Ford Fusion years to avoid — 155,565 MOT tests ranked

Inspect most carefully: 2002, 2003, 2006. Strongest in the data: 2011 or 2012. The ranking uses 155,565 MOT tests across 11 registration years (2023–2025) and compares each year with all UK cars of the same age. Fuel-type signal: diesels show an average 4.1-point pass-rate deficit on this model. That may reflect mileage and use as well as the car itself, so inspect DPF and emissions history rather than treating fuel type as a verdict.

Every Fusion year, ranked

The age-adjusted MOT index sets 100 as the pass rate of all UK cars registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Higher is better. This prevents an old car being labelled a “bad year” simply because it is old.

RankYearIndexVs same-agePass rateTests
1 2012 Strong 109.2 +9.2 pts 80.4% 2,377
2 2011 Strong 108.5 +8.5 pts 77.7% 7,479
3 2010 105.7 +5.7 pts 73.0% 16,905
4 2009 105.1 +5.1 pts 71.5% 24,978
5 2008 104.8 +4.8 pts 69.9% 23,583
6 2007 102.9 +2.9 pts 68.0% 21,700
7 2005 101.4 +1.4 pts 65.9% 13,727
8 2004 100.1 +0.1 pts 64.4% 12,295
9 2006 Inspect 99.4 -0.6 pts 63.8% 19,791
10 2003 Inspect 98.6 -1.4 pts 63.6% 11,193
11 2002 Inspect 97.8 -2.2 pts 63.4% 1,537

Why 2002 and 2003 and 2006 rank lower

The 2006 cohort passes 63.8% of tests (-0.6 points versus same-age cars) at a median 89,606 miles, with lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment the leading failure system. The 2003 cohort passes 63.6% of tests (-1.4 points versus same-age cars) at a median 95,418 miles, with lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment the leading failure system. The 2002 cohort passes 63.4% of tests (-2.2 points versus same-age cars) at a median 95,002 miles, with lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment the leading failure system. This is population-level evidence, not a known-fault list: service history, engine version and the individual MOT record can outweigh the registration-year average.

How to use this before buying

  • Rankings describe the cohort, not the car. A cherished 2002 example beats a neglected 2011 one — always run the specific reg through the free MOT history check.
  • Read the advisories. Repeated notes for the same component across years mean the owner has been ignoring it. Decode them in our advisory library.
  • Fuel matters on this model. The diesel deficit (4.1 points) usually traces to DPF and emissions kit on low-mileage use — check for P2463-type soot codes on the test drive.
  • Scan before you pay. A 2-minute OBD scan reveals stored faults the dashboard hides — see our scanner guide.

FAQs

Which Fusion years should I avoid?

Based on 155,565 MOT tests adjusted against cars of the same age, 2002, 2003, 2006 are the lower-scoring outliers. That is a prompt for closer inspection, not proof that every car from those years is bad.

What is the best Fusion year to buy used?

2011 and 2012 lead the age-adjusted MOT ranking. The score compares each registration year with all UK cars of the same age; the specific car's history and condition still take priority.

Is the Fusion reliable overall?

Across 155,565 tests, the median age-adjusted index is 102.9 (100 equals the pass rate of all cars registered in the same year). Use the spread between years as one signal, then check the individual registration.

Methodology: index = 100 + the model-year cohort’s MOT pass-rate difference versus all UK vehicles registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded; at least 1,500 tests per page. “Inspect” years are below both the same-age baseline and the model’s median index by at least 2 points. Association is not proof of a model-year defect. DVSA anonymised data 2023–2025, OGL v3.0.