Does the Ford Escort fail the MOT on suspension more than it should?
The Ford Escort records 24.29 suspension failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 22.95 expected for a car of the same age mix: more than expected for its class and age (+1.34, 95% interval +0.99 to +1.69). It ranks 216 of 701 models on suspension (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on suspension · check a Ford Escort by registration
What exactly fails on suspension?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Ford Escort is “The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired”, recorded 9,696 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired | 9,696 | 12.54 |
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 2,760 | 3.57 |
| A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 1,336 | 1.73 |
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 1,026 | 1.33 |
| A wheel bearing excessively rough | 802 | 1.04 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 77,294 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Ford Escort gets a suspension advisory, how often does it fail next time?
21.0% of Ford Escort MOTs with a suspension advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12.1 months and 1,483 miles later (9,415 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 9,415 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Ford Escort 1998 · Ford Escort 1999 · Ford Escort 2000 · Ford Escort 2001 · Ford Escort 2002 · Ford Escort in the Netherlands · Ford Escort by postcode area · Ford Escort body, chassis and structure failures · Ford Escort brakes failures · Ford Escort vehicle identification failures · Ford Escort lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Ford Escort noise, emissions and leaks failures · Ford Escort road wheels failures · Ford Escort seat belts and airbags failures · Ford Escort steering failures · Ford Escort tyres failures · Ford Escort visibility failures