2025 MOT results
Ford Fiesta common problems
The most common reason a Ford Fiesta fails its MOT is a brake light out, on 18.0% of its 467,774 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 3 faults stand out: a brake light out at 18.0% of failures against 6.9% expected; a worn steering or suspension joint at 13.4% of failures against 5.7% expected; an exhaust leak at 4.6% of failures against 2.8% expected.
- Tests in 2025 1,359,897 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 34.4% 467,774 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 8.3% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 57.8% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Ford Fiesta MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Ford Fiesta tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 18.0% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 13.4% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 8.8% |
| Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering | 8.1% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 7.0% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 6.8% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 6.6% |
| Headlamp aim: too low Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.2% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 4.9% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 4.8% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 4.6% |
| Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 4.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Brake light out
18.0% of failures 6.9% expected 2.6 times as often
A brake light not working, from a bulb, a poor earth, or the switch on the pedal.
Reverse up to a wall or window at dusk and press the pedal to see all three lamps light.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
13.4% of failures 5.7% expected 2.4 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Sidelight out
8.8% of failures 9.1% expected about as expected
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
8.1% of failures 4.0% expected 2 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
7.0% of failures 8.0% expected about as expected
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
-
Broken coil spring
6.8% of failures 9.6% expected somewhat less often
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Ford Fiesta, on 47.5% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 38.6%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 47.5% |
| Suspension | 36.3% |
| Tyres | 23.2% |
| Brakes | 15.2% |
| Visibility | 13.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 11.9% |
| Steering | 10.9% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 10.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
57.8% of Ford Fiesta tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Ford Fiestas, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 19.0% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 11.0% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 8.3% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 8.2% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 6.4% |
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 4.8% |
| Axles: swivel pin or bush slightly worn Suspension | 4.7% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 4.1% |
| Road wheels: slightly distorted Road wheels | 4.0% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.7% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 3.6% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint has slight play Suspension | 3.4% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Ford Fiesta gets older
A 2022 Ford Fiesta failed 9.0% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2001 one failed 43.6%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2022 Ford Fiesta 9.0% failed, from 25,130 tests
- Cut tyre 15.5%
- Bulge in a tyre 11.7%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 8.6%
- Headlamp aim set too high 8.1%
- Headlamp aim set too low 7.9%
- Washers that do not work 7.9%
2001 Ford Fiesta 43.6% failed, from 2,003 tests
- Structural corrosion 25.3%
- Faulty seat belt 14.0%
- Worn suspension bushes 10.6%
- Weak or uneven footbrake 8.6%
- Split joint boot 8.5%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 8.5%
Shares are of each year's failed tests. Every MOT a particular car has had, with the defects and advisories written at each test, is on GOV.UK's MOT history service from the registration, free.
Ford Fiesta problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Ford Fiesta?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Stop lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 18.0% of failed Ford Fiesta tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 47.5% of failed tests.
How often does a Ford Fiesta fail its MOT?
34.4% of Ford Fiesta tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 1,359,897 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 42 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Ford Fiesta than on other cars?
Yes. “Stop lamp: not working” appears on 18.0% of its failures against 6.9% for cars of the same age, and “Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn” appears on 13.4% of its failures against 5.7% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Ford Fiesta aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 1,359,897 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.