1,801 tests in 2025
Ford Capri reliability and MOT pass rate
86.2% passed first time. The 13.8% fail rate is 8.8 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 39 years old with 53,587 miles.
Pass rate
86.2%
22.6% of all cars failed; 13.8% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.4%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
53,587 mi
39 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 1 | — |
| 10-13 years | 2 | — |
| 14+ years | 1,797 | 13.8% |
What the Capri fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment6 dangerous49.8%
- Brakes20 dangerous42.2%
- Suspension9 dangerous30.1%
- Visibility26.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks22.5%
- Body, chassis, structure10 dangerous20.5%
- Steering1 dangerous12.4%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems1 dangerous4.8%
Is the Capri getting worse?
The fail rate fell 1.3 points to 13.8% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2,643 | 37 | 15.1% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 2,479 | 38 | 14% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,823 | 39 | 15.7% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,800 | 39 | 13.8% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Capri at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Capri in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Non catalyst emissions: emissions carbon monoxide content excessive38 tests
- 2Service brake performance: excessively binding34 tests
- 3Service brake imbalance: across an axle33 tests
- 4Washers: not working29 tests
- 5Headlamp: not working on dipped beam22 tests
- 6Position lamp: not working20 tests
- 7Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect19 tests
- 8Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength18 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Capri collects 2.7 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine139 tests
- 2Wheel bearings: has excessive play103 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure72 tests
- 4Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases57 tests
- 5Service brake performance: excessively binding57 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn53 tests
- 7Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded53 tests
- 8Transmission oil leaks: leaking excessively from transmission50 tests
Questions
What is the Ford Capri MOT pass rate?
86.2% of the 1,801 Ford Capri first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 13.8% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.4% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Ford Capri usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Non catalyst emissions: emissions carbon monoxide content excessive", recorded on 38 failed tests, followed by "Service brake performance: excessively binding" and "Service brake imbalance: across an axle". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 49.8% of failures, brakes appears in 42.2% of failures, suspension appears in 30.1% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 14+ years it was 13.8%. The median Ford Capri tested in 2025 was 39 years old with 53,587 miles.
Is the Ford Capri getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 1.3 points to 13.8% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 2 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (0 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Capri trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Ford models
- Fiesta 27.3%
- Focus 25.4%
- Mustang Mach-E 8%
- Allied 18.2%
- Sierra 9.8%
- Unclassified 18.4%
- Roller Team 8%
- Chausson 6.4%
- Freedom 19%
- Auto Trail 6.1%
Checking a particular Capri?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.