Ford Freda MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Pass rate, every year

68.1% Below average

2,538 tests across 16 model years, 2000–2017.

−12.9 pts vs the national average

MOT PASS RATES

How the Ford Freda really fares

68.1% of its MOTs pass — over 2,538 class-4 tests, 2023–2025

Pass rates

Every figure on this page comes from the DVSA's MOT test record.

The Ford Freda MOT pass rate is 68.1%, −12.9 percentage points below the UK average. That is 2,538 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2000 and 2017. This page lists the most common Ford Freda MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.

Check your postcode

MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Ford Freda MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.

How one model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Ford Freda MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Ford Freda passed on its first attempt in 58.4%, and its overall record sits −12.9 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Ford Freda in the 2023–2025 data: 2,538 tests across 16 model years (2000–2017). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

MeasureThis model
Tests analysed2,538
Overall pass rate68.1%
Passed on first attempt58.4%
Average mileage at test137,130 mi
Model years covered2000–2017 (16 years)
Versus UK national average−12.9 pts below

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

Most Common Ford Freda MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Ford Freda, 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.

Inspection section Share of failures Est. recorded instances
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 37% 512
Suspension 32% 444
Visibility 13% 175
Body, chassis, structure 8% 104
Brakes 4% 52
Noise, emissions and leaks 4% 49
Steering 2% 33
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems 1% 12

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

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

Around 37% of the recorded Ford Freda failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (5.5%), "Rear fog lamp not working" (4.7%), "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (3.8%) among the Ford Freda's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.

Suspension

Around 32% of the recorded Ford Freda failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" (9.4%), "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (4.3%), "Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (1.5%) among the Ford Freda's suspension faults.

Visibility

Around 13% of the recorded Ford Freda failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (3.7%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (2.4%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.5%) among the Ford Freda's visibility faults.

Top Recorded Ford Freda DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Ford Freda, each with how many of the model's 2,538 tests it was noted on.

  • "Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" (Major) — noted on about 238 Ford Freda tests, 9.4% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 139 Ford Freda tests, 5.5% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Rear fog lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 119 Ford Freda tests, 4.7% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 108 Ford Freda tests, 4.3% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 97 Ford Freda tests, 3.8% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 93 Ford Freda tests, 3.7% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Ford Freda Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Ford Freda model year on record is 2001 (75.6% across 78 tests), and the weakest is 2012 (63.0%). The gap between them is 12.6 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Ford Freda reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.3 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Year Tests Pass rate First attempt Avg mileage Most common failure
2017 Freda 79 69.6% 58.6% 109,049 mi Headlamp lens slightly defective
2016 Freda 98 68.4% 56.9% 124,136 mi Headlamp lens slightly defective
2015 Freda 134 73.1% 65.4% 119,983 mi Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated
2014 Freda 106 71.7% 62.0% 140,473 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2013 Freda 80 65.0% 54.1% 140,520 mi Headlamp lens slightly defective
2012 Freda 73 63.0% 52.7% 135,504 mi Headlamp lens slightly defective
2011 Freda 167 68.9% 57.7% 145,414 mi Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated
2010 Freda 193 66.3% 54.9% 143,181 mi Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting drive
2009 Freda 182 69.2% 60.8% 140,650 mi Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area
2008 Freda 224 65.2% 53.6% 153,207 mi Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area
2007 Freda 333 68.8% 60.3% 159,049 mi Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area
2006 Freda 273 69.2% 60.2% 163,428 mi Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area
2005 Freda 283 63.6% 51.9% 151,852 mi Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area
2004 Freda 152 65.8% 56.7% 155,315 mi Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area
2001 Freda 78 75.6% 69.8% 91,421 mi Headlamp lens slightly defective
2000 Freda 83 74.7% 69.6% 120,901 mi Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Ford Freda Owners

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

  • corrosion — “component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength”

    Look under the sills, around the jacking points and where the suspension mounts meet the body. Flaking, holed or crumbly metal fails; a brown stain on sound metal does not.

  • the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

    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 dust cover severely deteriorated”

    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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Ford Freda MOT & Reliability

What is the Ford Freda MOT pass rate?

68.1% of the 2,538 recorded Ford Freda MOT tests ended in a pass, −12.9 percentage points below the national average. 58.4% of those passed on the first attempt.

Which Ford Freda model years pass the MOT most often?

2001 is the strongest Ford Freda year on record at 75.6%, while 2012 is the weakest at 63.0%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.

What are the most common Ford Freda MOT failures?

The most recorded Ford Freda failures are "Component mounting prescribed areas prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength" and "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" — together around 15% of tests, mostly in the Suspension section.