Car
Ford Mondeo
78.1%
pass rate across 711,192 tests
72.9% first-time pass rate
Ford Mondeo vs Vauxhall Insignia
The two cars compared on 1,436,153 real MOT tests: pass rates, first-time passes, the failures each is known for, repair costs and how both have moved year by year.
78.8%
pass rate across 724,961 tests
73.7% first-time pass rate
The short answer
Too close to call on MOT evidence
The two are level on first-time passes: 72.9% for the Ford Mondeo and 73.7% for the Vauxhall Insignia. Even after adjusting for the age and mileage of the cars tested, the Ford Mondeo is +0.1 points against its expected rate, the Vauxhall Insignia −1.8. A typical repair bill is similar: £31–£86 for the Ford Mondeo and £26–£70 for the Vauxhall Insignia; at their pass rates that is roughly £686–£1,894 versus £556–£1,475 per 100 tests.
- First-time pass: 72.9% vs 73.7%.
- All MOTs: 78.1% vs 78.8%.
- Like-for-like: +0.1 vs −1.8 points.
- Typical repair bill: £31–£86 vs £26–£70.
- At 90,000–120,000 miles: 77.1% vs 77.2%.
| Measure | Mondeo | Insignia |
|---|---|---|
| MOT tests on record | 711,192 | 724,961 |
| Pass rate, all MOTs | 78.1% | 78.8% stronger figure |
| First-time pass rate | 72.9% | 73.7% stronger figure |
| Against the UK average | −2.9 pts | −2.2 pts stronger figure |
| Like-for-like, age and mileage adjusted | +0.1 pts stronger figure | −1.8 pts |
| Average mileage at test | 103,554 mi | 86,905 mi |
| Model years on record | 2000–2022 (23) | 2008–2022 (15) |
| Best model year | 2022 · 90.8% | 2020 · 88.4% |
| Worst model year | 2003 · 70.0% | 2009 · 74.0% |
| Typical repair bill | £31–£86 | £26–£70 stronger figure |
| Expected repair spend per 100 tests | £686–£1,894 | £556–£1,475 stronger figure |
| Main fuel | Diesel 79% | Diesel 82% |
| Variants recorded | 3 | 3 |
A ✓ marks the stronger figure in each row. It is a comparison between the two cars, not a judgement against the national average.
What goes wrong most often
The most common priced failures on each model, as a share of all its tests. Repair costs are estimates from UK parts data, not quotes.
Mondeo
- Coil spring corroded 8.1% £25–£65
- Sub-frame corroded 7.1% £180–£450
- Suspension arm corroded 7.1% £35–£85
- Exhaust system insecure 4.0% £45–£120
Year by year
The newest 8 years with published results. A model's headline rate hides a wide spread between its best and worst years.
| Model year | Mondeo | Insignia |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 84.9% · 60,622 tests | 78.5% · 104,462 tests |
| 2016 | 86.8% · 55,114 tests | 79.4% · 81,556 tests |
| 2017 | 88.0% · 36,979 tests | 83.7% · 53,860 tests |
| 2018 | 88.7% · 23,638 tests | 86.6% · 42,755 tests |
| 2019 | 88.7% · 14,822 tests | 87.1% · 26,790 tests |
| 2020 | 88.8% · 7,556 tests | 88.4% · 4,170 tests |
| 2021 | 88.4% · 2,632 tests | 87.7% · 1,376 tests |
| 2022 | 90.8% · 628 tests | 86.1% · 567 tests |
Does the pass rate hold at higher mileage?
Pass rate by the mileage recorded at test, pooled across every published year. A car that stays strong past 90,000 miles is doing something right.
| Mileage | Mondeo | Insignia |
|---|---|---|
| 0–30,000 mi | 91.9% · 15,753 tests | 90.1% · 14,638 tests |
| 30,000–60,000 mi | 87.7% · 72,310 tests | 84.9% · 100,692 tests |
| 60,000–90,000 mi | 82.2% · 136,923 tests | 80.1% · 195,377 tests |
| 90,000–120,000 mi | 77.1% · 177,010 tests | 77.2% · 203,662 tests |
| 120k+ | 74.0% · 306,952 tests | 75.5% · 207,867 tests |
What to check before you buy
Ford Mondeo
- Coil spring corroded — 8.1% of tests, £25–£65 to put right.
- Sub-frame corroded — 7.1% of tests, £180–£450 to put right.
- The weakest year on record is 2003 at 70.0%; check that generation's MOT history closely.
Vauxhall Insignia
- Sub-frame corroded — 6.0% of tests, £180–£450 to put right.
- The weakest year on record is 2009 at 74.0%; check that generation's MOT history closely.
Both columns cover every published year for the model. Pass rates are test-weighted, so a model with more recent tests is not dragged down by its oldest ones. Repair figures are estimates from UK parts data; a garage quote is the only number that matters for a specific car. The same car can be tested in more than one year, so these are test outcomes, not a count of individual vehicles.
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