Car statistics by year

2004 Ford Focus

Ford Focus cars first registered in 2004: how they did at their 2025 MOT, what failed them, how far they have been driven and how many are still on the road. Compared with every car first registered in 2004, so like is set against like.

A year of the Ford Focus. “2004” is the year of first registration.

Last updated
Records analysed
13,323 MOT tests of 2004 Ford Focus cars
Methodology
View methodology
  • MOT first-time pass rate, 2025 52.4% All 2004 cars 57.9%
  • Typical mileage at the MOT 102,300 miles; all 2004 cars 101,100
  • Left at the end of 2025 19,975 16.7% of the 119,936 at the end of 2014
  • Tests finding a dangerous defect 11.7% All 2004 cars 9.6%
  • Tests with an advisory 75.5% All 2004 cars 70.0%
  • MOT tests in 2025 13,323 normal tests in Great Britain

How do 2004 Ford Focuses do at their MOT?

In 2025, at about 21 years old, 52.4% of 2004 Ford Focus MOT tests were passed first time, against 57.9% for all cars first registered in 2004. 2004 Ford Focuses did worse than average for their age, by 5.5 points. A year earlier the same cars passed 51.4% of the time (all 2004 cars 56.5%).

MOT pass rate by year of first registration: Ford Focus vs all cars

Each pair of bars is one year of first registration, tested in 2025. Older cars pass less often, so compare each Ford Focus bar with the all-cars bar beside it.

MOT first-time pass rate in 2025 by year of first registration, Ford Focus compared with all cars
First registered Ford FocusAll cars
’99 52.9%65.4%
’00 53.3%63.1%
’01 54.9%61.5%
’02 53.0%59.7%
’03 55.2%58.9%
’04 52.4%57.9%
’05 54.4%57.7%
’06 57.2%56.9%
’07 57.1%57.3%
’08 55.6%57.0%
’09 55.7%58.2%
’10 56.6%59.3%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT failures on the 2004 Ford Focus

Stop lamp: not working was the most common single reason a 2004 Ford Focus failed, on 13.7% of about 6,300 failed tests. By area of the car, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment failed most often (49.8% of failed tests; all 2004 cars 49.2%). 11.7% of tests found at least one dangerous defect, against 9.6% for all cars first registered in 2004. A failed test can have several defects, so shares add up to more than 100%.

Most common reasons for failure

Share of failed tests with each defect. The same fault on any wheel or side counts once.

Most common specific MOT defects on failed 2004 Ford Focus tests, 2025
Defect Share of failed tests
Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 13.7%
Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 10.4%
Track rod end: ball joint has excessive play Steering 10.0%
Component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength Suspension 9.1%
Rear fog lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 8.5%
Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension 8.0%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility 7.9%
Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 7.5%
Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 7.5%
Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres 6.8%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Failure categories: Ford Focus vs all 2004 cars

The marker shows the share for all cars first registered the same year.

Share of failed 2004 Ford Focus MOT tests with a defect in each category, with all 2004 cars for comparison
Category Share of failed tests
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 49.8%
Suspension 46.3%
Brakes 22.9%
Body, chassis, structure 18.2%
Tyres 16.5%
Visibility 15.8%
Steering 14.8%
Noise, emissions and leaks 14.2%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

Most common MOT advisories on the 2004 Ford Focus

An advisory is something the tester noticed that did not fail the test but may need work soon. 75.5% of 2004 Ford Focus tests had at least one (all 2004 cars 70.0%). These are the things to check on one you are thinking of buying.

Most common advisories

Most common MOT advisories on 2004 Ford Focus tests, 2025
Advisory Share of tests
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres 20.5%
Coil spring: corroded Suspension 19.4%
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes 17.7%
Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres 14.2%
Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks 13.9%
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension 13.7%
Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension 12.9%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes 11.8%
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle 9.6%
Component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Suspension 7.8%

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

What mileage is normal for a 2004 Ford Focus?

Half of the 2004 Ford Focuses tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 102,300 miles. A quarter had covered fewer than 77,700 and a quarter more than 127,900. For all cars first registered in 2004, the middle figure was 101,100 miles, so 2004 Ford Focuses have been driven about as far as average.

Mileage at the 2025 MOT

Odometer readings at each car’s latest MOT of the year. The bar covers the middle half of cars; the line the middle 80%.

Odometer readings at the 2025 MOT, 2004 Ford Focus and all 2004 cars, by percentile
10% 25% Median 75% 90% Cars
2004 Ford Focus 57,100 77,700 102,300 127,900 152,900 12,823
All 2004 cars 51,600 73,300 101,100 133,200 166,100 309,169
miles

Half of the 2004 Ford Focuses tested in 2025 had covered fewer than 102,300 miles.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated

How many 2004 Ford Focuses are left?

At the end of 2014, 119,936 2004 Ford Focuses were on the DVLA record in the United Kingdom (these counts start in 2014). By the end of 2025, 19,975 were: 11,002 licensed and 8,973 declared off the road (SORN). That is 16.7% still on the record, against 25.3% for all cars first registered in 2004.

