Ford KA MOT pass rate and common failures

66% of Ford KA MOTs passed first time, below the 68% for all cars at the same ages.

66%passed first time (cars its age: 68%)
1.7mFord KA MOTs counted since May 2018
3,500typical miles a year at 10 years old

First-time pass rate by year registered

Each year's Ford KAs 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	KA	All cars	MOTs
2019	89%	85%	49k
2018	85%	84%	65k
2017	86%	83%	93k
2016	79%	80%	66k
2015	76%	78%	111k
2014	75%	74%	156k
2013	72%	71%	157k
2012	69%	68%	143k
2011	66%	65%	135k
2010	61%	62%	156k
2009	60%	61%	154k
2008	48%	59%	79k
2007	46%	58%	69k
2006	46%	56%	54k
2005	44%	55%	47k
2004	43%	54%	42k
2003	44%	54%	32k
2002	45%	55%	22k
2001	46%	56%	11k

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

Commonest reasons for failure

Suspension mounting area badly corrodedOther cars its age: 0.53.6
Wiper does not clear the windscreenOther cars its age: 2.33.4
Stop lamp (brake light) not workingOther cars its age: 2.43.2
Suspension arm pin or bush excessively wornOther cars its age: 1.43.0
Tyre tread below the legal limitOther cars its age: 2.82.8
Shock absorber has a serious fluid leakOther cars its age: 1.02.4
Suspension ball joint excessively wornOther cars its age: 1.62.2
Coil spring fractured or brokenOther cars its age: 2.82.2

Out of every 100 Ford KA 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: 3.06.6
Exhaust has a minor leakAdvisory. Other cars its age: 2.15.8
Suspension mounting area badly corrodedFail. Other cars its age: 0.53.6
Suspension mounting area corrodedAdvisory. Other cars its age: 0.62.7
Shock absorber has a serious fluid leakFail. Other cars its age: 1.02.4
Road wheel slightly distortedAdvisory. Other cars its age: 0.92.3

Out of every 100 Ford KA 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: 4,500 at 3 years old, 1,500 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 KAs in general, not a prediction for any one car. Spotted a mistake? Email fuzzyreguk@gmail.com.

Check a Ford KA's MOT history

Every test and advisory, free, from the registration.