Ford Fiesta MOT pass rate: 71.7% (1,279,795 tests, 2025)

Name: Ford Fiesta MOT statistics 2025
Creator: OBDCode UK
License: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/

Last updated 24 August 2026 · OBDCode UK editorial

The Ford Fiesta passed 71.7% of its 1,279,795 MOT tests in 2025 — 5.8 points below the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 11 years old with 69,472 miles on the clock.

71.7%Pass rate (2025)

1,279,795MOT tests analysed

69,472 miMedian mileage at test

11 yrsMedian age at test

How the Fiesta compares

Ford Fiesta

71.7%

UK average (all Class 4 vehicles)

77.5% across 33.1 million tests

Ford average (all models)

75.3%

What fails most on the Ford Fiesta

Across failed and rectified tests in 2023–2025, these vehicle systems produced the most defects on the Fiesta:

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Suspension	743,309	25.2%
2	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	691,358	23.5%
3	Tyres	409,463	13.9%
4	Brakes · guide	345,944	11.7%
5	Noise, emissions and leaks	201,795	6.8%
6	Visibility	168,086	5.7%
7	Steering	162,788	5.5%
8	Body, chassis, structure	159,854	5.4%
9	Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems	29,805	1.0%
10	Road Wheels	19,517	0.66%
11	Identification of the vehicle	14,785	0.50%

Pre-MOT checklist for Fiesta owners

Based on the failure profile above, ten minutes with a torch before your test removes the most likely fail items:

Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
A blowing exhaust or visible smoke will fail; warm the engine fully before the test

Engine management light on?

An illuminated engine management light is a Major MOT defect. Read the code, repair the cause, then confirm the light stays off — clearing a code alone is not a repair.

Understand the engine management light and MOT rules →

Fiesta pass rate by registration year

Lower age-adjusted outliers to inspect carefully: 2001, 2012, 2016. Strongest age-adjusted years: 2018, 2021. Full ranking and method: Ford Fiesta years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2001	7,919	60.6%	-5.9 pts	65,748	60.6% visual scale
2002	21,935	64.2%	-1.5 pts	82,802	64.2% visual scale
2003	45,939	64.5%	-0.5 pts	91,578	64.5% visual scale
2004	60,738	63.4%	-0.9 pts	92,888	63.4% visual scale
2005	73,812	62.6%	-1.9 pts	92,792	62.6% visual scale
2006	123,985	62.1%	-2.3 pts	93,047	62.1% visual scale
2007	152,816	64.3%	-0.8 pts	91,686	64.3% visual scale
2008	165,506	63.5%	-1.7 pts	90,489	63.5% visual scale
2009	269,992	63.1%	-3.3 pts	91,860	63.1% visual scale
2010	254,540	64.3%	-3.0 pts	89,815	64.3% visual scale
2011	249,852	66.0%	-3.1 pts	84,706	66.0% visual scale
2012	291,502	66.8%	-4.4 pts	77,266	66.8% visual scale
2013	332,810	69.7%	-3.6 pts	71,841	69.7% visual scale
2014	362,368	73.1%	-2.8 pts	65,047	73.1% visual scale
2015	371,911	75.3%	-3.4 pts	57,838	75.3% visual scale
2016	338,366	76.3%	-5.0 pts	51,097	76.3% visual scale
2017	267,348	82.5%	-1.5 pts	43,526	82.5% visual scale
2018	274,497	88.3%	+1.9 pts	37,733	88.3% visual scale
2019	217,806	89.6%	+1.3 pts	30,446	89.6% visual scale
2020	60,942	89.6%	-0.4 pts	24,972	89.6% visual scale
2021	7,431	93.6%	+3.2 pts	21,685	93.6% visual scale
2022	7,620	92.8%	+1.6 pts	18,350	92.8% visual scale

Petrol vs diesel

Ford Fiesta: diesel vs petrol MOT pass rates.

Same-vehicle follow-up

The defect groups above are 2023–2025 fail-item records. The prognosis registry follows the same vehicle_id into the next MOT year. The extracts do not record the repair, a turbo part number, or a gearbox type.

Suspension: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Noise, emissions and leaks: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Steering: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold

On this model, these certificate lines have a published follow-up (cohort at least 200 cars):

Ball joint has slight play — 34,790 cars · 15.9% failed the same item the next year
Track rod end ball joint has slight play — 22,920 cars · 15.1% failed the same item the next year
Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive — 6,986 cars · 10.2% failed the same item the next year
Prescribed areas prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive — 658 cars · 8.2% failed the same item the next year
Exhaust system has a minor leak of exhaust gases — 25,968 cars · 7.1% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific Fiesta before you buy

Pass rates describe the model; they can’t tell you about the one car you’re looking at. Run its plate through our free MOT history check to see its personal record of failures, advisories and mileage readings.

Other Ford models

Focus74.3% pass rate · 850,793 tests Transit68.9% pass rate · 275,334 tests Kuga81.7% pass rate · 248,991 tests Mondeo73.0% pass rate · 171,083 tests Ka72.1% pass rate · 168,504 tests Transit Connect73.2% pass rate · 157,376 tests Ranger77.4% pass rate · 121,272 tests Ecosport83.6% pass rate · 108,543 tests

FAQs

What is the MOT pass rate for a Ford Fiesta?

In 2025, 71.7% of 1,279,795 first MOT tests on the Ford Fiesta were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the Fiesta fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is suspension (26.0% of its recorded defects), followed by lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment.

Is the Ford Fiesta reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 71.7% it performs below the national average at a median age of 11 years and 69,472 miles. Always check the individual car's history too.

Before you agree to the work

A fault or an advisory is a quote waiting to happen. These pages set out what a garage has to tell you, what a comparable written quote should include, and what you can do if the bill is not what you agreed.

Estimates, quotes and extra work — what a price has to cover, and when a garage may charge more than it first said.
What a diagnostic test costs — what the fee should include, and when it should come off the repair.
Tools — when to buy and when to skip — how to choose a diagnostic tool, and when a garage visit is cheaper than owning one.
Choosing a garage you can check — what to verify before you hand over the keys.
Your rights after a car repair — what to do when the work is not right, and how to put it in writing.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 extract (Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures rounded to one decimal place.