2003 Ford Mondeo MOT pass rate: 60.7% (6,748 tests)

2003-registered Ford Mondeos passed 60.7% of 6,748 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — 4.2 points worse than same-age cars (65.0%). This is one of the lower-scoring Mondeo years after correcting for vehicle age — inspect the individual car carefully.

60.7%Pass rate, 2003 cars

95.8Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

6,748Tests analysed

111,121 miMedian mileage at test

62.5% / 56.4%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2003 Mondeo getting worse?

Pass rate of 2003-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	59.7% -4.7 vs same-age
2024	61.8% -3.0 vs same-age
2025	61.1% -5.1 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2003 Mondeo

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Brakes	2,680	28.3%
2	Suspension	2,100	22.2%
3	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	1,497	15.8%
4	Noise, emissions and leaks	907	9.6%
5	Body, chassis, structure	707	7.5%
6	Tyres	652	6.9%

All Mondeo years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2001	4,488	62.6%	-3.9 pts	109,419
2002	5,223	61.8%	-3.8 pts	109,169
2003 (this page)	6,748	60.7%	-4.2 pts	111,121
2004	11,365	60.8%	-3.5 pts	116,195
2005	17,693	61.4%	-3.1 pts	117,814
2006	21,126	63.0%	-1.5 pts	119,119
2007	33,457	62.5%	-2.6 pts	128,164
2008	42,797	64.1%	-1.1 pts	134,633
2009	45,333	66.3%	-0.1 pts	129,758
2010	46,521	67.8%	+0.4 pts	125,434
2011	39,199	70.3%	+1.1 pts	124,197
2012	46,827	71.3%	+0.0 pts	118,460
2013	37,630	72.3%	-1.1 pts	116,705
2014	34,602	75.1%	-0.8 pts	108,088
2015	51,911	82.4%	+3.7 pts	93,141
2016	48,223	84.9%	+3.6 pts	84,767
2017	32,614	86.5%	+2.4 pts	74,320
2018	21,084	87.4%	+1.0 pts	65,894
2019	13,245	87.3%	-1.1 pts	54,279
2020	6,072	87.5%	-2.4 pts	42,292
2021	1,873	87.7%	-2.7 pts	39,402

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Ford Mondeo years to avoid.

Buying a 2003 Mondeo? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2003 Ford Mondeo reliable?

2003-registered examples passed 60.7% of their MOT tests (6,748 tests, 2023–2025), -4.2 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 23 years old with a median 111,121 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2003 Mondeo?

The median tested example shows 111,121 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Should I buy the petrol or diesel 2003 Mondeo?

In this cohort petrols pass 62.5% of tests against 56.4% for diesels. Mileage and use can explain part of that gap, so treat it as a reason to inspect DPF and emissions history, not a fuel-type verdict.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.