Ford Focus common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 897,511 initial MOT tests on the Ford Focus in Great Britain, and 67.8% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Ford Focus at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 897,511
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 67.8%
Failed at firstIncluding 6.9% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 32.2%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 9.0%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 106,848 off the road (SORN): 862,774

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

Failure areas

Where the Focus 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
15.5%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
2Suspension
10.2%
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
5.4%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
5Visibility
4.3%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
6Noise, emissions and leaks
3.8%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
7Body, chassis and structure
3.3%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
8Steering
1.4%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
9Seat belts and airbags
0.7%
Seat belts, airbags and the airbag warning lightAll cars and vans: 1.0%
10Road wheels
0.5%
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.

Headlamp aimLamps and electrics5.5%
ConditionTyres4.5%
Position lampsLamps and electrics4.2%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks3.7%
Suspension armsSuspension3.6%
SpringsSuspension3.1%
Anti-roll barsSuspension3.1%
Tread depthTyres2.9%

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	1,130	91.1%	2.7%
2022	15,839	90.1%	3.6%
2021	20,848	88.8%	4.5%
2020	37,990	85.7%	6.2%
2019	55,241	81.5%	7.1%
2018	47,246	81.8%	6.6%
2017	63,270	80.8%	6.5%
2016	63,225	76.9%	6.5%
2015	74,067	72.4%	6.9%
2014	72,098	64.3%	8.2%
2013	70,214	62.2%	9.6%
2012	64,205	61.7%	10.7%
2011	59,302	58.1%	12.3%
2010	49,429	56.6%	12.3%
2009	48,572	55.7%	12.3%
2008	39,199	55.6%	11.7%
2007	34,589	57.1%	10.9%
2006	26,265	57.2%	11.1%
2005	18,504	54.4%	11.3%
2004	13,323	52.4%	11.7%
2003	9,105	55.2%	10.2%
2002	7,053	53.0%	10.8%
2001	4,024	54.9%	10.8%
2000	1,765	53.3%	11.7%

Mileage

Focus 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	21,900 miles	12,899
3 years	29,100 miles	18,751
4 years	36,300 miles	31,752
5 years	43,200 miles	48,470
6 years	49,800 miles	49,730
7 years	56,800 miles	52,980
8 years	65,200 miles	63,162
9 years	74,300 miles	68,162
10 years	80,800 miles	73,127
11 years	88,300 miles	69,663
12 years	94,600 miles	66,875
13 years	100,600 miles	60,890
14 years	103,800 miles	52,134
15 years	103,600 miles	50,644
16 years	106,700 miles	40,820
17 years	105,900 miles	36,696
18 years	106,000 miles	29,709
19 years	105,400 miles	21,848
20 years	103,800 miles	15,616
21 years	99,800 miles	11,095
22 years	95,000 miles	7,752
23 years	98,000 miles	5,411
24 years	100,400 miles	2,864
25 years	99,900 miles	1,255

Checking a particular Focus?

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 Focus: common questions

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

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

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Ford Focus was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 15.5% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 10.8% for all cars and vans. Next came suspension (10.2%) and tyres (8.0%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Ford Focus?

67.8% of 897,511 initial MOT tests on the Ford Focus in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 6.9% 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 Focus 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. 9.0% of initial tests on the Ford Focus 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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