Ford Focus vs Vauxhall Astra: which fails its MOT less?
Allowing for age, the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra fail their MOT about as often.
- of Ford Focus MOTs passed in 2024
- 74.8%of Ford Focus MOTs passed in 2024
Vauxhall Astra: 72.4%
Both fail more often than normal for their age.
Data: DVSA MOT results · 2024 · 1,552,119 tests
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Which fails less for its age?
Allowing for age, there is no practical difference (under 5 points apart): MOT Risk Index 102.7 for the Ford Focus, 104.5 for the Vauxhall Astra (100 = normal for its age).
Both fail more often than normal for their age.
| Measure | Ford Focus | Vauxhall Astra | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passed at the first attempt, % | 67.8 | 65.7 | 2024 |
| MOT Risk Index (100 = normal) | 102.7 | 104.5 | 2024 |
| 95% interval of the index | 102.4–103.0 | 104.1–104.8 | 2024 |
| Rank among 761 models (1 = fails least for its age) | 482 | 500 | 2024 |
| First tests | 916,041 | 636,078 | 2024 |
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After defects were fixed at the test centre
74.8% of Ford Focus tests and 72.4% of Vauxhall Astra 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 brakes: against its own class and age, the Ford Focus runs −3.8 items per 100 tests and the Vauxhall Astra +3.2, so the Ford Focus has 7.0 fewer per 100 tests (95% interval 7.0 to 7.1).
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 | Vauxhall Astra |
|---|---|---|
| Dangerous defects per 100 tests | 13.2 | 14.0 |
| Advisory items per 100 tests | 143.8 | 157.2 |
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 19: the difference is clear at 14 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 10.1 extra failed tests per 100 for the Vauxhall Astra (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 | −2.0 | −2.3 to −1.7 | Ford Focus fails less |
| 5 | −3.0 | −3.3 to −2.7 | Ford Focus fails less |
| 6 | −2.5 | −2.8 to −2.2 | Ford Focus fails less |
| 7 | −2.6 | −2.9 to −2.3 | Ford Focus fails less |
| 8 | −1.7 | −2.0 to −1.4 | Ford Focus fails less |
| 9 | −0.9 | −1.2 to −0.6 | Ford Focus fails less |
| 10 | +0.2 | −0.1 to +0.5 | not distinguishable |
| 11 | −0.2 | −0.5 to +0.1 | not distinguishable |
| 12 | −1.6 | −1.9 to −1.3 | Ford Focus fails less |
| 13 | −2.5 | −2.9 to −2.2 | Ford Focus fails less |
| 14 | −3.1 | −3.5 to −2.8 | Ford Focus fails less |
| 15 | −3.2 | −3.6 to −2.8 | Ford Focus fails less |
| 16 | −2.2 | −2.7 to −1.8 | Ford Focus fails less |
| 17 | −1.1 | −1.6 to −0.6 | Ford Focus fails less |
| 18 | −0.2 | −0.8 to +0.4 | not distinguishable |
| 19 | +1.4 | +0.7 to +2.1 | Vauxhall Astra fails less |
| Age band | Ages included | Ford Focus, % | Vauxhall Astra, % | Difference, pp | 95% interval | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3–5 | 3–5 | 13.4 | 15.5 | −2.1 | −2.2 to −2.0 | Ford Focus fails less |
| 6–10 | 6–10 | 27.9 | 29.8 | −1.8 | −1.9 to −1.7 | Ford Focus fails less |
| 11+ | 11–20+ | 43.8 | 45.0 | −1.2 | −1.3 to −1.1 | Ford Focus fails less |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 10,253,757 (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 brakes: against its own class and age, the Ford Focus runs −3.8 items per 100 tests and the Vauxhall Astra +3.2, so the Ford Focus has 7.0 fewer per 100 tests (95% interval 7.0 to 7.1).
| Component group | Ford Focus vs its class | Vauxhall Astra vs its class | Gap, Ford Focus minus Vauxhall Astra | 95% interval | Reading |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | −3.8 | +3.2 | −7.0 | −7.1 to −7.0 | Ford Focus fails less |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | −0.2 | +2.1 | −2.3 | −2.4 to −2.3 | Ford Focus fails less |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | +0.0 | +1.6 | −1.6 | −1.6 to −1.5 | Ford Focus fails less |
| Visibility | −1.0 | +0.4 | −1.4 | −1.5 to −1.4 | Ford Focus fails less |
| Suspension | +1.8 | +2.6 | −0.8 | −0.8 to −0.7 | too small to matter |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | −0.2 | −0.6 | +0.4 | +0.3 to +0.4 | too small to matter |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 10,563,514 (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 Vauxhall Astra.
| Measure | Ford Focus | Vauxhall Astra |
|---|---|---|
| After a failed test, % | 40.4 | 39.8 |
| After a passed test, % | 27.2 | 29.3 |
| Extra risk carried by a failure, pp | 13.3 | 10.4 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 688,537 (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 lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 22.2% on the Ford Focus against 30.3% on the Vauxhall Astra failed on the same item at the next MOT.
| Component | Ford Focus | Vauxhall Astra | Difference, pp |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 22.2 | 30.3 | −8.0 |
| Brakes | 11.1 | 15.4 | −4.4 |
| Steering | 13.7 | 10.0 | +3.7 |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 7.0 | 3.4 | +3.6 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.6 | 9.0 | −2.5 |
| Suspension | 22.5 | 24.4 | −1.9 |
| Body, chassis, structure | 14.0 | 12.5 | +1.5 |
| Visibility | 11.6 | 10.2 | +1.3 |
| Identification of the vehicle | 3.7 | 4.0 | −0.4 |
| Road wheels | 1.1 | 1.0 | +0.1 |
| Measure | Ford Focus | Vauxhall Astra |
|---|---|---|
| Repaired and passed the same day | 46.3% | 46.0% |
| Passed 1–10 days later | 51.1% | 51.4% |
| Median retest delay | 1.0 days | 1.0 days |
| Failures per 10,000 miles | 0.515 | 0.545 |
| Three-test clean streak | 33.2% | 28.0% |
| Same advisory repeated 3+ times | 34.6% | 38.3% |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 7,431,570 (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 37 to the Vauxhall Astra; 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 | Vauxhall Astra |
|---|---|---|
| DVSA recall campaigns listed | 96 | 37 |
| Finland Katsastus: fails, % (national average 26.3%) | 28.1 (44,138 inspections) | 27.8 (27,136 inspections) |
| Netherlands APK: fails, % (national average 50.8%) | 51.8 (120,313 inspections) | 51.7 (93,738 inspections) |
| Norway PKK: fails, % (national average 33.7%) | 36.7 (20,894 inspections) | 36.8 (10,481 inspections) |
| Expected MOT repair bill, £ (estimate) | £85 | £114 |
| Repair bill range, £ (catalogue range, not a 95% interval) | £85–£162 | £114–£217 |
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 = 316,700 (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 Vauxhall Astra: 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-vauxhall-astra/
How the MOT Risk Index and every figure on this page are calculated: methodology.
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Ford Focus vs Vauxhall Astra: quick answers
Is the Ford Focus or the Vauxhall Astra more reliable?
Allowing for age, there is no practical difference (under 5 points apart): MOT Risk Index 102.7 for the Ford Focus, 104.5 for the Vauxhall Astra (100 = normal for its age).
Does the Ford Focus or the Vauxhall Astra fail more MOTs?
32.2% of Ford Focus first tests and 34.3% of Vauxhall Astra 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 Vauxhall Astra?
On MOT reliability neither is a practical winner. Choose the individual car with the cleaner MOT history and fewer repeated advisories.