not the year to leave a broken or non-compliant van sat on the drive. With clean air zones expanding and running costs climbing, now is the time to act.

Don’t pay to keep a van that’s costing you more than it’s worth. Get in touch for a fast, fair quote and see what your Ford is still worth, even if it’s broken.