2,101 tests in 2025
Ford Unclassified reliability and MOT pass rate
81.6% passed first time. The 18.4% fail rate is 4.2 points better than the all-car average, on a median example 13 years old with 57,235 miles.
Pass rate
81.6%
22.6% of all cars failed; 18.4% of these did.
Fixed on the day
3.7%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
57,235 mi
13 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 367 | 9.3% |
| 6-9 years | 289 | 9.7% |
| 10-13 years | 533 | 22.1% |
| 14+ years | 901 | 22.8% |
What the Unclassified 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 equipment5 dangerous50.8%
- Suspension7 dangerous38.9%
- Brakes49 dangerous30.6%
- Body, chassis, structure6 dangerous19.4%
- Visibility16.6%
- Tyres56 dangerous14.2%
- Noise, emissions and leaks2 dangerous13.2%
- Steering4 dangerous10.6%
Is the Unclassified getting worse?
The fail rate fell 2.7 points to 18.4% 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 | 2,312 | 12 | 21.1% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 2,314 | 12 | 21.1% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 1,924 | 12 | 20.9% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 2,101 | 13 | 18.4% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Unclassified 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 Unclassified in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Position lamp: not working46 tests
- 2Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength34 tests
- 3Rear fog lamp: not working34 tests
- 4Stop lamp: not working33 tests
- 5Rbt (sp): efficiency below requirements27 tests
- 6Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively27 tests
- 7Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn24 tests
- 8Coil spring: fractured or broken22 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Unclassified collects 2.86 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 1.6mm142 tests
- 2Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine137 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened133 tests
- 4Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded121 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure111 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn107 tests
- 7Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick77 tests
- 8Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened56 tests
Questions
What is the Ford Unclassified MOT pass rate?
81.6% of the 2,101 Ford Unclassified first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 18.4% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 3.7% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Ford Unclassified usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Position lamp: not working", recorded on 46 failed tests, followed by "Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" and "Rear fog lamp: not working". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 50.8% of failures, suspension appears in 38.9% of failures, brakes appears in 30.6% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 9.3%; at 14+ years it was 22.8%. The median Ford Unclassified tested in 2025 was 13 years old with 57,235 miles.
Is the Ford Unclassified getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 2.7 points to 18.4% 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 Unclassified 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%
- Edge 13.1%
- Mustang Mach-E 8%
- Allied 18.2%
- Sierra 9.8%
- Capri 13.8%
- Roller Team 8%
- Chausson 6.4%
- Freedom 19%
Checking a particular Unclassified?
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.