Ford Fusion MOT failure rate and common faults
39,666 Ford Fusion cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 41.6% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 41.9% of the time, which makes the Ford Fusion about as likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
41.6%
failed first time
39,666 MOT tests in 2025
-1%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 41.9%
127 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
114.3
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 143.3
What fails on a Ford Fusion 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 Fusion 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 | 89.2 |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded | Brakes | 65.7 |
| Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Suspension | 62.0 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 54.0 |
| Rear fog lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 50.9 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 50.4 |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights and electrics | 38.8 |
| Individual direction indicators: incorrect colour | Lights and electrics | 30.3 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 29.6 |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts | 27.3 |
Ford Fusion 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 774 | 32.0% | 36.6% | 65,200 |
| 2011 | 2,438 | 33.4% | 38.8% | 73,700 |
| 2010 | 5,423 | 38.7% | 40.7% | 77,800 |
| 2009 | 7,836 | 40.2% | 41.8% | 83,200 |
| 2008 | 7,150 | 41.8% | 42.9% | 87,100 |
| 2007 | 6,421 | 43.2% | 42.7% | 90,100 |
| 2006 | 5,735 | 47.5% | 43.0% | 93,900 |
| 2005 | 3,850 | 44.2% | 42.4% | 96,900 |
Advisories to look for in a Ford Fusion'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 Fusion, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material333.6
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge241.9
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing225.4
- Coil spring: corroded151.0
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened123.6
- Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive89.3
Checking a used Ford Fusion before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Ford Fusion fails more often than average on lights and electrics. 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.
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 Fusion cars tested: Petrol 78%, Diesel 23%. Average age at test 17.0 years, average recorded mileage 86,200.
Ford Fusion MOT questions
What is the Ford Fusion MOT failure rate?
41.6% of Ford Fusion cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 39,666 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 41.9% of the time, so the Ford Fusion was about as likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Ford Fusion MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 409 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Stop lamp: not working", recorded 89.2 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Ford Fusion year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2011 registrations did best: 33.4% failed against an average of 38.8% 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 Fusion will pass?
No. These are averages across every Ford Fusion 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 Fusion
- Hyundai Konarank 124
- Kia Vengarank 125
- Kia Soulrank 126
- Peugeot 107rank 128
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 Fusion 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.