2025 MOT results
Ford Fusion common problems
The most common reason a Ford Fusion fails its MOT is a brake light out, on 19.2% of its 19,577 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 6 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a rear fog lamp out at 11.2% of failures against 1.9% expected; a split joint boot at 8.7% of failures against 2.5% expected; corroded brake pipes at 10.8% of failures against 3.2% expected.
- Tests in 2025 46,353 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 42.2% 19,577 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 8.5% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 67.9% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Ford Fusion MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Ford Fusion 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 | 19.2% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 11.6% |
| Rear fog lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 11.2% |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded Brakes | 10.8% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 9.4% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Suspension | 8.7% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 7.2% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 6.5% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 5.8% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 5.5% |
| Individual direction indicators: incorrect colour Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.9% |
| Exhaust system: major leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 4.6% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Brake light out
19.2% of failures 9.2% expected 2.1 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.
-
Sidelight out
11.6% of failures 13.4% 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.
-
Rear fog lamp out
11.2% of failures 1.9% expected 5.9 times as often
The rear fog lamp not working. It is tested even though it is rarely used.
Switch it on at the dashboard and check the lamp lights at the back.
-
Corroded brake pipes
10.8% of failures 3.2% expected 3.4 times as often
Corroded or damaged brake pipework. It is a safety item, and on older cars the rear pipes go first.
Look along the pipes under the sills with a torch; flaking rust rather than surface staining is the problem.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
9.4% of failures 5.9% expected 1.6 times as often
Wiper blades that leave the windscreen smeared or streaked across the area the driver looks through.
Look for split or hardened rubber, and lift each blade to see whether it still sits flat.
-
Split joint boot
8.7% of failures 2.5% expected 3.5 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Ford Fusion, on 57.8% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 48.1%.
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 | 57.8% |
| Suspension | 32.0% |
| Brakes | 27.3% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 15.8% |
| Visibility | 15.7% |
| Tyres | 14.1% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 12.7% |
| Steering | 7.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
67.9% of Ford Fusion tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Ford Fusions, 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 |
|---|---|
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material Brakes | 23.5% |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 17.3% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 15.0% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 10.3% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 9.6% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 9.5% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 6.0% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 4.3% |
| Exhaust system: minor leak of exhaust gases Body, chassis, structure | 4.3% |
| Component mounting prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive Suspension | 4.0% |
| Individual direction indicators: slightly discoloured Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.8% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 3.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Ford Fusion gets older
A 2011 Ford Fusion failed 33.3% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2003 one failed 46.1%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2011 Ford Fusion 33.3% failed, from 2,438 tests
- Brake light out 16.5%
- Rear fog lamp out 13.3%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 9.1%
- Corroded brake pipes 8.9%
- Individual direction indicators incorrect colour 8.1%
- Broken coil spring 7.0%
2003 Ford Fusion 46.1% failed, from 2,965 tests
- Brake light out 16.7%
- Headlamp aim out of line 13.4%
- Weak or uneven footbrake 12.4%
- Corroded brake pipes 11.9%
- Sidelight out 11.5%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 9.6%
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 Fusion problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Ford Fusion?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Stop lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 19.2% of failed Ford Fusion tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 57.8% of failed tests.
How often does a Ford Fusion fail its MOT?
42.2% of Ford Fusion tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 46,353 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 50 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Ford Fusion than on other cars?
Yes. “Rear fog lamp: not working” appears on 11.2% of its failures against 1.9% for cars of the same age, and “Suspension arms: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 8.7% of its failures against 2.5% 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 Fusion 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 | 46,353 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.