Ford Focus vs Mercedes-Benz A-Class: which fails its MOT less?
Allowing for age, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails its MOT less often than the Ford Focus.
- less often than the Ford Focus, at the same age
- 8.0%less often than the Ford Focus, at the same age
MOTs passed in 2024: Ford Focus 74.8%, Mercedes-Benz A-Class 82.1%
Data: DVSA MOT results · 2024 · 1,247,493 tests
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Which fails less for its age?
Allowing for age, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less often: MOT Risk Index 94.2 against 102.7 (100 = normal for its age; difference 8.5, 95% CI 7.8–9.2).
| Measure | Ford Focus | Mercedes-Benz A-Class | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passed at the first attempt, % | 67.8 | 78.2 | 2024 |
| MOT Risk Index (100 = normal) | 102.7 | 94.2 | 2024 |
| 95% interval of the index | 102.4–103.0 | 93.6–94.8 | 2024 |
| Rank among 761 models (1 = fails least for its age) | 482 | 391 | 2024 |
| First tests | 916,041 | 331,452 | 2024 |
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After defects were fixed at the test centre
74.8% of Ford Focus tests and 82.1% of Mercedes-Benz A-Class tests passed, including defects fixed during the test. This is a different outcome from passing at the first attempt.
What explains the difference?
The clearest difference is suspension: against its own class and age, the Ford Focus runs +1.8 items per 100 tests and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class −2.8, so the Mercedes-Benz A-Class has 4.7 fewer per 100 tests (95% interval 4.6 to 4.7).
Each model is compared with its own class and age; the fleets can differ in mileage and use.
More detail
Dangerous defects and advisory items
| Measure | Ford Focus | Mercedes-Benz A-Class |
|---|---|---|
| Dangerous defects per 100 tests | 13.2 | 9.0 |
| Advisory items per 100 tests | 143.8 | 91.0 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data, 2019–2024. A test can record several items. CSV
At what age does one of them fail more?
They change places at age 5: the difference is clear at 16 of 17 ages, and which fails less depends on the age of the car. Across the 4 yearly tests from age 4 to 7, the gaps add up to 4.7 extra failed tests per 100 for the Ford Focus (a sum of yearly rates, not the chance of one car failing).
| Age | Difference, pp | 95% interval | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | −0.5 | −0.8 to −0.3 | Ford Focus fails less |
| 4 | +0.0 | −0.2 to +0.3 | not distinguishable |
| 5 | +0.3 | +0.0 to +0.6 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| 6 | +1.7 | +1.4 to +2.1 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| 7 | +2.6 | +2.3 to +3.0 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| 8 | +4.3 | +3.9 to +4.8 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| 9 | +5.6 | +5.1 to +6.1 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| 10 | +7.0 | +6.4 to +7.6 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| 11 | +7.6 | +6.9 to +8.2 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| 12 | +6.3 | +5.5 to +7.0 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| 13 | +5.1 | +4.3 to +5.8 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| 14 | +4.8 | +4.1 to +5.6 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| 15 | +4.1 | +3.3 to +4.9 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| 16 | +4.0 | +3.1 to +4.9 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| 17 | +4.1 | +3.1 to +5.1 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| 18 | +3.4 | +2.2 to +4.5 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| 19 | +3.2 | +1.7 to +4.7 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| Age band | Ages included | Ford Focus, % | Mercedes-Benz A-Class, % | Difference, pp | 95% interval | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3–5 | 3–5 | 13.4 | 13.3 | +0.2 | +0.1 to +0.3 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| 6–10 | 6–10 | 27.9 | 22.1 | +5.9 | +5.7 to +6.0 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| 11+ | 11–20+ | 43.8 | 39.0 | +4.8 | +4.6 to +5.0 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 7,444,942 (initial tests at shared ages) · Method: difference of two proportions per age, Bonferroni-corrected for 17 ages; age bands pool the published ages with an unadjusted 95% interval, and the same car can appear at more than one age, so that interval is somewhat narrow · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Where do their MOT failures diverge?
The clearest difference is suspension: against its own class and age, the Ford Focus runs +1.8 items per 100 tests and the Mercedes-Benz A-Class −2.8, so the Mercedes-Benz A-Class has 4.7 fewer per 100 tests (95% interval 4.6 to 4.7).
| Component group | Ford Focus vs its class | Mercedes-Benz A-Class vs its class | Gap, Ford Focus minus Mercedes-Benz A-Class | 95% interval | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | +1.8 | −2.8 | +4.7 | +4.6 to +4.7 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | +0.0 | −3.2 | +3.2 | +3.2 to +3.3 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
| Brakes | −3.8 | −0.9 | −2.9 | −3.0 to −2.9 | Ford Focus fails less |
| Visibility | −1.0 | +0.1 | −1.1 | −1.1 to −1.0 | Ford Focus fails less |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | −0.2 | +0.8 | −1.0 | −1.1 to −1.0 | Ford Focus fails less |
| Tyres | +1.5 | +0.8 | +0.7 | +0.6 to +0.7 | Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 7,644,280 (initial tests) · Method: each model's failure items per 100 tests against the rate expected for its own class and age; Poisson interval; the age standard leaves the model out and is treated as fixed; items in the same test are treated as independent, so the interval is slightly narrow · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If one fails, which is more likely to fail again?
A failure on the Ford Focus carries 2.9 percentage points more extra risk of failing again than on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class.
| Measure | Ford Focus | Mercedes-Benz A-Class |
|---|---|---|
| After a failed test, % | 40.4 | 29.6 |
| After a passed test, % | 27.2 | 19.1 |
| Extra risk carried by a failure, pp | 13.3 | 10.4 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 467,395 (tests after a fail) · Method: test chains of the same vehicles; cars sold or scrapped after a fail drop out · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
What do six years of MOTs show about the two?
The biggest gap in advisories turning into fails is steering: 13.7% on the Ford Focus against 2.9% on the Mercedes-Benz A-Class failed on the same item at the next MOT.
| Component | Ford Focus | Mercedes-Benz A-Class | Difference, pp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steering | 13.7 | 2.9 | +10.8 |
| Suspension | 22.5 | 18.5 | +4.0 |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 22.2 | 26.1 | −3.9 |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 7.0 | 4.3 | +2.7 |
| Visibility | 11.6 | 9.5 | +2.1 |
| Tyres | 10.9 | 8.8 | +2.1 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 14.0 | 15.6 | −1.6 |
| Brakes | 11.1 | 9.8 | +1.3 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.6 | 5.7 | +0.9 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 3.7 | 2.9 | +0.8 |
| Measure | Ford Focus | Mercedes-Benz A-Class |
|---|---|---|
| Repaired and passed the same day | 46.3% | 48.3% |
| Passed 1–10 days later | 51.1% | 49.3% |
| Median retest delay | 1.0 days | 1.0 days |
| Failures per 10,000 miles | 0.515 | 0.313 |
| Three-test clean streak | 33.2% | 42.3% |
| Same advisory repeated 3+ times | 34.6% | 20.0% |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 4,684,537 (tracked advisories) · Method: same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT; common publishable components only · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Recalls, other countries and running costs, side by side
DVSA lists 96 recall campaigns matched to the Ford Focus and 100 to the Mercedes-Benz A-Class; more campaigns do not by themselves mean a less reliable car. Abroad, compare each model with that country's own average, because pass rates do not carry across rulebooks. Repair bills are catalogue estimates, not quotes.
| Measure | Ford Focus | Mercedes-Benz A-Class |
|---|---|---|
| DVSA recall campaigns listed | 96 | 100 |
| Finland Katsastus: fails, % (national average 26.3%) | 28.1 (44,138 inspections) | 17.3 (11,240 inspections) |
| Netherlands APK: fails, % (national average 50.8%) | 51.8 (120,313 inspections) | 43.4 (49,192 inspections) |
| Norway PKK: fails, % (national average 33.7%) | 36.7 (20,894 inspections) | 29.1 (6,875 inspections) |
| Expected MOT repair bill, £ (estimate) | £85 | £40 |
| Repair bill range, £ (catalogue range, not a 95% interval) | £85–£162 | £40–£77 |
Source: DVSA vehicle recalls register (OGL v3.0); Statens vegvesen PKK (CC BY 4.0), Traficom Katsastus (CC BY 4.0), RDW APK (CC0), adapted; UK repair price catalogue · Window: register as published; inspections 2024 · n = 252,652 (inspections abroad) · Method: recall campaigns matched by make and model, licensed-fleet denominator where available; abroad, samples below 500 suppressed and each model set against that country's own average, with no difference taken across countries; repair bill = chance of failing each item × its most common UK repair price, a catalogue estimate · Updated: 25 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV · licences and full notice
How to cite this comparison
MOT Risk Index (2026). Ford Focus vs Mercedes-Benz A-Class: MOT statistics 2024 (data release dvsa-2024-v2; full dataset motriskindex-families-2024-v5, DOI 10.5281/zenodo.22975051), updated 25 September 2026. motriskindex.co.uk/compare/ford-focus-vs-mercedes-a-class/
How the MOT Risk Index and every figure on this page are calculated: methodology.
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Ford Focus vs Mercedes-Benz A-Class: quick answers
Is the Ford Focus or the Mercedes-Benz A-Class more reliable?
Allowing for age, the Mercedes-Benz A-Class fails less often: MOT Risk Index 94.2 against 102.7 (100 = normal for its age; difference 8.5, 95% CI 7.8–9.2).
Does the Ford Focus or the Mercedes-Benz A-Class fail more MOTs?
32.2% of Ford Focus first tests and 21.8% of Mercedes-Benz A-Class first tests failed in 2024. These raw rates do not allow for age; the MOT Risk Index does.
Which should I buy, the Ford Focus or the Mercedes-Benz A-Class?
If MOT reliability decides it, the evidence favours the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. Still check the individual car's MOT history: these figures describe whole model populations.