Ford Fiesta: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Ford Fiesta fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 5 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,352,968 individual Ford Fiesta tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 71.7% first-time pass rate means roughly 28 in every 100 Ford Fiestas presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is worse than average, so budget for remedial work and treat a fresh 12-month MOT as a genuine selling point rather than a given. The average Ford Fiesta tested had covered 70,404 miles and was built around 2013.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Ford Fiesta bought as a repairable salvage, assume the mechanical side needs more than the visible accident damage, and pad your repair estimate accordingly.

Before you bid: run the lot through the analyzer, check the car's own record, check the mileage, decode the VIN, and if it carries a marker use the write-off value calculator. See how it stacks up against the Ford Focus.

Looking at a specific Ford Fiesta rather than the model in general? The free check covers its MOT and mileage history, and the full HPI report confirms the insurance write-off category, outstanding finance and whether it is recorded stolen, from licensed data for 5 credits. Already own one that has been damaged? Work out whether fixing it beats selling it with the repair or scrap calculator, and see what damaged Ford Fiestas actually sold for at UK salvage auction, from 51 real settled sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Ford Fiesta

1. A stub axle swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn, 1.6% of tests (14.95x the national rate for this defect)
2. Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 3.3% of tests (3.34x the national rate for this defect)
3. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 2.5% of tests (2.65x the national rate for this defect)
4. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 1.4% of tests (1.89x the national rate for this defect)
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 6.3% of tests (1.71x the national rate for this defect)
6. The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, 1.4% of tests (1.7x the national rate for this defect)
7. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.6% of tests (1.31x the national rate for this defect)
8. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.6% of tests (1.28x the national rate for this defect)
9. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 2% of tests (1.24x the national rate for this defect)
10. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 2.1% of tests (1.19x the national rate for this defect)

From 1,970,830 DVSA-tracked Ford Fiesta tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.81% of these flagged Ford Fiesta defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

Ford Fiesta pass rate by model year

Pass rates fall steadily as cars age, so the model year matters as much as the model. First-time pass rate for each Ford Fiesta year:

• 1991 Ford Fiesta - 83.3% first-time pass, 294 tests
• 1995 Ford Fiesta - 69.5% first-time pass, 272 tests
• 1996 Ford Fiesta - 63.9% first-time pass, 310 tests
• 1997 Ford Fiesta - 60.1% first-time pass, 536 tests
• 1998 Ford Fiesta - 56.7% first-time pass, 1,211 tests
• 1999 Ford Fiesta - 57.1% first-time pass, 1,479 tests
• 2000 Ford Fiesta - 59.4% first-time pass, 1,475 tests
• 2001 Ford Fiesta - 61.5% first-time pass, 2,609 tests
• 2002 Ford Fiesta - 64% first-time pass, 7,211 tests
• 2003 Ford Fiesta - 64.1% first-time pass, 15,352 tests
• 2004 Ford Fiesta - 62.9% first-time pass, 20,390 tests
• 2005 Ford Fiesta - 62% first-time pass, 24,726 tests
• 2006 Ford Fiesta - 61.8% first-time pass, 41,739 tests
• 2007 Ford Fiesta - 63.9% first-time pass, 51,571 tests
• 2008 Ford Fiesta - 63.2% first-time pass, 55,984 tests
• 2009 Ford Fiesta - 62.7% first-time pass, 91,395 tests
• 2010 Ford Fiesta - 63.8% first-time pass, 86,188 tests
• 2011 Ford Fiesta - 65.7% first-time pass, 84,525 tests
• 2012 Ford Fiesta - 66.3% first-time pass, 98,624 tests
• 2013 Ford Fiesta - 69.3% first-time pass, 112,610 tests
• 2014 Ford Fiesta - 72.9% first-time pass, 122,480 tests
• 2015 Ford Fiesta - 75.3% first-time pass, 125,784 tests
• 2016 Ford Fiesta - 76.3% first-time pass, 114,318 tests
• 2017 Ford Fiesta - 82.2% first-time pass, 90,396 tests
• 2018 Ford Fiesta - 88.1% first-time pass, 93,330 tests
• 2019 Ford Fiesta - 89.4% first-time pass, 73,968 tests
• 2020 Ford Fiesta - 90.4% first-time pass, 20,410 tests
• 2021 Ford Fiesta - 93.1% first-time pass, 3,922 tests
• 2022 Ford Fiesta - 92.9% first-time pass, 211 tests

Ford Fiesta by fuel type

Diesel and petrol versions of the same car fail on different things, so the fuel type moves the number:

• Petrol Ford Fiesta - 73.5% first-time pass, 1,165,499 tests
• Diesel Ford Fiesta - 63.6% first-time pass, 179,820 tests

Other Ford models

• Ford Focus - 74.4%
• Ford Transit - 67.6%
• Ford Kuga - 82.4%
• Ford Mondeo - 72.2%
• Ford Ka - 72.2%
• Ford Transit Connect - 72%
• Ford Ranger - 76.9%
• Ford C-Max - 74.8%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Nissan Juke - 71.8%
• Nissan Elgrand - 71.8%
• Nissan Cube - 71.8%
• Nissan Micra - 71.7%
• Chrysler Crossfire - 71.7%
• Volvo 700 Series - 71.7%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• Ford Fiesta salvage buying guide
• Does fuel type affect MOT pass rate? Petrol beats diesel in 83% of models
• Does where you live affect your MOT pass rate? A 23-point gap across Britain
• Britain's most and least reliable car brands: MOT pass rate by manufacturer
• Diesel vs petrol MOT pass rate by manufacturer: petrol wins for 28 of 31 brands
• Best salvage cars for beginners
• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate