Ford Puma 1998: MOT failure rate for its age
53.3% of 593 MOT tests of the Ford Puma first registered in 1998 failed at the first attempt (2019–2024; retests excluded). Against this model's own normal rate at the same ages the index is 118.1 (95% CI 105.1–131.2; 100 = normal for this model at that age): the 1998 Ford Puma fails more often than other build years of the same model at the same age. This is a rough estimate from a smaller sample.
| Measure | Value | Unit | Compared with | Years | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Failed first time | 53.3 | % | all ages tested | 2019–2024 | 593 |
| Index against this model at the same age (95% CI 105.1–131.2) | 118.1 | index | 100 = normal for this model at that age | 2019–2024 | 593 |
| Rank among this model's 7 build years | 7 | of 7 | 1 = fails least for its age | 2019–2024 | 593 |
| Tested in 2024 | 6 | tests | median 55,982 miles | 2024 | 6 |
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · full dataset (v5).
How does the 1998 Ford Puma fail at each age?
Cars built in 1998 were tested at ages 21 to 22 between 2019 and 2024. Each row compares their first-time failure share with what this model normally shows at that age, after allowing for the overall failure level of each test year.
| Age | Tests | Failed, % | 95% interval | Normal for this model at that age, % | Index (100 = normal) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 349 (rough estimate) | 54.7 | 49.5–59.9 | 48 | 113.9 |
| 22 | 244 (rough estimate) | 51.2 | 45–57.4 | 40.9 | 125.2 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 593 (initial tests) · Method: normal rate = this model's first-time failure share at that age across its build years (cells of 400+ tests), adjusted for each test year's overall level; cells of 30+ tests, under 500 marked rough · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
What fails most on the 1998 Ford Puma?
The most common failure group on cars built in 1998 is suspension: 57 items per 100 first tests, against 10.6 across all build years of the Ford Puma. These counts are not age-adjusted: cars built in 1998 were tested at ages 21 to 22.
| Failure group | Built 1998, per 100 | All build years, per 100 | Items |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 57 | 10.6 | 660 |
| Brakes | 45.3 | 8.3 | 524 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 34.6 | 5.3 | 401 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 31.6 | 6 | 366 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 13.8 | 1.9 | 160 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 1,158 (initial tests of this build year) · Method: failure items grouped by DVSA's top-level defect groups, per 100 initial tests; groups with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
How does 1998 compare with the years around it?
Among the 7 published build years of the Ford Puma, 1998 ranks 7 (1 = fails least for its age). 1999: index 105.0.
| Build year | Index (100 = normal) | 95% interval | Verdict | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 118.1 | 105.1–131.2 | worse (rough estimate) | 593 |
| 1999 | 105.0 | 98.2–111.7 | no different (rough estimate) | 1,901 |
| 2000 | 94.6 | 90.1–99.1 | better (rough estimate) | 3,924 |
| 2001 | 99.9 | 96.1–103.6 | no different | 5,833 |
| 2002 | 94.7 | 90.6–98.9 | better | 4,519 |
| 2019 | 54.7 | 27.0–82.4 | better (rough estimate) | 356 |
| 2020 | 101.3 | 98.1–104.4 | no different | 51,489 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 68,615 (initial tests) · Method: observed failures against those expected for the same model at the same ages, test-year level adjusted; verdict follows the printed one-decimal bound · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
How to cite this page
MOT Risk Index (2026). Ford Puma 1998 MOT statistics (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 30 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/cars/ford-puma/1998/
How every figure is calculated: methodology. Age, test year and build year are tied together (age = test year − build year), so the test-year level is taken as observed, not estimated.
Other pages for this model
Ford Puma 1999 · Ford Puma 2000 · Ford Puma 2001 · Ford Puma 2002 · Ford Puma 2019 · Ford Puma 2020 · Ford Puma in Finland · Ford Puma in the Netherlands · Ford Puma by postcode area · Ford Puma body, chassis and structure failures · Ford Puma brakes failures · Ford Puma vehicle identification failures · Ford Puma lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Ford Puma noise, emissions and leaks failures · Ford Puma road wheels failures · Ford Puma seat belts and airbags failures · Ford Puma steering failures · Ford Puma suspension failures · Ford Puma tyres failures · Ford Puma visibility failures