Ford Fiesta MOT pass rate and common problems
Ford Fiestas fail their MOT more often than other cars of the same age.
- Failed at the first attempt
- 35.3%failed at the first attempt in 2024
Average for cars of the same age: 31.2%
Data: DVSA MOT results · 2024 · 1,344,051 tests
Check a Ford Fiesta by registration
Ford Fiesta common problems: what should I check before buying?
The faults recorded most often at Ford Fiesta MOTs in 2019–2024, per 100 tests.
- Worn suspension bush or joint6.08Major
What to check: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, feel for the car wandering under braking, and ask which part was replaced.
- Brake light not working3.81Major
What to check: Have someone watch all the brake lights, including the high-level one, while you press the pedal.
- Tyre tread below the legal limit3.78Dangerous
What to check: Check the tread across every tyre with a gauge; wear on one edge points to a tracking fault.
- Broken or weakened suspension spring3.43Major
What to check: Look behind each wheel at the coil springs for a snapped end, and check the car sits level from side to side.
- Tyre badly cut or damaged2.98Major
What to check: Check both sidewalls of every tyre, including the inner side, for cuts, bulges and tears.
One test can record several defects, so this is not the share of Ford Fiestas.
Each tip applies only if the car you are looking at has that fault in its own MOT history.
Check a Ford Fiesta by registration
Which Ford Fiesta years should I avoid?
2016 is the Ford Fiesta year that fails its MOT most for its age; 2018 fails least.
Fails more for its age: 1998, 1999, 2015, 2016, 2020.
Fails less for its age: 2017, 2018, 2019.
Years without published figures
- 2024, 2025, 2026
These registration years do not need an MOT yet. Ask the seller for the service history.
- 2021, 2022, 2023
Our figures end in 2024, before these cars had enough MOTs to compare.
Year means the year the car was first registered, as DVSA records it. It may differ from the year it was built.
How does the Ford Fiesta compare with similar cars?
4 of 8 similar models fail less often for their age than the Ford Fiesta.
This is a different comparison from the one at the top. There, the Ford Fiesta is measured against all cars of the same age. Here, it sits among similar models. Both can be true.
| Model | MOT Risk Index |
|---|---|
| Ford Fiesta | 113 |
| Vauxhall Corsa | 118.7 |
| Volkswagen Polo | 111.6 |
| MINI Hatch | 86 |
| Toyota Yaris | 89.8 |
| Renault Clio | 136.1 |
| Ford Focus | 102.7 |
| Nissan Qashqai | 118.2 |
| Fiat 500 | 113.7 |
How do Ford Fiestas hold up as they get older?
First-time MOT failures on Ford Fiestas go from 13.3% at age 3 to 47.3% at age 19.
| Age at MOT (years) | Ford Fiesta failed (%) | All cars failed (%) | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 13.3 | 12.4 | 3,908 |
| 16 | 46.1 | 43.1 | 55,164 |
| 17 | 45.8 | 43.1 | 50,875 |
| 18 | 47.3 | 43.9 | 41,024 |
| 19 | 47.3 | 43.5 | 24,300 |
Do advisories on Ford Fiestas turn into fails at the next MOT?
25.3% of lights and electrical advisories on Ford Fiestas turned into lights and electrical fails at the next MOT.
The next MOT came about 12 months later.
Based on 179,083 advisories, each followed to the car's next MOT, 2019–2024. This counts advisories, not cars.
The most common advisories on Ford Fiestas are for tyres: 42.87 per 100 tests.
| Advisory | Failed next time (%) | Advisories followed |
|---|---|---|
| lamps, reflectors and electrics | 25.3 | 179,083 |
| suspension | 21.8 | 1,095,731 |
| steering | 15.8 | 184,025 |
| body, chassis and structure | 12.6 | 223,027 |
| brakes | 12.5 | 1,196,923 |
What else should I know about a used Ford Fiesta?
- MOT pass rate, 2024
- 35.3% failed at the first attempt; after repairs at the test centre, 72.2% passed in the end.
- MOT tests counted
- 1,344,051 first tests in 2024; retests are left out
- Years first registered
- 1998 to 2020
- Fuel
- Petrol 86.6%, diesel 13.4%
- ULEZ
- 84.0% likely to meet it, judged from fuel and registration date
- Typical mileage at 8 years old
- 51,517 miles
- Recalls
- 32 campaigns listed by DVSA
Ford Fiesta common problems: what actually fails the MOT?
Ford Fiesta MOTs fail most often on ‘lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment’: 19.2 per 100 tests, against 17.8 for UK cars of the same age (2019–2024, n = 8,370,825).
| Measure | Value (per 100) | Comparison (per 100) | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 19.2 | 17.8 | 1,603,237 |
| Suspension | 18.5 | 15.5 | 1,548,662 |
| Tyres | 10 | 9.0 | 840,154 |
| Brakes | 9.8 | 11.9 | 821,755 |
| Visibility | 7.4 | 8 | 617,017 |
What is likely to fail next on a used Ford Fiesta?
For Ford Fiestas aged 3 to 5 whose last MOT was a pass, the item most likely to fail at the next MOT is suspension: 5.1% failed on it (2019–2024, n = 833,641).
| Measure | Value (% next fail) |
|---|---|
| Suspension, 3 to 5 years old, after a pass | 5.1 |
| Tyres, 3 to 5 years old, after a pass | 4.2 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, 3 to 5 years old, after a pass | 3.9 |
| Visibility, 3 to 5 years old, after a pass | 2.3 |
| Brakes, 3 to 5 years old, after a pass | 1.7 |
How often do Ford Fiestas get a dangerous MOT defect?
The Ford Fiesta gets a dangerous defect about as often as the UK average: 11.2 per 100 first tests against 11.2 across the UK. In the same tests, 56.7 major and 11.1 minor defects were recorded per 100 tests (one test can record several).
Severity was not recorded for some 2018–2021 tests.
| Measure | Value (per 100) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Dangerous defects | 11.2 | 8,370,825 |
Comparison: 11.2 per 100.
How much do Ford Fiesta MOT repairs cost?
Expected repair cost per Ford Fiesta MOT: about £93 (up to about £176 if more expensive parts are needed), from the chance of failing each item and its most common UK repair price (catalogue estimate, n = 1,344,051).
Computed, not measured.
| Measure | Value | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Expected repair bill | 92.9 GBP estimate | modal price catalogue |
| Estimated range lower | 92.9 GBP estimate | modal price catalogue |
| Estimated range upper | 176.5 GBP estimate | modal price catalogue |
| Suspension: Suspension coil spring (single corner) | 33.3 GBP expected contribution | 180 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: Battery replacement (standard 12V lead-acid) | 26.9 GBP expected contribution | 140 |
What mileage is normal for a used Ford Fiesta?
At age 8, the median Ford Fiesta had covered 51,517 miles by its MOT; the middle half ranged from 36,723 to 68,353 miles (2024, n = 114,162).
| Measure | Value (miles) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Age 3 median | 18860 | 3,908 |
| Age 3 P25 | 11682 | 3,908 |
| Age 3 P75 | 28110 | 3,908 |
| Age 4 median | 25398 | 20,364 |
| Age 4 P25 | 16962 | 20,364 |
Do high-mileage Ford Fiestas fail their MOT more often?
At ages 10–14, 19.2% of Ford Fiestas with under 40,000 miles failed first time, against 50.9% of those with over 140,000 miles (2024, n = 78,824). Inside this age group, higher mileage goes with more failures.
| Measure | Value (% failed first time) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Age 3–5, <40k miles | 11.9 | 71,657 |
| Age 3–5, 40-70k miles | 19.3 | 23,128 |
| Age 3–5, 70-100k miles | 23.1 | 2,742 |
| Age 3–5, 100-140k miles (rough estimate: 486 tests, 95% interval 20.3–27.9%) | 23.9 | 486 |
| Age 3–5, 140k+ miles (rough estimate: 83 tests, 95% interval 24.5–44.4%) | 33.7 | 83 |
How many miles do Ford Fiestas last?
15.8% of Ford Fiestas tested had reached 100,000 miles, and 2.0% had reached 150,000 (2024, n = 1,320,856).
| Measure | Value (% of tested cars) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| 100,000 miles | 15.8 | 1,320,856 |
| 150,000 miles | 2.0 | 163,546 |
| 200,000 miles | 0.2 | 17,405 |
Does mileage, as well as age, change the Ford Fiesta failure index?
Matched on annual mileage as well as age, the Ford Fiesta index is 115.6, against 109.9 on age alone (2019–2024, n = 1,344,051).
| Measure | Value (index) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Age and mileage adjusted index | 115.6 | 1,344,051 |
Comparison: 109.9 index.
Which Ford Fiesta fuel type fails its MOT less?
Diesel Ford Fiestas fail first time more often than petrol ones, before allowing for age: 44.0% against 33.9%.
| Measure | Value (% fail first time) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 33.9 | 1,164,324 |
| Diesel | 44.0 | 179,687 |
Comparison: other fuels.
Which Ford Fiesta engine fails its MOT least?
Among engines with enough tests, the best Ford Fiesta engine is the petrol 1.8–2.0 litre at index 91.5, and the worst the diesel 1.2–1.5 litre at 116.6, where 100 = the model's own average (2024, n = 1,344,051).
| Measure | Value (index vs model norm) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol 1.8–2.0 litre | 91.5 | 53,526 |
| Petrol 1.2–1.5 litre | 94.9 | 1,380,829 |
| Petrol under 1.0 litre | 96 | 2,143,775 |
| Petrol 1.5–1.8 litre | 96.6 | 541,756 |
| Petrol 1.0–1.2 litre | 98.7 | 3,006,182 |
Comparison: 100 = model average.
Where in Britain does the Ford Fiesta fail its MOT most?
Ford Fiesta fails first-time MOTs most in Kirkcaldy (KY): 43.4% against 33.4% across Britain for this model, both 2019–2024 (2019–2024, n = 51,634).
| Measure | Value (% fail first time) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Kirkcaldy (KY) | 43.4 | 51,634 |
| Dundee (DD) | 43.3 | 31,823 |
| Plymouth (PL) | 40.9 | 83,665 |
| Romford (RM) | 25.3 | 113,760 |
| Ilford (IG) | 25.3 | 38,205 |
Across Britain for this model: 33.4% failed first time, also in 2019–2024.
Does the Ford Fiesta have rust problems?
Allowing for age, Ford Fiesta MOTs record corrosion failures at 2.0 times the national rate: 1.56% of tests against 0.77% (2024 + geographic layers, n = 1,331,516).
Computed, not measured.
| Measure | Value (ratio estimate) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Salt belt susceptibility | 2.0 | 1,331,516 |
Comparison: 1 ratio estimate.
What do six years of MOTs show about owning a used Ford Fiesta?
Of failed Ford Fiesta MOTs, 49.8% were retested the same day and a further 48.0% within 10 days; the median failed car passed its retest after 1 day (2019–2024, n = 1,994,905).
| Measure | Value | Comparison | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Same-day retest | 49.8 % | failed initial tests | 1,994,905 |
| Retest within 10 days | 48.0 % | failed initial tests | 1,994,905 |
| Clean MOT streak | 33.4 % | observed chains | 1,490,694 |
| Repeat advisory | 34.7 % | observed chains | 1,490,694 |
| Decreasing odometer | 0.8 % mileage anomaly | observed chains | 1,576,450 |
Is low mileage good for a used Ford Fiesta?
Ford Fiestas aged 5 to 14 doing under 5,000 miles a year failed first time in 21.4% of tests, against 41.3% for those doing 8,000 to 12,000 miles (2019–2024, n = 1,624,921).
| Measure | Value | Comparison | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low-use first-time failure | 21.4 % | 41.3 | 1,624,921 |
| Low-use gap | -19.8 percentage points | 8–12k miles | 1,624,921 |
How many years do Ford Fiestas last?
Ford Fiestas tend to last: at ten years old the typical one has about 5.8 more years of MOTs ahead, more than the median model. This is a forecast from the survival curve and may not come true.
Computed, not measured.
Forecast, not a prediction for a particular car.
| Measure | Value (years forecast) |
|---|---|
| Age 5 | 10.8 |
| Age 8 | 7.8 |
| Age 10 | 5.8 |
| Age 12 | 4.4 |
| Age 15 (at least; observed only until age 19) | 2.6 |
How many Ford Fiestas are still on the road as they age?
In 2024, for every 100 Ford Fiestas tested at ages 4 to 6, about 16 were tested at age 19 (2024, n = 100,997).
| Measure | Value (% of age 4–6 baseline) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Age 3 | 70.2 | 432,408 |
| Age 4 | 86.5 | 532,841 |
| Age 5 (at least as many as at ages 4–6) | 100 | 638,230 |
| Age 6 (at least as many as at ages 4–6) | 100 | 677,571 |
| Age 7 (at least as many as at ages 4–6) | 100 | 683,552 |
If a used Ford Fiesta fails its MOT, will it fail the next one?
Ford Fiestas that fail once are much more likely to fail again: 39.5% failed the next MOT after a fail, against 28.4% after a pass (test chains 2019–2024). The failure most likely to come back is visibility: 40.1% of those fails recurred at the next MOT.
| Measure | Value (%) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Repeat after fail | 39.5 | 587,441 |
Comparison: 28.4 %.
Which Ford Fiesta faults tend to come together?
On Ford Fiestas, seat belt installation check and seat belts and supplementary restraint systems failures turn up together 15.3 times as often as chance would predict (2024, n = 36).
| Measure | Value (lift) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Seat belt installation check + Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems (rough estimate: 36 tests, 95% interval 10.7–21.2) | 15.3 | 36 |
| Body, chassis, structure + Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.4 | 83,956 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks + Speedometer and speed limiter (rough estimate: 66 tests, 95% interval 6.4–10.6) | 8.3 | 66 |
| Brakes + Speedometer and speed limiter (rough estimate: 100 tests, 95% interval 5.8–8.7) | 7.1 | 100 |
| Body, chassis, structure + Speedometer and speed limiter (rough estimate: 51 tests, 95% interval 4.5–7.9) | 6.0 | 51 |
Comparison: expected joint rate.
Ford Fiesta safety recalls: how do I check this car?
DVSA lists 32 safety recall campaigns matched to the Ford Fiesta; check whether yours has been fixed, using its registration number.
Computed, not measured.
Recall effects are computed comparisons, not causal findings; campaigns are not linked to individual VINs.
| Measure | Value | Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| DVSA recall campaigns matched | 32 campaigns | DVSA register |
| Recall effect: R/2023/189 | -0.3 percentage points computed | comparison fleet |
| Recall effect: R/2023/274 | 0 percentage points computed | comparison fleet |
| Recall effect: R/2021/348 | 1.0 percentage points computed | comparison fleet |
How many Ford Fiestas fail the MOT at each age?
Of every 100 Ford Fiestas tested at age 5, about 14 failed the MOT first time; at age 10, about 35. These are one-year rates for different cars tested in the same year, not a fleet followed over time; the steepest one-year step in this cross-section is between cars aged 6 and 7, 7.76 percentage points (2024).
| Measure | Value (% fail first time) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Age 3 | 13.3 | 3,908 |
| Age 4 | 13.6 | 20,364 |
| Age 5 | 14.2 | 73,863 |
| Age 6 | 15.9 | 93,231 |
| Age 7 | 23.6 | 90,291 |
What have US dealers been told about the Ford Fiesta?
NHTSA lists 172 US technical service bulletins for the Ford Fiesta (US market, Ford FIESTA, model years 2015–2019 only); a count, not a UK failure rate.
| Measure | Value (bulletins) |
|---|---|
| US service bulletins | 172 |
| Year 2014 | 3 |
| Year 2015 | 16 |
| Year 2016 | 40 |
| Year 2017 | 22 |
Comparison: NHTSA.
NHTSA, US market, Ford FIESTA, model years 2015–2019 only; covers 211 of 761 models. These two sections use US records from NHTSA. US cars sold under the same name can differ from UK ones.
What do US owners complain about on the Ford Fiesta?
The most common US owner complaint about the Ford Fiesta to NHTSA concerns transmission (not MOT-tested): 258 complaints (US market, Ford FIESTA, model years 2015–2019 only).
| Measure | Value (complaints) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission (not MOT-tested) | 258 | 258 |
| Engine (not MOT-tested) | 147 | 147 |
| Lamps & electrical | 70 | 70 |
| Restraints | 42 | 42 |
| Brakes | 27 | 27 |
NHTSA, US market, Ford FIESTA, model years 2015–2019 only; covers 211 of 761 models. These two sections use US records from NHTSA. US cars sold under the same name can differ from UK ones.
Do Ford Fiestas fail their MOT more in some months?
Ford Fiestas fail first time most in November (35.4%, against 30.6% for all cars that month) and least in March (31.3%) (2024, n = 1,344,051).
| Measure | Value (% fail first time) | Comparison (% fail first time) | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34.6 | 31.1 | 764,906 |
| February | 33.3 | 30.0 | 711,397 |
| March | 31.3 | 28.3 | 904,776 |
| April | 33.6 | 29.8 | 447,970 |
| May | 32.5 | 28.8 | 503,506 |
How far is real-world MPG from the lab figure for Ford cars?
Real-world fuel use of 2021 petrol cars from Ford Werke GmbH is 19.7% above the official WLTP figure: 6.99 against 5.84 litres per 100 km (2021+ cohorts, n = 112,909 vehicles).
Computed, not measured.
| Measure | Value (% real-world vs official) | Tests |
|---|---|---|
| Ford Werke GmbH 2021 diesel | 17.1 | 46,867 |
| Ford Werke GmbH 2021 petrol | 19.7 | 112,909 |
| Ford Werke GmbH 2021 petrol/electric | 220.9 | 21,845 |
| Ford Werke GmbH 2022 diesel | 16.1 | 41,902 |
| Ford Werke GmbH 2022 petrol | 19.0 | 102,359 |
Plug-in hybrids: the lab figure assumes the battery is charged often; on the road many are driven mostly on petrol, so the gap is several times larger.
Comparison: 0% gap.
European Commission OBFCM; covers 19 of 761 models.
What DVSA defect categories mean
- Dangerous: the car should not be driven until it is repaired.
- Major: the car fails the MOT.
- Minor: recorded, but the car still passes.
- Advisory: noted by the tester to keep an eye on; the car still passes.
How are these figures calculated?
We count first MOT tests only; retests after repairs are left out. Each model is compared with cars of the same age.
Cite this page or report an error
How to cite this page
MOT Risk Index (2026). Ford Fiesta MOT statistics 2024 (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 24 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/ford-fiesta/
How the MOT Risk Index and every figure on this page are calculated: methodology.
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More on the Ford Fiesta
- Overview:
- Model overview · All Ford models
- Build years:
- 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020
- What fails:
- body · brakes · plates · lights · emissions · wheels · seat belts · steering · suspension · tyres · visibility
- Abroad:
- Finland · the Netherlands · Norway
- By area:
- Postcode areas
- Compare:
- Vauxhall Corsa · Volkswagen Polo · MINI Hatch · Toyota Yaris · Renault Clio