Ford Kuga MOT pass rate: 81.7% (248,991 tests, 2025)

Name: Ford Kuga 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 Kuga passed 81.7% of its 248,991 MOT tests in 2025 — 4.2 points above the UK average of 77.5%. The median tested example was 9 years old with 68,906 miles on the clock.

81.7%Pass rate (2025)

248,991MOT tests analysed

68,906 miMedian mileage at test

9 yrsMedian age at test

How the Kuga compares

Ford Kuga

81.7%

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 Kuga

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

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Tyres	21,315	22.4%
2	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	20,801	21.9%
3	Brakes	18,867	19.8%
4	Suspension	12,159	12.8%
5	Visibility	8,248	8.7%
6	Body, chassis, structure	5,536	5.8%

Pre-MOT checklist for Kuga owners

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

Check tread with the 20p test and inspect sidewalls for cracking — tyres close to the limit are the country’s most common advisory
Walk round with all lights on: one blown bulb is the most avoidable fail there is
Feel for a spongy pedal or pulling to one side; check pad wear through the wheel spokes if visible
Bounce each corner and listen for clonks over speed bumps — suspension is this model’s (and the UK’s) top failure system
Replace smeared wiper blades and top up washer fluid — both are test items

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 →

Kuga pass rate by registration year

Lower age-adjusted outliers to inspect carefully: 2011, 2012. Strongest age-adjusted years: 2008, 2013. Full ranking and method: Ford Kuga years to avoid.

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage	Pass-rate bar
2008	7,482	68.9%	+3.7 pts	125,432	68.9% visual scale
2009	21,628	67.8%	+1.4 pts	120,441	67.8% visual scale
2010	27,374	67.8%	+0.4 pts	114,910	67.8% visual scale
2011	26,206	68.7%	-0.5 pts	106,686	68.7% visual scale
2012	27,570	70.6%	-0.6 pts	98,441	70.6% visual scale
2013	37,545	77.6%	+4.3 pts	89,790	77.6% visual scale
2014	66,944	79.0%	+3.1 pts	80,147	79.0% visual scale
2015	90,836	81.6%	+2.9 pts	71,792	81.6% visual scale
2016	98,574	84.8%	+3.4 pts	62,893	84.8% visual scale
2017	109,135	87.3%	+3.3 pts	53,909	87.3% visual scale
2018	113,655	88.2%	+1.9 pts	44,222	88.2% visual scale
2019	120,376	89.0%	+0.6 pts	35,274	89.0% visual scale
2020	3,499	90.4%	+0.5 pts	29,148	90.4% visual scale

Same-vehicle follow-up

The defect groups above are a single-year count. 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.

Tyres: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Brakes: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Suspension: advisory follow-up · did the same fail item hold
Body, chassis, structure: 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):

Brake pads wearing thin — 26,109 cars · 6.7% failed the same item the next year
Exhaust system has a minor leak of exhaust gases — 1,692 cars · 6.4% failed the same item the next year
Ball joint has slight play — 985 cars · 5.6% failed the same item the next year
Linkage ball joints ball joint has slight play — 954 cars · 4.4% failed the same item the next year
Condition has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords — 2,463 cars · 4.1% failed the same item the next year

Check a specific Kuga 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

Fiesta71.7% pass rate · 1,279,795 tests Focus74.3% pass rate · 850,793 tests Transit68.9% pass rate · 275,334 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 Kuga?

In 2025, 81.7% of 248,991 first MOT tests on the Ford Kuga were passes (UK average: 77.5%). Data: DVSA anonymised MOT results.

What does the Kuga fail its MOT on most?

The biggest defect group is tyres (22.4% of its recorded defects), followed by lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment.

Is the Ford Kuga reliable?

MOT pass rate is one lens on durability: at 81.7% it performs above the national average at a median age of 9 years and 68,906 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.