Ford Freedom: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Ford Freedom passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 7.2 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 1,459 individual Ford Freedom tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

What this means if you are buying one

A 83.9% first-time pass rate means roughly 16 in every 100 Ford Freedoms presented for MOT fail on the first attempt. That is better than average, so a well-kept example is a reasonably safe used buy. The average Ford Freedom tested had covered 50,030 miles and was built around 2018.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. The Ford Freedom sits 7.2 points above the national average, ranked 1,304 of 2,005 models. On one bought as repairable salvage, the mechanical side is less likely to spring surprises, so your repair estimate should hold up reasonably well.

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. Or compare it against another model.

Looking at a specific Ford Freedom 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 recorded closing bids for damaged Ford Freedoms at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Ford Freedom

1. A seat belt webbing or flexible stalk significantly stretched or weakened, 1% of tests (31.92x the national rate for this defect)
2. Smoke opacity levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limit, 1.1% of tests (4.04x the national rate for this defect)
3. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 3.3% of tests (1.74x the national rate for this defect)
4. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 3.5% of tests (1.61x the national rate for this defect)
5. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 1.6% of tests (1.61x the national rate for this defect)
6. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 2.4% of tests (1.41x the national rate for this defect)
7. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 2% of tests
8. A tyre seriously damaged, 1.8% of tests
9. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 1% of tests
10. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 0.9% of tests

From 1,476 DVSA-tracked Ford Freedom tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 9.66% of these flagged Ford Freedom defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 5.11% nationally.

Most common MOT advisories on a Ford Freedom

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 Freedom before it actually fails on it.

1. A seat belt webbing or flexible stalk significantly stretched or weakened, 3.7% of tests (9.7x the national rate for this advisory), also fails
2. A seat belt or flexible stalk damaged, 1.2% of tests (9.69x the national rate for this advisory)
3. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 25.6% of tests, also fails
4. a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, 10.2% of tests, also fails
5. A tyre seriously damaged, 8.5% of tests, also fails
6. Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured, 3.7% of tests
7. Exhaust system leaking or insecure, 2.5% of tests, also fails
8. Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded, 2.2% of tests, also fails
9. A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, 2.1% of tests, also fails
10. Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn, 2.1% of tests

From 1,476 DVSA-tracked Ford Freedom tests, 2024.

Ford Freedom pass rate by model year

From its 2016 to its 2017 model year, the Ford Freedom's first-time pass rate has fallen 1.2 points, from 86% to 84.8%, an unusual pattern where even its newest years fail more than its oldest. First-time pass rate for each Ford Freedom year:

• 2016 Ford Freedom - 86% first-time pass, 344 tests
• 2017 Ford Freedom - 84.8% first-time pass, 514 tests
• 2018 Ford Freedom - 86.7% first-time pass, 263 tests

Other Ford models

• Ford Fiesta - 71.7%
• 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%

Models with a similar pass rate

• Dodge Ram - 84%
• MG Midget - 84%
• Land Rover Range Rover Evoque D 4x2 - 83.9%
• Vauxhall Combo Life Se Turbo D S/S - 83.9%
• Vauxhall Vivaro 2700 Dynamic S/S - 83.9%
• Peugeot 5008 GT Line Premium P-Tech Ss - 83.9%

If this car is a salvage or write-off

• 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 Freedom? Embed the real DVSA pass-rate badge free, linked back to this page.

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/ford-freedom"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/ford-freedom.svg" width="340" height="92" alt="Ford Freedom MOT Pass Rate: 83.9% - Salvage Prophet"></a>

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

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/ford-freedom"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/failure/ford-freedom.svg" width="340" height="106" alt="Ford Freedom most common MOT failure: A seat belt webbing or flexible stalk significantly stretched or weakened (1% of tests) - Salvage Prophet"></a>

All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate