1,262,274 tests in 2025
Ford Fiesta reliability and MOT pass rate
72.7% passed first time. The 27.3% fail rate is 4.7 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 11 years old with 67,300 miles.
Pass rate
72.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 27.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
7.3%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
67,300 mi
11 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 93,762 | 8.4% |
| 6-9 years | 343,643 | 17.7% |
| 10-13 years | 416,699 | 30.4% |
| 14+ years | 406,975 | 36.6% |
What the Fiesta 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.
- Suspension7,208 dangerous45.4%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment2,386 dangerous38.4%
- Tyres91,450 dangerous28%
- Brakes29,946 dangerous18.8%
- Noise, emissions and leaks457 dangerous14.3%
- Steering2,002 dangerous13.5%
- Body, chassis, structure3,851 dangerous12.7%
- Visibility219 dangerous12.4%
Is the Fiesta getting worse?
The fail rate rose 1.9 points to 27.5% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,446,079 | — | 25.6% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 1,436,870 | — | 26.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,208,342 | — | 27.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 1,249,334 | — | 27.5% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Fiesta 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 Fiesta in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn61,904 tests
- 2Stop lamp: not working48,246 tests
- 3Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play34,656 tests
- 4Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm29,343 tests
- 5Coil spring: fractured or broken29,091 tests
- 6Position lamp: not working27,595 tests
- 7Condition: has ply or cords exposed19,694 tests
- 8Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases19,574 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Fiesta collects 2.81 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.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm214,533 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure138,229 tests
- 3Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened105,349 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened103,850 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick80,255 tests
- 6Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded61,464 tests
- 7Swivel pins and bushes: swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn59,612 tests
- 8Registration plates: inscription illegible52,007 tests
Questions
What is the Ford Fiesta MOT pass rate?
72.7% of the 1,262,274 Ford Fiesta first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 27.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 7.3% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Ford Fiesta usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn", recorded on 61,904 failed tests, followed by "Stop lamp: not working" and "Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play". By section, suspension appears in 45.4% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 38.4% of failures, tyres appears in 28% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 8.4%; at 14+ years it was 36.6%. The median Ford Fiesta tested in 2025 was 11 years old with 67,300 miles.
Is the Ford Fiesta getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 1.9 points to 27.5% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
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 Fiesta 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 27 safety recalls naming the Ford Fiesta: Ford Fiesta recalls.
Other Ford models
- Focus 25.4%
- Kuga 16.3%
- Transit 30.8%
- Transit Custom 16.1%
Checking a particular Fiesta?
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.