Ford Focus MOT pass rate and common failures

67% of Ford Focus MOTs passed first time, below the 68% for all cars at the same ages.

67%passed first time (cars its age: 68%)
8.6mFord Focus MOTs counted since May 2018
5,500typical miles a year at 10 years old

First-time pass rate by year registered

Each year's Ford Focuss 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	Focus	All cars	MOTs
2023	89%	88%	11k
2022	90%	88%	30k
2021	88%	86%	61k
2020	87%	86%	150k
2019	84%	85%	272k
2018	85%	84%	284k
2017	85%	83%	458k
2016	82%	80%	514k
2015	80%	78%	650k
2014	73%	74%	641k
2013	67%	71%	639k
2012	66%	68%	594k
2011	63%	65%	567k
2010	60%	63%	499k
2009	59%	61%	542k
2008	57%	59%	500k
2007	57%	58%	517k
2006	56%	56%	444k
2005	53%	55%	374k
2004	49%	55%	282k
2003	48%	55%	199k
2002	48%	55%	167k
2001	49%	56%	100k
2000	48%	58%	52k
1999	46%	61%	28k

Compare two years of the Focus, 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 Focus MOTs are left out.

Commonest reasons for failure

Coil spring fractured or brokenOther cars its age: 2.74.0
Tyre tread below the legal limitOther cars its age: 2.73.5
Position lamp not workingOther cars its age: 2.73.1
Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrectOther cars its age: 1.42.8
Stop lamp (brake light) not workingOther cars its age: 2.42.4
Suspension arm pin or bush excessively wornOther cars its age: 1.32.3
Headlamp not working on dipped beamOther cars its age: 1.72.0
Tyre has ply or cords exposedOther cars its age: 1.31.9

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

Where it comes up more than other cars its age

Anti-roll bar corroded but not seriously weakenedAdvisory. Other cars its age: 0.20.6
Anti-roll bar linkage fracturedFail. Other cars its age: 0.10.5
Anti-roll bar linkage insecurely attachedFail. Other cars its age: 0.00.2
Anti-roll bar linkage pin or bush likely to become detachedFail. Other cars its age: 0.00.2
Anti-roll bar linkage missingFail. Other cars its age: 0.00.1
Stop lamp(s) emits other than a steady red lightFail. Other cars its age: 0.00.1

Out of every 100 Ford Focus 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: 6,500 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 Focuss in general, not a prediction for any one car. Spotted a mistake? Email fuzzyreguk@gmail.com.

Check a Ford Focus's MOT history

Every test and advisory, free, from the registration.