Ford Fiesta MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Ford Fiesta MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Ford Fiesta passed on its first attempt in 73.2%, and its overall record sits −2.6 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Ford Fiesta in the 2023–2025 data: 5,140,104 tests across 24 model years (2000–2023). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Ford Fiesta MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Ford Fiesta, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Ford Fiesta's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Ford Fiesta DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Ford Fiesta, each with how many of the model's 5,140,104 tests it was noted on.

• "Stop lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 224,150 Ford Fiesta tests, 4.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Ball joint excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 182,882 Ford Fiesta tests, 3.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Track rod end ball joint has excessive play" (Major) — noted on about 96,138 Ford Fiesta tests, 1.9% of the model's MOT record.
• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 92,456 Ford Fiesta tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 92,236 Ford Fiesta tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 91,066 Ford Fiesta tests, 1.8% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Ford Fiesta Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Ford Fiesta model year on record is 2023 (94.6% across 1,230 tests), and the weakest is 2000 (68.3%). The gap between them is 26.3 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Ford Fiesta reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.1 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Ford Fiesta Owners

These checks follow this Ford Fiesta's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Ford Fiesta.

• the lights — “stop lamp not working”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the suspension joints — “ball joint excessively worn”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

• the coil springs — “coil spring fractured or broken”

  Look up inside each wheel arch with a torch, all the way round the spring. A snapped spring usually breaks at the very bottom coil, where a quick glance will not reach.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Ford Fiesta. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Ford Fiesta MOT & Reliability