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. The Ford Fiesta sits 5 points below the national average, ranked 1,713 of 2,005 models. On one bought as 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 the median recorded closing bid for a damaged Ford Fiesta: £400 at UK salvage auction, from 204 ended listings, not independently confirmed sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Ford Fiesta

1. A stub axle swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn, 2.1% of tests (14.33x 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, 4.3% of tests (3.16x the national rate for this defect)
3. A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play, 3.2% of tests (2.48x the national rate for this defect)
4. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 1.8% of tests (1.79x the national rate for this defect)
5. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 8.1% of tests (1.62x the national rate for this defect)
6. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 1.7% of tests (1.42x the national rate for this defect)
7. A tyre seriously damaged, 3.5% of tests (1.24x the national rate for this defect)
8. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2% of tests (1.22x the national rate for this defect)
9. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 3.5% of tests
10. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 2.6% of tests

From 1,351,874 DVSA-tracked Ford Fiesta tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 4.88% of these flagged Ford Fiesta defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Ford Fiesta

An advisory doesn't fail the car - the tester flags it as worth watching, but it still passes. A different list from the failures above: what testers are noting on a Ford Fiesta before it actually fails on it.

1. A stub axle swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn, 7.1% of tests (11.08x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting, 5.6% of tests (5.23x the national rate for this advisory)
3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 12.5% of tests (2.64x the national rate for this advisory)
4. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 2.8% of tests (2.05x the national rate for this advisory)
5. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 4.3% of tests (1.63x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 3.9% of tests (1.37x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
7. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 7.8% of tests (1.26x the national rate for this advisory)
8. A tyre seriously damaged, 19% of tests (1.23x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
9. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 27.6% of tests, also fails
10. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 11.2% of tests, also fails

From 1,351,874 DVSA-tracked Ford Fiesta tests, 2024.

Ford Fiesta pass rate by model year

From its 1996 to its 2021 model year, the Ford Fiesta's first-time pass rate has risen 29.2 points, from 63.9% to 93.1%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. 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

The Ford Fiesta's two most-tested fuel types split by 9.9 points: petrol passes first time 73.5% of the time (1,165,499 tests) against 63.6% for diesel (179,820 tests).

• 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
• The most common MOT advisories, and what they become if you ignore them
• Electric cars get fewer MOT advisories, except on tyres
• What does Cat N mean? Category N explained
• What does Cat S mean? Category S explained
• Cat S vs Cat N: the real differences
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

Embed this data

Run a site about the Ford Fiesta? Embed the real DVSA pass-rate badge free, linked back to this page.

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/ford-fiesta"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/ford-fiesta.svg" width="340" height="92" alt="Ford Fiesta MOT Pass Rate: 71.7% - Salvage Prophet"></a>

Run a garage or parts site? Embed the Ford Fiesta's top real failure reason instead, linked back here.

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/ford-fiesta"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/failure/ford-fiesta.svg" width="340" height="106" alt="Ford Fiesta most common MOT failure: A stub axle swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn (2.1% of tests) - Salvage Prophet"></a>

All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate