Ford Mustang: MOT pass rate and reliability data

The Ford Mustang passes its MOT first time more often than the average UK car, by 7.6 percentage points. These figures come from the DVSA's full year of anonymised MOT results, covering 12,005 individual Ford Mustang tests. Nothing here is an estimate or a survey.

The numbers

First-time pass rate84.3%
UK national average76.7%
Difference+7.6 points
Tests analysed12,005
Average mileage at test37,283 miles
Average year of manufacture2015
Reliability rank1,284 of 2,005 models

What this means if you are buying one

A 84.3% first-time pass rate means roughly 16 in every 100 Ford Mustangs 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 Mustang tested had covered 37,283 miles and was built around 2015.

What this means at salvage auction

Pass rate is a proxy for what a car costs to keep on the road. On a Ford Mustang bought as a 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 Mustang 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 Mustangs actually sold for at UK salvage auction.

Most common MOT failures on a Ford Mustang

  1. Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value, 1% of tests (3.77x the national rate for this defect)
  2. Parking brake inoperative on one side, 1.5% of tests (3.37x the national rate for this defect)
  3. Number plate does not conform to the specified requirements, 0.5% of tests (2.82x the national rate for this defect)
  4. Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment, 0.3% of tests (2.35x the national rate for this defect)
  5. Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement, 1.9% of tests (1.99x the national rate for this defect)
  6. An obligatory rear fog lamp missing, or a front or rear fog lamp inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.4% of tests (1.23x the national rate for this defect)
  7. A direction indicator lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, 0.6% of tests (1.16x the national rate for this defect)
  8. A tyre cords visible or damaged, 1.3% of tests
  9. Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, 1.3% of tests
  10. Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, 1.1% of tests

From 26,881 DVSA-tracked Ford Mustang tests, 2024. DVSA testers marked 6.09% of these flagged Ford Mustang defects as "dangerous", meaning the tester judged the car unsafe to drive away, against 4.97% nationally.

Ford Mustang 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 Mustang year:

Other Ford models

Models with a similar pass rate

If this car is a salvage or write-off

Embed this data

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

Ford Mustang MOT pass rate badge: 84.3%

<a href="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/mot/ford-mustang"><img src="https://www.salvageprophet.co.uk/badge/ford-mustang.svg" width="340" height="92" alt="Ford Mustang MOT Pass Rate: 84.3% - Salvage Prophet"></a>

All 2,005 models ranked by MOT pass rate