MOT Risk Index.co.uk

Ford Fiesta — MOT statistics 2024

All Ford Fiesta variants tested in Great Britain in 2024 — 1,959,383 MOT tests, every generation and engine together.

MOT risk index 117.8, 95% CI 117.6–118.0 (100 = national average) 100 117.8 60 160
Index
117.8
100 = age-normal
Raw fail rate
34.33%
n = 1,959,383
Dangerous /100
15
national ≈13
Diesel − petrol
+9.7 pp
fail-rate gap
Rank
20 of 25
lower index = better

This car fails its MOT about 18% more often than expected for its age.

Age-adjusted peer: Fiat 500 (index 116.2)— the two published results are 1.6 index points apart.

What actually fails

Named defects ranked by how much more often they appear than the national average — not by raw rate.

Family vs national defect rates across 6 component groups This family National avg Lamps & electrical 29.9 Suspension 28.6 Tyres 13.1 Brakes 12.9 Visibility 10.9 Body & structure 7.3

family vs national — top component groups, per 100 tests

Component-group comparison table
GroupThis familyNational
Lamps & electrical29.923.5
Suspension28.619.9
Tyres13.110.3
Brakes12.914.3
Visibility10.912.0
Body & structure7.38.4
What failedper 100nationalratioCheck
Suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.036.031.66×Listen for knocks over bumps — worn suspension joints are common
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of…5.081.553.27×Try every light and switch — lamps are a top failure
Steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play4.081.502.71×Ask the seller about: A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play
Tyre seriously damaged4.123.291.25×Check tyre tread depth across the full width
Lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a…3.382.561.32×Try every light and switch — lamps are a top failure
Suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated4.113.451.19×Listen for knocks over bumps — worn suspension joints are common
Aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down…3.592.991.20×Try every light and switch — lamps are a top failure
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the…4.393.821.15×Check tyre tread depth across the full width
Spring or spring component fractured or seriously…3.112.721.15×Ask the seller about: A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
Rear registration plate lamp or light source…3.204.430.72×Try every light and switch — lamps are a top failure

Early warnings (advisories)

Advisories are wear the tester noted but didn't fail — what will need money soon.

Tyres 67 Suspension 61.1 Brakes 49.1 Non-component advisories 12.3 Body & structure 10.3 Road Wheels 7.8
Advisory rates table
Groupper 100
Tyres67
Suspension61.1
Brakes49.1
Non-component advisories12.3
Body & structure10.3
Road Wheels7.8

How it ages

3579111315171952%car age, years

Takeaway: a 10-year-old Fiesta has roughly a 34% chance of failing its MOT; from about age 3 it stays above the national age curve.

Data table
AgeFord FiestaAll cars
312.3%10.9%
412.7%11.6%
513.5%13.5%
615.2%15.6%
722.9%18.2%
830.3%21.3%
931.7%24.4%
1034.0%27.7%
1136.8%30.6%
1240.1%33.4%
1341.0%36.0%
1443.5%38.6%
1545.1%39.9%
1645.9%41.5%
1745.5%41.5%
1847.1%42.4%
1947.8%42.2%
2045.3%37.5%

Petrol, diesel, hybrid — which ages best?

Fail rate by fuel type: Diesel 42.7%, Petrol 33.0% 42.7% Diesel n=263k 33.0% Petrol n=1.7m
Fuel split table
FuelTests% failing
Petrol1,695,83733.0%
Diesel263,45842.7%

How severe are the defects?

Defect severity per 100 tests: Minor 19.9, Major 83.6, Dangerous 14.9 19.983.614.9 Minor 19.9 Major 83.6 Dangerous 14.9

Per 100 tests on this family. National average: Minor 24.4 · Major 63.3 · Dangerous 12.9 per 100.

Severity table
SeverityThis family /100National /100
Minor19.8924.38
Major83.6163.26
Dangerous14.9212.89

Does the test month matter?

Takeaway: the spread between best and worst month is 3.7 percentage points — noticeable seasonality. Seasonality partly reflects registration-date clustering, not weather.

35.26% in month 1 J33.67% in month 2 F32.43% in month 3 M34.56% in month 4 A33.14% in month 5 M33.02% in month 6 J34.79% in month 7 J34.28% in month 8 A33.32% in month 9 S36.11% in month 10 O36.17% in month 11 N35.25% in month 12 D 38% 23%

bars: Ford Fiesta · dashed: all class-4 cars

Month-by-month table
MonthFord FiestaAll cars
Jan35.26%27.37%
Feb33.67%26.14%
Mar32.43%24.75%
Apr34.56%26.01%
May33.14%25.01%
Jun33.02%25.01%
Jul34.79%26.04%
Aug34.28%25.79%
Sep33.32%25.19%
Oct36.11%27.13%
Nov36.17%27.2%
Dec35.25%26.29%

Is the mileage normal?

A typical 8-year-old Fiesta has ~52,632 miles on the clock. Much more — ask why; much less — check for gaps in the MOT history.

369121518car age, years 126k mi 0

Does high mileage actually mean more failures?

Same age band (6–14 years), split by odometer — this separates wear from age: 16.6% of the lowest-mileage cars failed versus 47.8% of the highest.

<40k mi 16.6% 40-70k mi 30% 70-100k mi 40.8% 100-140k mi 46.6% 140k+ mi 47.8%
Odometer% failingTests
<40k miles16.6%283,118
40-70k miles30%492,770
70-100k miles40.8%347,041
100-140k miles46.6%169,452
140k+ miles47.8%42,035

line: median · band: middle half of the fleet (p25–p75)

Mileage by age (p25 / median / p75)
Agep25Medianp75Tests
311,45618,50527,7525,819
417,30125,78937,94731,151
522,00031,78343,137112,761
627,89139,35952,490140,330
731,81344,85059,728130,614
837,64052,63269,531165,087
942,96459,56877,757180,539
1048,57566,72486,127176,445
1154,25373,49793,951161,656
1258,19578,678101,128139,136
1364,41286,603110,009120,765
1468,73591,713116,068122,799
1571,02994,099117,694132,478
1670,46192,920115,97981,882
1770,99093,804117,40975,023
1871,79895,108118,20561,278
1970,97495,176119,85236,327
20+59,07183,460109,81084,900

Regional variation (raw rates)

Every dot is a postcode area — size = how many were tested there, colour = share failing. These figures are not age-adjusted: coastal and rural areas often run older fleets and salted roads, so higher raw fail rates do not automatically mean a worse local stock of this model.

Exeter (EX): 43.4% failing, 17,298 testsSalisbury (SP): 42.8% failing, 8,760 testsDundee (DD): 42.5% failing, 8,197 testsKirkcaldy (KY): 42.5% failing, 14,072 testsPlymouth (PL): 41.9% failing, 19,831 testsBristol (BS): 40.9% failing, 38,987 testsTruro (TR): 40.4% failing, 9,015 testsLlandrindod Wells (LD): 39.9% failing, 1,996 testsBath (BA): 39.7% failing, 16,137 testsNewport (NP): 39.2% failing, 20,690 testsAberdeen (AB): 39.1% failing, 19,967 testsCardiff (CF): 39% failing, 53,409 testsTorquay (TQ): 38.9% failing, 8,752 testsPerth (PH): 38.8% failing, 4,528 testsHull (HU): 38.7% failing, 14,924 testsSwansea (SA): 38.4% failing, 30,761 testsBrighton (BN): 38.2% failing, 23,072 testsTaunton (TA): 38.2% failing, 12,933 testsPortsmouth (PO): 38.1% failing, 26,135 testsLincoln (LN): 38% failing, 10,647 testsNorthampton (NN): 37.8% failing, 23,322 testsGloucester (GL): 37.8% failing, 23,848 testsChester (CH): 37.7% failing, 18,735 testsDorchester (DT): 37.7% failing, 7,358 testsBournemouth (BH): 37.5% failing, 18,588 testsDarlington (DL): 37.5% failing, 9,155 testsBradford (BD): 37.2% failing, 15,224 testsInverness (IV): 37.1% failing, 6,803 testsHuddersfield (HD): 37.1% failing, 7,251 testsCleveland (TS): 37.1% failing, 16,460 testsSwindon (SN): 36.8% failing, 13,800 testsSunderland (SR): 36.7% failing, 4,832 testsEdinburgh (EH): 36.6% failing, 23,029 testsYork (YO): 36.6% failing, 18,675 testsNottingham (NG): 36.5% failing, 35,860 testsBlackpool (FY): 36.5% failing, 7,663 testsManchester (M): 35.9% failing, 28,241 testsColchester (CO): 35.9% failing, 19,849 testsGalashiels (TD): 35.7% failing, 4,095 testsIpswich (IP): 35.5% failing, 26,183 testsWigan (WN): 35.4% failing, 10,071 testsLlandudno (LL): 35.4% failing, 20,438 testsGuildford (GU): 35.3% failing, 20,511 testsPreston (PR): 35.2% failing, 16,012 testsNorwich (NR): 35.1% failing, 30,802 testsWakefield (WF): 34.9% failing, 18,237 testsLeeds (LS): 34.8% failing, 22,769 testsCarlisle (CA): 34.7% failing, 14,145 testsPaisley (PA): 34.7% failing, 6,898 testsDoncaster (DN): 34.7% failing, 23,520 testsFalkirk (FK): 34.6% failing, 7,778 testsLancaster (LA): 34.6% failing, 9,610 testsWalsall (WS): 34.5% failing, 14,026 testsCambridge (CB): 34.4% failing, 12,555 testsCanterbury (CT): 34.4% failing, 16,082 testsTelford (TF): 34.4% failing, 7,356 testsMilton Keynes (MK): 34.3% failing, 16,661 testsNewcastle (NE): 34.3% failing, 31,195 testsSouthampton (SO): 34.3% failing, 23,279 testsHarrogate (HG): 34.1% failing, 3,720 testsStockport (SK): 33.9% failing, 19,643 testsLondon W (W): 33.8% failing, 2,255 testsHalifax (HX): 33.7% failing, 3,830 testsWarrington (WA): 33.7% failing, 25,358 testsShrewsbury (SY): 33.7% failing, 11,021 testsOldham (OL): 33.6% failing, 10,822 testsLiverpool (L): 33.5% failing, 28,653 testsPeterborough (PE): 33.4% failing, 33,584 testsMedway (ME): 33.4% failing, 33,112 testsDudley (DY): 33.3% failing, 12,368 testsTonbridge (TN): 33.3% failing, 27,073 testsOxford (OX): 33.2% failing, 20,145 testsBolton (BL): 33.2% failing, 13,510 testsKirkwall (KW): 33.1% failing, 1,587 testsRedhill (RH): 32.9% failing, 21,716 testsHereford (HR): 32.9% failing, 5,996 testsStoke-on-Trent (ST): 32.7% failing, 21,729 testsWolverhampton (WV): 32.6% failing, 12,833 testsWorcester (WR): 32.6% failing, 10,967 testsLuton (LU): 32.6% failing, 8,187 testsWatford (WD): 32.6% failing, 5,459 testsKilmarnock (KA): 32.5% failing, 12,560 testsCrewe (CW): 32.3% failing, 12,472 testsLeicester (LE): 32.3% failing, 37,401 testsStevenage (SG): 32.3% failing, 16,587 testsSt Albans (AL): 31.8% failing, 8,250 testsGlasgow (G): 31.7% failing, 28,042 testsHemel Hempstead (HP): 31.6% failing, 18,632 testsDerby (DE): 31.6% failing, 27,677 testsSheffield (S): 31.5% failing, 47,634 testsChelmsford (CM): 31.5% failing, 34,713 testsBlackburn (BB): 31.1% failing, 16,543 testsLondon NW (NW): 31% failing, 6,224 testsLondon SE (SE): 30.9% failing, 10,729 testsBirmingham (B): 30.9% failing, 65,366 testsDurham (DH): 30.7% failing, 9,945 testsReading (RG): 30.4% failing, 26,824 testsLondon N (N): 30.4% failing, 6,765 testsCoventry (CV): 30.4% failing, 30,509 testsLondon E (E): 30.2% failing, 9,454 testsDartford (DA): 30.1% failing, 15,745 testsMotherwell (ML): 29.5% failing, 10,188 testsSlough (SL): 29.4% failing, 9,675 testsCroydon (CR): 29.3% failing, 8,198 testsDumfries (DG): 29.1% failing, 5,373 testsHarrow (HA): 29.1% failing, 6,021 testsEnfield (EN): 28.6% failing, 12,140 testsLondon SW (SW): 28.5% failing, 5,073 testsSutton (SM): 28.4% failing, 3,345 testsUxbridge (UB): 27.7% failing, 9,094 testsSouthend-on-Sea (SS): 27.3% failing, 36,311 testsKingston upon Thames (KT): 27% failing, 13,507 testsBromley (BR): 26.8% failing, 8,045 testsIlford (IG): 26.6% failing, 8,011 testsTwickenham (TW): 25.6% failing, 12,609 testsRomford (RM): 24.6% failing, 23,938 tests % failing 27% 41%
Toughest areas% failing
Exeter (EX)43.37%
Salisbury (SP)42.76%
Kirkcaldy (KY)42.5%
Dundee (DD)42.47%
Plymouth (PL)41.88%
Easiest areas% failing
Romford (RM)24.62%
Twickenham (TW)25.62%
Ilford (IG)26.55%
Bromley (BR)26.8%
Kingston upon Thames (KT)26.99%

Quick answers

Is a 10-year-old Fiesta a bad buy?
A 10-year-old Fiesta has roughly a 34% chance of failing its MOT. Across 1,959,383 initial tests in 2024 the family fails its MOT about 18% more often than expected for its age (MOT Risk Index 117.8, where 100 = normal for its age). For a similarly sized published sample, compare Ford Focus MOT stats: 1,348,944 tests and index 106.9.
What usually fails on a Fiesta MOT?
The most frequent specific failures in 2024 were: a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn; stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning; tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements.
Are diesel Fiestas worse?
42.7% of diesel tests found a failing defect vs 33.0% of petrol — a gap of 9.7 percentage points.
What mileage is normal for a Fiesta?
For a typical 8-year-old Fiesta, the median is about 52,632 miles; the middle half of the fleet sits between 37,640 and 69,531.
How often are dangerous faults found?
About 15 dangerous defects were recorded per 100 initial Ford Fiesta tests in 2024 (national average ≈13) — with a dangerous defect the car legally cannot be driven away.

Compare with

Same brand

All Ford MOT statisticsFord Focus MOT statsFord Kuga MOT stats

Similar risk

Fiat 500 (index 116.2)Volkswagen Polo (index 114.8)Nissan Qashqai (index 122.9)

Same size class

how Ford Focus compareshow Volkswagen Golf compareshow Vauxhall Corsa compares

Data details & how to cite

Scope: class-4 vehicles (cars), initial tests only, outcomes pass / fail / fixed-on-the-spot at the station (PRS counts towards the failure rate — the defect was present at arrival). Index = observed initial failures ÷ failures expected for this fleet's exact age profile, ×100; margin of error is a 95% confidence interval. Covers ALL generations together — a 3-year-old and a 15-year-old are very different cars; a generation split is on the roadmap. Dataset release dvsa-2024-v1, frozen baseline. Full method: methodology.

Cite: MOT Risk Index (2026). Ford Fiesta MOT statistics 2024 (dvsa-2024-v1). https://motriskindex.co.uk/cars/ford-fiesta/ · Published 2026-07-30.