Ford Fiesta MOT pass rate and common failures

67% of Ford Fiesta MOTs passed first time, below the 70% for all cars at the same ages.

67%passed first time (cars its age: 70%)
12mFord Fiesta MOTs counted since May 2018
4,500typical miles a year at 10 years old

First-time pass rate by year registered

Each year's Ford Fiestas against every car first registered the same year, at the same ages. Newer cars have only had their first few MOTs, so they look better. Years with fewer than 5,000 MOTs are left out.

Share of MOTs passed first time, by year first registered. All cars: every car first registered that year, at the same ages.
Registered	Fiesta	All cars	MOTs
2023	90%	88%	14k
2022	91%	88%	47k
2021	88%	86%	84k
2020	85%	86%	195k
2019	86%	85%	386k
2018	85%	84%	554k
2017	81%	83%	643k
2016	73%	80%	914k
2015	72%	78%	1.1m
2014	70%	74%	1.1m
2013	67%	71%	969k
2012	64%	68%	849k
2011	63%	65%	733k
2010	59%	62%	755k
2009	57%	61%	815k
2008	57%	59%	549k
2007	57%	58%	535k
2006	54%	56%	464k
2005	54%	56%	302k
2004	53%	55%	268k
2003	53%	55%	216k
2002	53%	55%	116k
2001	50%	56%	48k
2000	49%	59%	27k
1999	48%	61%	28k
1998	48%	63%	22k
1997	49%	64%	10k
1996	52%	65%	5k

Compare two years of the Fiesta, age for age.

First-time pass rate by age

Share of MOTs at each age that passed first time. Ages with fewer than 10,000 Ford Fiesta MOTs are left out.

Commonest reasons for failure

Stop lamp (brake light) not workingOther cars its age: 2.25.8
Suspension ball joint excessively wornOther cars its age: 1.43.5
Coil spring fractured or brokenOther cars its age: 2.52.9
Tyre tread below the legal limitOther cars its age: 2.62.9
Position lamp not workingOther cars its age: 2.52.5
Track rod end has excessive playOther cars its age: 1.12.4
Headlamp aim too lowOther cars its age: 1.32.1
Wiper does not clear the windscreenOther cars its age: 2.32.0

Out of every 100 Ford Fiesta MOTs, against other cars at the same ages.

Where it comes up more than other cars its age

Coil spring corrodedAdvisory. Other cars its age: 2.76.3
Stop lamp (brake light) not workingFail. Other cars its age: 2.25.8
Road wheel slightly distortedAdvisory. Other cars its age: 0.83.9
Swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush slightly wornAdvisory. Other cars its age: 0.33.1
Sub-frame pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movementAdvisory. Other cars its age: 0.20.9
Swivel pins and bushes swivel pin and/or bush excessively wornFail. Other cars its age: 0.10.8

Out of every 100 Ford Fiesta MOTs. Only items noted well above other cars of the same ages.

Miles a year

Typical miles a year between one MOT and the next: 5,500 at 3 years old, 3,500 at 20. Rounded to the nearest 1,000.

Counted from DVSA records of 286,058,652 MOTs, 20 May 2018 to 18 October 2026. A test and its retests count as one MOT, and a fail put right at the test counts as a first-time fail, as the DVSA counts it. About Ford Fiestas in general, not a prediction for any one car. Spotted a mistake? Email fuzzyreguk@gmail.com.

Check a Ford Fiesta's MOT history

Every test and advisory, free, from the registration.