Ford Fusion MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Pass rate, every year

75.5% Around average

197,378 tests across 11 model years, 2002–2012.

−5.5 pts vs the national average

MOT PASS RATES

How the Ford Fusion really fares

75.5% of its MOTs pass — over 197,378 class-4 tests, 2023–2025

Pass rates

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

The Ford Fusion MOT pass rate is 75.5%, −5.5 percentage points below the UK average. That is 197,378 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2002 and 2012. This page lists the most common Ford Fusion 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 Fusion MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.

How one model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Ford Fusion MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Ford Fusion passed on its first attempt in 68.7%, and its overall record sits −5.5 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Ford Fusion in the 2023–2025 data: 197,378 tests across 11 model years (2002–2012). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

MeasureThis model
Tests analysed197,378
Overall pass rate75.5%
Passed on first attempt68.7%
Average mileage at test87,017 mi
Model years covered2002–2012 (11 years)
Versus UK national average−5.5 pts below

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

Most Common Ford Fusion MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Ford Fusion, 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 49% 35,835
Suspension 29% 21,572
Brakes 11% 8,166
Visibility 9% 6,393
Body, chassis, structure 2% 1,279

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

Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

Around 49% of the recorded Ford Fusion failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Stop lamp not working" (5.3%), "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (3.6%), "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (3.0%) among the Ford Fusion's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.

Suspension

Around 29% of the recorded Ford Fusion failures fall in the Suspension section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (7.1%), "Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (3.1%), "Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak" (0.5%) among the Ford Fusion's suspension faults.

Brakes

Around 11% of the recorded Ford Fusion failures fall in the Brakes section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded" (3.7%), "Service brake imbalance across an axle" (0.4%) among the Ford Fusion's brakes faults.

Top Recorded Ford Fusion DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Ford Fusion, each with how many of the model's 197,378 tests it was noted on.

  • "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 13,983 Ford Fusion tests, 7.1% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Stop lamp not working" (Major) — noted on about 10,406 Ford Fusion tests, 5.3% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded" (Major) — noted on about 7,396 Ford Fusion tests, 3.7% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Headlamp lens slightly defective" (Minor) — noted on about 7,126 Ford Fusion tests, 3.6% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 6,108 Ford Fusion tests, 3.1% of the model's MOT record.
  • "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 5,906 Ford Fusion tests, 3.0% of the model's MOT record.

What Fusion fails on more than most

The 8 biggest of 11 failure items this model records at least 1.5 times the UK rate for. One has a part guide — what to buy, which brands, and what the tester looks at next time.

Share of this model's own MOT tests that record each item, against the UK rate for the same item
Failure item This model UK × UK Typical fix
Rear fog lamp not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment · year by year → 3.5% 0.4% 8.8× £3–£15
Stop lamp partly not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment · year by year → 2.5% 0.4% 6.3× £3–£12
Rigid brake pipes excessively corroded Brakes · year by year → 27.5% 4.6% 6.0× £80–£180 part £25–£55
Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated Suspension · year by year → 7.1% 1.3% 5.5× £18–£45
Wheel bearings rough when rotated Suspension · year by year → 3.3% 0.6% 5.5× £20–£55
Ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension · year by year → 3.2% 0.7% 4.6× £18–£45
Swivel pin or bush excessively worn Suspension · year by year → 2.5% 0.6% 4.2× £40–£150
Indicator incorrect colour Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment · year by year → 5.2% 1.3% 4.0× £3–£12

Rates are a share of this model's own tests (197,378 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items Fusion records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs

Best and Worst Ford Fusion Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Ford Fusion model year on record is 2012 (83.3% across 2,747 tests), and the weakest is 2003 (71.9%). The gap between them is 11.4 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Ford Fusion reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.6 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Year Tests Pass rate First attempt Avg mileage Most common failure
2012 Fusion 2,747 83.3% 80.1% 62,616 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2011 Fusion 8,840 81.5% 77.7% 71,845 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2010 Fusion 21,020 78.4% 73.0% 76,443 mi Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case o
2009 Fusion 31,407 77.4% 71.5% 81,871 mi Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated
2008 Fusion 29,836 76.4% 69.9% 86,409 mi Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated
2007 Fusion 27,671 75.1% 68.0% 89,921 mi Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated
2006 Fusion 25,986 72.6% 63.8% 93,544 mi Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated
2005 Fusion 17,595 73.7% 65.9% 96,810 mi Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated
2004 Fusion 15,811 72.7% 64.4% 99,355 mi Headlamp lens slightly defective
2003 Fusion 14,446 71.9% 63.5% 99,662 mi Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated
2002 Fusion 2,019 72.2% 63.3% 98,712 mi Headlamp lens slightly defective

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

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Ford Fusion Owners

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

  • 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.

  • 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 brake pipes — “rigid brake pipes excessively corroded”

    Brake pipes run under the car, usually in front of the rear wheels. Flaking or crusty metal is what fails; a light dusting of surface rust does not. Worth asking a garage to look while it is on a ramp.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Ford Fusion MOT & Reliability

What is the Ford Fusion MOT pass rate?

75.5% of the 197,378 recorded Ford Fusion MOT tests ended in a pass, −5.5 percentage points below the national average. 68.7% of those passed on the first attempt.

Which Ford Fusion model years pass the MOT most often?

2012 is the strongest Ford Fusion year on record at 83.3%, while 2003 is the weakest at 71.9%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.

What are the most common Ford Fusion MOT failures?

The most recorded Ford Fusion failures are "Ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated" and "Stop lamp not working" — together around 12% of tests, mostly in the Suspension section.