Ford Fiesta MOT failure rate and common faults
1,317,082 Ford Fiesta cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 34.1% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 30.3% of the time, which makes the Ford Fiesta 13% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
34.1%
failed first time
1,317,082 MOT tests in 2025
+13%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 30.3%
165 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
113.0
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 110.5
What fails on a Ford Fiesta 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 Fiesta 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 | 67.8 |
| Ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 56.3 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 33.7 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 31.3 |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play | Steering | 30.6 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 25.3 |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights and electrics | 23.9 |
| Headlamp aim: too low | Lights and electrics | 23.1 |
| Swivel pins and bushes: swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 20.4 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 19.6 |
Ford Fiesta 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 | 25,515 | 9.0% | 11.4% | 20,500 |
| 2021 | 27,741 | 11.4% | 12.8% | 28,000 |
| 2020 | 49,635 | 13.9% | 14.1% | 34,200 |
| 2019 | 78,063 | 15.3% | 16.5% | 40,100 |
| 2018 | 92,863 | 17.2% | 19.1% | 47,100 |
| 2017 | 89,405 | 25.5% | 21.8% | 53,000 |
| 2016 | 112,685 | 32.5% | 25.1% | 60,500 |
| 2015 | 123,465 | 35.1% | 28.1% | 66,700 |
| 2014 | 119,931 | 37.6% | 31.4% | 73,500 |
| 2013 | 109,536 | 39.5% | 34.3% | 79,900 |
| 2012 | 95,588 | 41.5% | 36.6% | 85,100 |
| 2011 | 80,779 | 42.3% | 38.8% | 91,800 |
| 2010 | 81,049 | 44.7% | 40.7% | 95,900 |
| 2009 | 84,365 | 46.2% | 41.8% | 96,700 |
| 2008 | 48,517 | 47.0% | 42.9% | 94,000 |
| 2007 | 43,655 | 46.7% | 42.7% | 94,600 |
| 2006 | 34,349 | 47.5% | 43.0% | 95,400 |
| 2005 | 19,941 | 46.8% | 42.4% | 94,600 |
Advisories to look for in a Ford Fiesta'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 Fiesta, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge272.1
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing158.2
- Coil spring: corroded124.6
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened103.5
- Brake pads: wearing thin73.8
- Swivel pins and bushes: swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn71.6
Checking a used Ford Fiesta before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Ford Fiesta fails more often than average on lights and electrics, suspension and tyres. 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.
Suspension
Drive over speed bumps with the radio off and listen for knocks. Look at the car side on: a corner sitting lower than the others often means a broken coil spring.
Tyres
Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, inner edge included. Uneven wear points to worn suspension or out of line steering geometry.
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 Fiesta cars tested: Petrol 88%, Diesel 12%. Average age at test 11.2 years, average recorded mileage 70,700.
Ford Fiesta MOT questions
What is the Ford Fiesta MOT failure rate?
34.1% of Ford Fiesta cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 1,317,082 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 30.3% of the time, so the Ford Fiesta was 13% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Ford Fiesta MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 251 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Stop lamp: not working", recorded 67.8 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Ford Fiesta year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2022 registrations did best: 9.0% failed against an average of 11.4% 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 Fiesta will pass?
No. These are averages across every Ford Fiesta 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 Focus31.4% failed
- Ford Kuga20.6% failed
- Ford Transit37.5% failed
- Ford Transit Custom22.8% failed
- Ford Ka33.3% failed
- Ford Mondeo32.3% failed
Ranked close to the Ford Fiesta
- Alfa Romeo Giuliettarank 162
- Vauxhall Zafirarank 163
- Volkswagen Beetlerank 164
- Fiat 500rank 166
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 Fiesta 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.