Share still on the record since 2014

Cars licensed or SORN at each year end, as a share of the number at the end of 2014. Cars scrapped or exported leave the record. Late registrations and imports can push the share above 100%.

2004 Ford Focuses on the DVLA record at each year end as a share of the number at the end of 2014, compared with all 2004 cars
Year end 2004 Ford FocusAll 2004 cars
2014 100.0%100.0%
2015 94.9%94.1%
2016 88.1%87.1%
2017 76.8%77.1%
2018 63.9%66.7%
2019 52.2%57.2%
2020 42.9%49.7%
2021 33.9%42.3%
2022 28.2%37.0%
2023 23.8%32.8%
2024 19.6%28.5%
2025 16.7%25.3%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2025 Updated

Recalls that may affect cars built around 2004

7 of the Ford Focus’s 59 recalls in DVSA’s records cover cars built during 2004. 3 have no build dates, so could apply to any year.

The 2004 on this page is the year of first registration, not the year the car was built. A car first registered early in 2004 may have been built in 2003, and recalls apply to particular build dates and VINs, so check the recalls either side too.

Ford Focus recalls whose build dates include 2004
Launched Concern Built Vehicles
13 Jul 2011 Risk of fire 19 Feb 2004 to 25 Jan 2007 26,586 (all models)
14 Dec 2010 Risk of fire 9 Mar 2004 to 25 Jan 2007 919
21 Sept 2009 Risk of fire 20 Feb 2004 to 31 May 2006 29,325
21 Feb 2008 Electronic cooling fan control module may overheat 16 Jul 2004 to 1 Dec 2006 8,506
5 Jul 2006 Engine may fail 27 Feb 2004 to 28 Jun 2004 167
18 Aug 2005 Wiper motor may fail and overheat 2 Apr 2003 to 3 Mar 2005 68,996 (all models)
11 Apr 2005 Fuel return pipe leak 14 Jul 2004 to 22 Feb 2005 904 (all models)

Every Ford Focus recall · Check a specific car on GOV.UK · How we match recalls

Recall details come from manufacturers through DVSA. “Vehicles” is the number the manufacturer reported; “all models” means the figure covers everything in the recall. A recall listed here may not apply to a particular car: only the manufacturer or GOV.UK can say for its VIN.

Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis January 1992 to September 2026 Updated

Other years of the Ford Focus

24 years of the Ford Focus, by year of first registration, have their own page with MOT results, common faults, mileage and how many are left. Against all cars of the same age, the 2017 cars did best at their 2025 MOT (80.8% passed first time) and the 1999 cars worst (52.9%).

Ford Focuses by year of first registration
Year Registered Left Pass rate All cars
1999 4,850 52.9% 65.4%
2000 6,902 53.3% 63.1%
2001 10,691 54.9% 61.5%
2002 14,864 53.0% 59.7%
2003 16,649 55.2% 58.9%
2004 19,975 52.4% 57.9%
2005 23,500 54.4% 57.7%
2006 30,958 57.2% 56.9%
2007 37,321 57.1% 57.3%
2008 39,002 55.6% 57.0%
2009 47,780 55.7% 58.2%
2010 48,891 56.6% 59.3%
2011 58,379 58.1% 61.5%
2012 64,196 61.7% 63.6%
2013 70,103 62.2% 66.0%
2014 82,532 71,953 64.3% 69.1%
2015 78,702 73,559 72.4% 72.6%
2016 67,118 63,039 76.9% 75.6%
2017 66,847 62,708 80.8% 79.1%
2018 49,773 46,339 81.8% 81.8%
2019 54,286 52,857 81.5% 84.4%
2020 38,252 37,108 85.7% 86.9%
2021 21,490 20,594 88.8% 88.4%
2022 16,112 15,122 90.1% 89.4%

Registered: cars on the DVLA record at the end of the year they were first registered (these counts start in 2014, so older years show a dash). Left: licensed or declared SORN at the end of 2025. Both cover the United Kingdom. Pass rate: first-time passes at normal MOT tests in Great Britain in 2025; all cars: every car first registered the same year.

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
MOT results and mileage Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency
Derived statistics UK Motoring
2025 13,323 MOT tests of 2004 Ford Focus cars 15 September 2026
Cars on the record Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of 2025 19,975 cars still on the record (licensed or SORN) 15 September 2026
  • MOT figures cover normal tests in Great Britain in 2025 of Ford Focus cars first registered in 2004; retests are excluded. “All cars” means every car we match to a model, first registered in 2004.
  • Year of first registration is DVSA’s first-use date: when the car was first registered, in the UK or abroad.
  • Defects and advisories are DVSA’s descriptions made readable. Where on the car a defect was found (side, front or rear) is ignored, so the same fault on any wheel counts once per test.
  • Mileage is the odometer reading at each car’s latest normal MOT of the year, as recorded by the tester. A few readings are in kilometres or mistyped; percentiles are not thrown by a handful of outliers.
  • Cars on the record come from DfT table VEH0124 and cover the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland; MOT figures cover Great Britain only.
  • DVSA records the model name typed in at the test. We match those names to DVLA’s generic models, so a handful of tests may be counted under a close relative.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.