8,815 tests in 2025
Ford Escort reliability and MOT pass rate
82.4% passed first time. The 17.6% fail rate is 5.0 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 35 years old with 57,087 miles.
Pass rate
82.4%
22.6% of all cars failed; 17.6% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
57,087 mi
35 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 6 | — |
| 6-9 years | 36 | — |
| 10-13 years | 18 | — |
| 14+ years | 8,754 | 17.7% |
What the Escort 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.
- Suspension65 dangerous44%
- Brakes149 dangerous39.4%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment33 dangerous38.5%
- Body, chassis, structure43 dangerous34.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks6 dangerous26.6%
- Visibility1 dangerous18.1%
- Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems2 dangerous11.7%
- Tyres166 dangerous11.2%
Is the Escort getting worse?
The fail rate fell 3.8 points to 17.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 0 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 12,151 | 32 | 21.4% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 11,014 | 33 | 20.3% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 8,436 | 34 | 18.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 8,797 | 35 | 17.6% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Escort 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 Escort in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength302 tests
- 2Service brake imbalance: across an axle218 tests
- 3Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt186 tests
- 4Prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced125 tests
- 5Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements114 tests
- 6Service brake performance: efficiency below requirements114 tests
- 7Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively113 tests
- 8Position lamp: not working101 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Escort collects 3.12 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 engine711 tests
- 2Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded709 tests
- 3Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure432 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn375 tests
- 5Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm374 tests
- 6Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength310 tests
- 7Wheel bearings: has excessive play308 tests
- 8Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases287 tests
Questions
What is the Ford Escort MOT pass rate?
82.4% of the 8,815 Ford Escort first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 17.6% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Ford Escort usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength", recorded on 302 failed tests, followed by "Service brake imbalance: across an axle" and "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt". By section, suspension appears in 44% of failures, brakes appears in 39.4% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 38.5% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 0%; at 14+ years it was 17.7%. The median Ford Escort tested in 2025 was 35 years old with 57,087 miles.
Is the Ford Escort getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 3.8 points to 17.6% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 0 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
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 Escort trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 12 safety recalls naming the Ford Escort: Ford Escort recalls.
Other Ford models
- Fiesta 27.3%
- Focus 25.4%
- Tourneo Connect 18.4%
- Tourneo 23.4%
- Tourneo Custom 15.5%
- Mustang 14.1%
- Edge 13.1%
- Mustang Mach-E 8%
- Allied 18.2%
- Sierra 9.8%
Checking a particular Escort?
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.