Ford Focus: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Ford Focus fails its first MOT more often than the average UK car, by 2.3 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 923,051 individual Ford Focus tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 74.4% first-time pass rate means roughly 26 in every 100 Ford Focus 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 Focus tested had covered 81,950 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 Focus sits 2.3 points below the national average, ranked 1,637 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 Fiesta.

Looking at a specific Ford Focus 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 Focus: £350 at UK salvage auction, from 168 ended listings, not independently confirmed sales.

Most common MOT failures on a Ford Focus

1. The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, 4% of tests (1.68x the national rate for this defect)
2. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.5% of tests (1.46x the national rate for this defect)
3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 3.2% of tests (1.43x the national rate for this defect)
4. A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 3% of tests (1.32x the national rate for this defect)
5. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 4% of tests (1.26x the national rate for this defect)
6. Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen, 2.1% of tests (1.25x the national rate for this defect)
7. A headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of LED, 1.5% of tests (1.2x the national rate for this defect)
8. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 5.5% of tests
9. A tyre seriously damaged, 2.9% of tests
10. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 2% of tests

From 922,320 DVSA-tracked Ford Focus tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 5.59% of these flagged Ford Focus defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Ford Focus

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 Focus before it actually fails on it.

1. Lamp emitted colour, position or intensity not in accordance with the requirements, 3.4% of tests (2.51x the national rate for this advisory)
2. A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded, 12.3% of tests (2.37x the national rate for this advisory)
3. A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, 8.5% of tests (1.79x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
4. 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, 2.7% of tests (1.76x the national rate for this advisory)
5. Number plate inscription missing or illegible, 4.4% of tests (1.65x the national rate for this advisory)
6. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 4.3% of tests (1.5x the national rate for this advisory)
7. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 18.5% of tests (1.38x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
8. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 32.7% of tests (1.23x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
9. A tyre seriously damaged, 15.9% of tests, also fails
10. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 10.9% of tests

From 922,320 DVSA-tracked Ford Focus tests, 2024.

Ford Focus pass rate by model year

From its 1999 to its 2022 model year, the Ford Focus's first-time pass rate has risen 34.7 points, from 57.2% to 91.9%, the usual pattern: a newer model year is a younger car today, so it fails less. First-time pass rate for each Ford Focus year:

• 1999 Ford Focus - 57.2% first-time pass, 1,297 tests
• 2000 Ford Focus - 60.1% first-time pass, 2,362 tests
• 2001 Ford Focus - 62% first-time pass, 5,335 tests
• 2002 Ford Focus - 61.9% first-time pass, 9,235 tests
• 2003 Ford Focus - 61.5% first-time pass, 11,672 tests
• 2004 Ford Focus - 61.2% first-time pass, 15,471 tests
• 2005 Ford Focus - 63.3% first-time pass, 21,427 tests
• 2006 Ford Focus - 66.6% first-time pass, 28,910 tests
• 2007 Ford Focus - 66.8% first-time pass, 39,998 tests
• 2008 Ford Focus - 64.9% first-time pass, 46,653 tests
• 2009 Ford Focus - 66.3% first-time pass, 55,735 tests
• 2010 Ford Focus - 67.2% first-time pass, 54,531 tests
• 2011 Ford Focus - 68% first-time pass, 63,787 tests
• 2012 Ford Focus - 71.2% first-time pass, 67,859 tests
• 2013 Ford Focus - 71.9% first-time pass, 73,238 tests
• 2014 Ford Focus - 74.7% first-time pass, 74,437 tests
• 2015 Ford Focus - 81.6% first-time pass, 75,426 tests
• 2016 Ford Focus - 84.7% first-time pass, 64,007 tests
• 2017 Ford Focus - 86.7% first-time pass, 63,862 tests
• 2018 Ford Focus - 87% first-time pass, 47,766 tests
• 2019 Ford Focus - 86.4% first-time pass, 53,571 tests
• 2020 Ford Focus - 89.8% first-time pass, 30,736 tests
• 2021 Ford Focus - 88.5% first-time pass, 9,033 tests
• 2022 Ford Focus - 91.9% first-time pass, 492 tests

Ford Focus by fuel type

The Ford Focus's two most-tested fuel types split by 1.7 points: petrol passes first time 75.4% of the time (624,338 tests) against 73.7% for diesel (292,548 tests).

• Petrol Ford Focus - 75.4% first-time pass, 624,338 tests
• Diesel Ford Focus - 73.7% first-time pass, 292,548 tests

Other Ford models

• Ford Fiesta - 71.7%
• 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 Patrol - 74.6%
• Austin MINI 1000 City E - 74.5%
• Fiat Ducato Motorhome - 74.5%
• Kia Rio - 74.3%
• Mercedes-Benz Sprinter - 74.3%
• MINI One D - 74.3%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• 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
• Do you need an HPI check on a car you know is a write-off?

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All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate