Ford Mustang MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Ford Mustang MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Ford Mustang passed on its first attempt in 85.5%, and its overall record sits +6.0 percentage points above the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Ford Mustang in the 2023–2025 data: 38,107 tests across 23 model years (2000–2022). 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 Mustang MOT Problems by Failure Category

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

Top Recorded Ford Mustang DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Ford Mustang, each with how many of the model's 38,107 tests it was noted on.

• "Rbt (sp) efficiency below requirements" (Major) — noted on about 898 Ford Mustang tests, 2.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Parking brake performance inoperative on one side" (Major) — noted on about 579 Ford Mustang tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (Major) — noted on about 566 Ford Mustang tests, 1.5% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 416 Ford Mustang tests, 1.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Has ply or cords exposed" (Major) — noted on about 411 Ford Mustang tests, 1.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Wipers blade defective" (Minor) — noted on about 337 Ford Mustang tests, 0.9% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Ford Mustang Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Ford Mustang model year on record is 2022 (92.9% across 658 tests), and the weakest is 2000 (79.4%). The gap between them is 13.5 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Ford Mustang reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.4 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 Mustang Owners

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

• the wipers and washers — “wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively”

  Run the wipers with the screen wet: they should clear it in one sweep without smearing or juddering. Top the washer bottle up and check both jets hit the screen.

• 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.

• 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.

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

Frequently Asked Questions: Ford Mustang MOT & Reliability