Ford Focus MOT Pass Rate
The Ford Focus has an MOT pass rate of 78.5%, compared with a UK average of 79.1%, based on 178,817 DVSA MOT tests from 2004 to March 2026. It ranks 234th of 386 cars we track by pass rate.
The most common MOT problem area on the Ford Focus is tyres, at 28% of all defects and advisories recorded.
Allowing for age, the weakest Ford Focus years are 2013 and 2011, which fail more often than the average car registered in the same year.
Data: DVSA MOT test results, 2004 to March 2026. Last updated 3 September 2026.
- Ford Focus MOT pass rate
- 78.5%
- UK average pass rate
- 79.1%
- MOT tests analysed
- 178,817
Ranked 234 of 386 models by MOT pass rate (1 is the highest).
What the Ford Focus fails on
Every defect and advisory recorded at MOT, grouped by area. Includes advisories as well as failure items.
| Area | Share of all items | Items per 100 tests | Items recorded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tyres | 28% | 53 | 94,787 |
| Suspension | 18.6% | 35.1 | 62,770 |
| Brakes | 18.2% | 34.5 | 61,649 |
| Lights and signalling | 11.6% | 22 | 39,321 |
| Other items | 6.7% | 12.7 | 22,688 |
| Corrosion | 3.5% | 6.7 | 11,915 |
| Windscreen and wipers | 3.3% | 6.2 | 11,021 |
| Bodywork | 3.2% | 6 | 10,807 |
| Exhaust and emissions | 3.1% | 5.8 | 10,420 |
| Fuel system | 1.9% | 3.6 | 6,404 |
| Steering | 0.9% | 1.7 | 3,127 |
| Electrical | 0.4% | 0.8 | 1,471 |
| Structure | 0.3% | 0.6 | 1,147 |
| Drivetrain | 0.2% | 0.3 | 521 |
Fail rate by mileage
How the Ford Focus holds up as the miles build, using the odometer reading at each test.
| Mileage at test | Focus fail rate | UK fail rate | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 40,000 miles | 11.7% | 13.1% | 49,034 |
| 40,000 to 79,999 miles | 21% | 21.7% | 73,102 |
| 80,000 to 119,999 miles | 29.7% | 28.3% | 40,804 |
| 120,000 miles or more | 33.7% | 31.4% | 15,221 |
Which years to avoid
Fail rate by year first registered, next to the UK fail rate for all cars registered that year. Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare each year with its own UK figure.
| Year | Focus fail rate | UK fail rate, same year | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 22.2% | 24.4% | 54 |
| 1999 | 29.2% | 25.3% | 449 |
| 2000 | 26.4% | 24.5% | 693 |
| 2001 | 24.4% | 25% | 1,467 |
| 2002 | 25.4% | 25% | 2,445 |
| 2003 | 25.7% | 25.3% | 3,854 |
| 2004 | 25.9% | 25.3% | 4,058 |
| 2005 | 24.8% | 25.4% | 6,203 |
| 2006 | 23.6% | 25.3% | 8,044 |
| 2007 | 24.6% | 25.2% | 9,563 |
| 2008 | 25.3% | 25.3% | 12,058 |
| 2009 | 24.3% | 24.9% | 12,759 |
| 2010 | 24.8% | 24.5% | 13,727 |
| 2011 | 24.4% | 23.4% | 15,465 |
| 2012 | 23% | 22.6% | 15,030 |
| 2013 | 23% | 21.6% | 15,151 |
| 2014 | 19.7% | 20.2% | 13,840 |
| 2015 | 16.5% | 18.7% | 12,480 |
| 2016 | 14.8% | 17.3% | 9,208 |
| 2017 | 13.8% | 15.6% | 8,848 |
| 2018 | 12.5% | 14.7% | 5,210 |
| 2019 | 14% | 13.8% | 4,912 |
| 2020 | 12.8% | 13.3% | 2,561 |
| 2021 | 9.4% | 12.9% | 395 |
| 2022 | 8.1% | 12.7% | 136 |
| 2023 | 12.2% | 11.9% | 188 |
Years with fewer than 50 tests, and cars too new to have reached their first MOT, are left out.
Ford Focus MOT questions
Is the Ford Focus reliable?
On MOT results the Ford Focus is close to the average: it passes 78.5% of tests against a UK average of 79.1%, ranking 234th of 386 cars we track. Allowing for the age of the cars tested, its fail rate of 21.5% is in line with the 21.9% you would expect from the average car of the same registration years. A pass rate is one useful signal of how well a model holds up, but it does not capture breakdowns between tests, repair costs or how an individual car has been looked after, so always check the history of the specific car.
What does the Ford Focus usually fail its MOT on?
Across 178,817 MOT tests, the areas most often flagged on the Ford Focus were tyres (28%), suspension (18.6%) and brakes (18.2%), shown as a share of all defects and advisories recorded. These counts include advisories as well as failure items, so they show where problems tend to appear rather than only what caused a fail.
Which Ford Focus years should I avoid?
Comparing each year with the average car of the same age, the weakest years of the Ford Focus were 2013 (23% fail rate against 21.6% for all cars first registered that year, 15,151 tests) and 2011 (24.4% fail rate against 23.4% for all cars first registered that year, 15,465 tests). The strongest relative to their age were 2016, 2015 and 2018. Older cars fail more often whatever the model, which is why each year is compared with its own age group. Only years with at least 1,000 tests are included.
Does the Ford Focus get worse with mileage?
Yes. The Ford Focus fails 11.7% of MOT tests taken at under 40,000 miles and 33.7% at 120,000 miles or more, based on 49,034 and 15,221 tests respectively. Across all models the equivalent figures are 13.1% and 31.4%.
How does the Ford Focus compare with the national average?
The Ford Focus passes 78.5% of MOT tests, 0.6 percentage points below the UK average of 79.1% across all 6,681,613 tests in the data. That places it 234th of 386 cars with at least 1,000 tests, where 1st has the highest pass rate.
Check a specific Ford Focus
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Related reading
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How Much to Offer on a Used Ford Focus: Exact Script
Is This Ford Focus Overpriced? 5-Minute Check
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When Does a Ford Focus Stop Depreciating?
Known problems to watch for
Other Ford models
Data: DVSA MOT test results for Great Britain, 2004 to March 2026, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Figures cover 178,817 tests. Last updated 3 September 2026. How these figures are calculated.
How to cite this data: Source: CarBuyerIQ analysis of DVSA MOT test data, https://www.carbuyeriq.com/mot-pass-rates/ford/focus