Ford Ecosport MOT failure rate and common faults
110,907 Ford Ecosport cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 22.9% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 19.3% of the time, which makes the Ford Ecosport 19% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
22.9%
failed first time
110,907 MOT tests in 2025
+19%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 19.3%
179 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
63.5
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 80.3
What fails on a Ford Ecosport MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Ford Ecosport MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 56.7 |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights and electrics | 27.5 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 17.9 |
| Parking brake efficiency: efficiency below requirements | Brakes | 17.3 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 17.1 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 16.7 |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 13.5 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 12.9 |
| Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative | Tyres | 12.7 |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play | Steering | 11.0 |
Ford Ecosport MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 9,854 | 13.2% | 11.4% | 19,700 |
| 2021 | 5,155 | 13.3% | 12.8% | 24,700 |
| 2020 | 8,859 | 17.4% | 14.1% | 30,600 |
| 2019 | 24,696 | 18.1% | 16.5% | 34,700 |
| 2018 | 22,484 | 20.2% | 19.1% | 41,400 |
| 2017 | 13,141 | 29.5% | 21.8% | 52,100 |
| 2016 | 14,008 | 31.4% | 25.1% | 58,900 |
| 2015 | 10,253 | 35.8% | 28.1% | 66,200 |
| 2014 | 2,449 | 38.9% | 31.4% | 74,500 |
Advisories to look for in a Ford Ecosport's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Ford Ecosport, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing241.9
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge195.4
- Coil spring: corroded143.4
- Brake pads: wearing thin73.1
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened51.6
- Swivel pins and bushes: swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn32.5
Checking a used Ford Ecosport before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Ford Ecosport fails more often than average on lights and electrics, brakes and engine, emissions and leaks. Start there.
Lights and electrics
Walk round the car with every light on: headlights on dip and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate lamp. A pattern of electrical faults costs more than a bulb.
Brakes
Look through the wheel spokes at the discs for a deep lip or scoring, check the handbrake holds the car on a slope, and feel for a pull to one side when braking hard.
Engine, emissions and leaks
Start the car from cold and watch the exhaust for smoke, look underneath for oil or fuel leaks, and make sure the engine warning light comes on with the ignition and goes out once the engine runs.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Ford Ecosport cars tested: Petrol 89%, Diesel 11%. Average age at test 6.9 years, average recorded mileage 42,800.
Ford Ecosport MOT questions
What is the Ford Ecosport MOT failure rate?
22.9% of Ford Ecosport cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 110,907 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 19.3% of the time, so the Ford Ecosport was 19% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Ford Ecosport MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 155 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Stop lamp: not working", recorded 56.7 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Ford Ecosport year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2021 registrations did best: 13.3% failed against an average of 12.8% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Ford Ecosport will pass?
No. These are averages across every Ford Ecosport tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Ford models
- Ford Fiesta34.1% failed
- Ford Focus31.4% failed
- Ford Kuga20.6% failed
- Ford Transit37.5% failed
- Ford Transit Custom22.8% failed
- Ford Ka33.3% failed
Ranked close to the Ford Ecosport
- Nissan Jukerank 176
- Volkswagen Foxrank 177
- Citroen C3rank 180
- Nissan Qashqairank 181
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Ford Ecosport cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.