288,984 tests in 2025
Ford Kuga reliability and MOT pass rate
83.7% passed first time. The 16.3% fail rate is 6.3 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 8 years old with 60,396 miles.
Pass rate
83.7%
22.6% of all cars failed; 16.3% of these did.
Fixed on the day
4.3%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
60,396 mi
8 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 57,184 | 8.3% |
| 6-9 years | 137,322 | 13.6% |
| 10-13 years | 69,105 | 23.1% |
| 14+ years | 24,129 | 32.2% |
What the Kuga 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.
- Tyres14,176 dangerous35.2%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment93 dangerous28.3%
- Brakes9,725 dangerous27.1%
- Suspension395 dangerous18.6%
- Visibility21 dangerous15.9%
- Noise, emissions and leaks34 dangerous10.7%
- Body, chassis, structure286 dangerous9.6%
- Steering94 dangerous4.5%
Is the Kuga getting worse?
The fail rate rose 2.7 points to 17% from 2022 to 2025, against a rising rate across all cars.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 260,116 | 6 | 14.3% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 258,320 | — | 16.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 234,960 | — | 16.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 264,887 | — | 17% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Kuga 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 Kuga in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick7,300 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm5,901 tests
- 3Position lamp: not working5,831 tests
- 4Condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords3,807 tests
- 5Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative3,582 tests
- 6Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively3,142 tests
- 7Condition: has ply or cords exposed3,057 tests
- 8Coil spring: fractured or broken2,973 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Kuga collects 2.5 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 1.6mm51,881 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick35,347 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened23,125 tests
- 4Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure20,292 tests
- 5Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn13,421 tests
- 6Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine9,989 tests
- 7Non-component advisories: Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt9,920 tests
- 8Shock absorbers: has a serious fluid leak8,892 tests
Questions
What is the Ford Kuga MOT pass rate?
83.7% of the 288,984 Ford Kuga first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 16.3% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 4.3% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Ford Kuga usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick", recorded on 7,300 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Position lamp: not working". By section, tyres appears in 35.2% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 28.3% of failures, brakes appears in 27.1% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 8.3%; at 14+ years it was 32.2%. The median Ford Kuga tested in 2025 was 8 years old with 60,396 miles.
Is the Ford Kuga getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 2.7 points to 17% 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 Kuga 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 35 safety recalls naming the Ford Kuga: Ford Kuga recalls.
Other Ford models
Checking a particular Kuga?
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.