162,400 tests in 2025
Ford Mondeo reliability and MOT pass rate
73% passed first time. The 27% fail rate is 4.4 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 13 years old with 113,542 miles.
Pass rate
73%
22.6% of all cars failed; 27% of these did.
Fixed on the day
5.9%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
113,542 mi
13 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 3,601 | 11.6% |
| 6-9 years | 35,809 | 14.8% |
| 10-13 years | 51,536 | 25.6% |
| 14+ years | 71,454 | 35% |
What the Mondeo 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.
- Suspension1,187 dangerous39.3%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment159 dangerous34.9%
- Tyres14,556 dangerous31.3%
- Brakes6,942 dangerous28.2%
- Body, chassis, structure533 dangerous15.8%
- Noise, emissions and leaks60 dangerous13.4%
- Visibility25 dangerous11.5%
- Steering157 dangerous8.9%
Is the Mondeo getting worse?
The fail rate held at 27.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year. Ageing alone would predict about 1.9 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 234,995 | 12 | 27.1% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 214,942 | 12 | 27.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 174,044 | 12 | 27.6% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 161,710 | 13 | 27.1% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Mondeo 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 Mondeo in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm4,666 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick4,458 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn4,197 tests
- 4Position lamp: not working4,034 tests
- 5Condition: has ply or cords exposed3,976 tests
- 6Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect2,647 tests
- 7Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements2,517 tests
- 8Suspension arm: corroded and seriously weakened2,440 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Mondeo collects 3.25 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 1.6mm34,725 tests
- 2Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened19,845 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn17,724 tests
- 4Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick17,653 tests
- 5Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened13,474 tests
- 6Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened13,235 tests
- 7Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine12,731 tests
- 8Suspension arm: corroded and seriously weakened12,145 tests
Questions
What is the Ford Mondeo MOT pass rate?
73% of the 162,400 Ford Mondeo first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 27% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 5.9% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Ford Mondeo usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm", recorded on 4,666 failed tests, followed by "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick" and "Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn". By section, suspension appears in 39.3% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 34.9% of failures, tyres appears in 31.3% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 11.6%; at 14+ years it was 35%. The median Ford Mondeo tested in 2025 was 13 years old with 113,542 miles.
Is the Ford Mondeo getting less reliable?
The fail rate held at 27.1% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year. Ageing alone would predict about 1.9 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 Mondeo 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 31 safety recalls naming the Ford Mondeo: Ford Mondeo recalls.
Other Ford models
- Fiesta 27.3%
- Focus 25.4%
- Kuga 16.3%
- Transit 30.8%
- Transit Custom 16.1%
- Ka 28%
- Transit Connect 26.5%
- Ranger 22.6%
- Ecosport 16.4%
Checking a particular Mondeo?
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.