Ford Focus MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Ford Focus MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Ford Focus passed on its first attempt in 75.1%, and its overall record sits −1.3 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Ford Focus in the 2023–2025 data: 3,370,105 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 Focus MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Ford Focus, 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 Focus's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Ford Focus DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Ford Focus, each with how many of the model's 3,370,105 tests it was noted on.

• "Coil spring fractured or broken" (Major) — noted on about 86,981 Ford Focus tests, 2.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 84,794 Ford Focus tests, 2.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 73,902 Ford Focus tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 72,694 Ford Focus tests, 2.2% of the model's MOT record.
• "Headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect" (Major) — noted on about 50,410 Ford Focus tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 43,866 Ford Focus tests, 1.3% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Ford Focus Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Ford Focus model year on record is 2023 (94.0% across 1,084 tests), and the weakest is 2000 (69.3%). The gap between them is 24.7 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Ford Focus reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.2 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 Focus Owners

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

• 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.

• the lights — “position 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 windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Ford Focus MOT & Reliability