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I’m hoping someone might be able to shed some light on an issue, because my local Ford dealership certainly hasn’t been able to.

About 18 months ago I bought a Ford Transit Custom with 58k miles from my local Ford dealer. Within four weeks it was off the road for nine weeks due to a cracked DPF. Thankfully it was still under the three‑month warranty, so Ford replaced it—though the part had to come from Germany, which caused the long delay. Luckily I still had my old Ranger, so I could keep working.
When I collected the van, I noticed it was slow to start. I mentioned it over the phone and was told it might be the battery.

Over time the starting became very inconsistent. Some days it would fire up immediately, other days it needed several turns of the key. No pattern at all. Once it started, it ran perfectly for the rest of the day.

A couple of weeks ago it refused to start at a customer’s property and drained the battery. Jump leads got it going instantly. A mechanic and I both suspected the battery, but a local supplier tested it and said it was fine. The mechanic then suggested starting it from jump leads for a few days—every time it started immediately. He tested the battery again and still said it was healthy.
I’d read online that this can be a common issue, but with no clear answers. Rather than pay for endless guesswork at different garages, I decided to take it straight to Ford, assuming they’d know the problem.

I dropped the van off and got a call later: diagnostics showed nothing. Battery fine. They suspected glow plugs or injectors and asked for permission to investigate further. I agreed.
Next morning they called again—two glow plugs came out, but the other two were seized. They warned that forcing them could shear them off in the head, potentially causing major damage and even requiring a new engine. And even then, it might not fix the issue. At that point I told them to stop, and I collected the van.

So now I’m out of pocket and no further forward. The van still runs, just with unpredictable starting.

Has anyone had a similar issue with a Transit Custom? And if so, did you manage to get it resolved?

Any advice would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks.