Ford Mondeo common problems and MOT pass rate

In 2025, DVSA recorded 172,060 initial MOT tests on the Ford Mondeo in Great Britain, and 67.2% passed first time. Here is where the rest failed.

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Ford Mondeo at the MOT, 2025

Initial MOT tests: 172,060
Passed first timeAll cars and vans: 72.1%: 67.2%
Failed at firstIncluding 5.9% repaired at the test and passed (PRS): 32.8%
Had a dangerous defectAll cars and vans: 7.3%: 10.3%
Licensed in the UKEnd of 2026 Q2, plus 52,285 off the road (SORN): 149,341

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

Failure areas

Where the Mondeo 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
13.8%
Headlamps and their aim, brake lights, indicators, fog and reversing lamps, warning lights, battery and wiringAll cars and vans: 10.8%
2Suspension
10.6%
Springs, shock absorbers, suspension arms and bushes, anti-roll bars, wheel bearings and axlesAll cars and vans: 9.0%
3Tyres
8.8%
Tread depth, cuts and bulges, the right size and type, valves and tyre pressure warning systemsAll cars and vans: 6.2%
4Brakes
7.8%
Pedal and handbrake, pipes and hoses, discs, pads and drums, and how well the car stopsAll cars and vans: 6.4%
5Body, chassis and structure
4.4%
Corrosion and damage to the structure, the exhaust system, fuel system, doors, seats, towbar, bumpers and engine mountingsAll cars and vans: 3.3%
6Visibility
4.1%
The driver's view, windscreen damage, wipers, washers and mirrorsAll cars and vans: 4.4%
7Noise, emissions and leaks
4.0%
Exhaust emissions and smoke, exhaust noise and fluid leaksAll cars and vans: 3.2%
8Steering
2.5%
Steering rack, joints and linkages, power steering, the steering wheel and columnAll cars and vans: 2.0%
9Seat belts and airbags
0.9%
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.

ConditionTyres5.2%
Suspension armsSuspension5.2%
Headlamp aimLamps and electrics4.6%
Exhaust emissionsEmissions and leaks3.8%
Mechanical brake componentsBrakes3.8%
Position lampsLamps and electrics3.7%
Brake performanceBrakes3.4%
Tread depthTyres3.1%

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
2022	500	87.0%	5.0%
2021	1,172	84.6%	5.9%
2020	2,239	85.8%	5.9%
2019	4,371	84.5%	6.7%
2018	6,989	83.4%	7.6%
2017	10,842	82.5%	7.2%
2016	15,998	80.3%	6.9%
2015	17,038	76.1%	7.1%
2014	11,023	67.6%	10.2%
2013	11,878	65.4%	11.6%
2012	14,618	64.2%	12.0%
2011	11,907	62.7%	12.0%
2010	13,224	58.2%	12.6%
2009	12,409	57.7%	13.1%
2008	11,039	55.2%	13.7%
2007	8,396	54.7%	12.5%
2006	5,419	56.0%	11.9%
2005	4,479	55.4%	12.1%
2004	2,836	55.7%	11.3%
2003	1,653	55.3%	10.3%
2002	1,285	55.3%	10.6%
2001	1,125	57.9%	9.5%
2000	559	58.1%	10.6%

Mileage

Mondeo 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	24,100 miles	338
3 years	40,900 miles	952
4 years	48,700 miles	1,843
5 years	61,000 miles	3,629
6 years	72,200 miles	6,007
7 years	79,800 miles	8,506
8 years	88,400 miles	13,593
9 years	97,500 miles	17,146
10 years	108,300 miles	12,633
11 years	119,700 miles	12,135
12 years	122,400 miles	12,975
13 years	127,200 miles	12,807
14 years	129,200 miles	13,186
15 years	130,900 miles	12,754
16 years	136,100 miles	11,476
17 years	132,800 miles	9,651
18 years	123,600 miles	6,562
19 years	118,100 miles	4,878
20 years	117,900 miles	3,687
21 years	113,500 miles	2,198
22 years	109,200 miles	1,490
23 years	110,100 miles	1,182
24 years	104,200 miles	808
25 years	95,100 miles	444

Checking a particular Mondeo?

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 Mondeo: common questions

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

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

In DVSA's 2025 test records, the area that failed most often on the Ford Mondeo was lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment: 13.8% of initial tests had at least one fail or PRS item there, against 10.8% for all cars and vans. Next came suspension (10.6%) and tyres (8.8%).

What is the MOT pass rate for the Ford Mondeo?

67.2% of 172,060 initial MOT tests on the Ford Mondeo in 2025 were a pass first time. Another 5.9% 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 Mondeo 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. 10.3% of initial tests on the Ford Mondeo 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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