Ford Fiesta common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 1,360,717 initial MOT tests on the Ford Fiesta in Great Britain, and 65.6% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Ford Fiesta at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 1,360,717
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 65.6%
Failed at firstIncluding 7.2% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 34.4%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 8.3%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 116,632 off the road (SORN): 1,259,187

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

Failure areas

Where the Fiesta fails its MOT

The share of initial tests in 2025 with at least one fail or PRS item in each part of the MOT. A test can fail in more than one area, so these do not add up to the fail rate.

1Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
16.3%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
2Suspension
12.5%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
3Tyres
8.0%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
4Brakes
5.2%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
5Visibility
4.7%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
6Noise, emissions and leaks
4.1%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
7Steering
3.7%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
8Body, chassis and structure
3.6%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
9Seat belts and airbags
0.8%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Road wheels
0.4%
Damaged or loose wheels, wheel nuts and hubsAll cars and vans: 0.4%

This modelAll cars and vans

Parts

The parts that fail most

Share of initial tests with a fail or PRS item on each part, 2025.

Stop lampLamps and electrics6.6%
Suspension armsSuspension6.0%
ConditionTyres4.7%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics4.1%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks4.0%
HeadlampsLamps and electrics3.4%
Steering linkage componentsSteering3.3%
Position lampsLamps and electrics3.2%

By age

Pass rate by year first used

Older cars fail more often, so compare a car with others of its year. Cars up to 25 years old; years with fewer than 250 tests are left out.

First used	Tests	Passed first time	Dangerous defect
2023	1,364	92.3%	3.7%
2022	25,516	91.0%	3.3%
2021	27,745	88.6%	3.4%
2020	49,636	86.1%	4.8%
2019	78,064	84.7%	5.7%
2018	92,863	82.8%	5.9%
2017	89,405	74.5%	6.3%
2016	112,686	67.5%	7.0%
2015	123,465	64.9%	7.2%
2014	119,931	62.4%	8.1%
2013	109,538	60.5%	8.9%
2012	95,588	58.5%	10.1%
2011	80,779	57.7%	11.1%
2010	81,049	55.3%	11.3%
2009	84,365	53.8%	11.6%
2008	48,517	53.0%	10.3%
2007	43,655	53.3%	10.0%
2006	34,349	52.5%	10.3%
2005	19,941	53.2%	9.8%
2004	16,138	53.8%	9.6%
2003	12,031	55.2%	9.2%
2002	5,722	56.4%	8.5%
2001	2,003	56.4%	8.8%
2000	1,173	54.4%	9.4%

Mileage

Fiesta mileage by age

The median reading at the test: half the cars of that age had covered more, half less. Estimated from 1,000-mile bands, for cars up to 25 years old.

A car well above or below the typical figure is not a problem in itself, but the readings should rise steadily from one MOT to the next. A fall, or a long gap, is worth asking about.

Check a car's mileage record

Age at test	Median mileage	Readings
2 years	17,200 miles	21,898
3 years	23,200 miles	23,645
4 years	29,600 miles	44,153
5 years	35,300 miles	67,175
6 years	42,100 miles	85,303
7 years	48,300 miles	84,178
8 years	54,500 miles	104,633
9 years	61,100 miles	115,807
10 years	67,700 miles	119,613
11 years	74,800 miles	114,541
12 years	80,200 miles	98,893
13 years	86,500 miles	87,277
14 years	92,100 miles	79,490
15 years	94,600 miles	84,871
16 years	95,700 miles	65,123
17 years	92,600 miles	44,246
18 years	93,900 miles	38,744
19 years	93,900 miles	26,630
20 years	92,900 miles	17,453
21 years	92,300 miles	14,018
22 years	89,300 miles	8,757
23 years	73,700 miles	3,415
24 years	65,400 miles	1,463
25 years	64,700 miles	1,166

Checking a particular Fiesta?

Averages tell you what to look at. The registration tells you about this car: every MOT since 2005 with its failures and advisories, each mileage reading, and whether it is taxed.

Questions

Ford Fiesta: common questions

Contains DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, year 2025.

What is the most common MOT failure on the Ford Fiesta?

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Ford Fiesta was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 16.3% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 10.8% for all cars and vans. Next came suspension (12.5%) and tyres (8.0%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Ford Fiesta?

65.6% of 1,360,717 initial MOT tests on the Ford Fiesta in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 7.2% passed after small repairs made at the test station within the hour (PRS). Across all cars and vans, 72.1% passed first time.

Does a lower pass rate mean the Ford Fiesta is unreliable?

Not on its own. MOT results depend on age, mileage and upkeep as much as on design, so a model with many older cars on the road will usually fail more often. The table by year compares cars of a similar age. What matters most is the record of the car you are looking at, so check its MOT history before you buy.

What counts as a dangerous defect?

One the tester judges to be a direct and immediate risk to road safety, or to have a serious impact on the environment. The car fails and should not be driven until it is repaired. 8.3% of initial tests on the Ford Fiesta found at least one, against 7.3% for all cars and vans.

Where do these figures come from?

From DVSA's anonymised MOT test data for 2025, published under the Open Government Licence. We count initial tests on cars and light vans in Great Britain, as DVSA does in its own statistics: retests, appeals and abandoned tests are left out, and so are advisories and minor defects.

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