2025 MOT results
Ford Kuga common problems
The most common reason a Ford Kuga fails its MOT is a sidelight out, on 12.8% of its 64,157 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 3 faults stand out: a sidelight out at 12.8% of failures against 5.6% expected; a tyre pressure warning at 7.0% of failures against 3.1% expected; worn brake pads at 12.6% of failures against 7.7% expected.
- Tests in 2025 311,435 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 20.6% 64,157 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 6.3% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 48.4% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Ford Kuga MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Ford Kuga 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 |
|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 12.8% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 12.6% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 10.3% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 7.3% |
| Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative Tyres | 7.0% |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Visibility | 6.7% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 6.5% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.2% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 5.2% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 4.9% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.6% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Sidelight out
12.8% of failures 5.6% expected 2.3 times as often
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 brake pads
12.6% of failures 7.7% expected 1.6 times as often
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
10.3% of failures 9.1% 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.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
7.3% of failures 7.2% expected about as expected
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.
-
Tyre pressure warning
7.0% of failures 3.1% expected 2.3 times as often
The pressure monitoring system is not working, which fails the test on cars first used from 2012.
A warning light that stays on after the tyres are set correctly usually means a sensor has died.
-
Washers that do not work
6.7% of failures 4.8% expected somewhat more often
The washers cannot deliver enough liquid to clean the windscreen with the wipers.
Top the bottle up and check both jets reach the glass; the pump is often fine and the jet blocked.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Ford Kuga, on 36.2% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 31.1%.
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 | 36.2% |
| Tyres | 29.5% |
| Brakes | 22.2% |
| Visibility | 17.8% |
| Suspension | 14.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 9.5% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 8.0% |
| Steering | 3.7% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
48.4% of Ford Kuga tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Ford Kugas, 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 | 20.0% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 12.3% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 8.0% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 7.1% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 4.3% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 3.4% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.4% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 3.1% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 3.0% |
| Nail in tyre Non-component advisories | 2.6% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 2.3% |
| Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Non-component advisories | 2.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Ford Kuga gets older
A 2022 Ford Kuga failed 8.2% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2008 one failed 39.8%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2022 Ford Kuga 8.2% failed, from 26,216 tests
- Cut tyre 19.3%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 10.6%
- Washers that do not work 8.7%
- Headlamp aim set too high 8.5%
- Worn brake pads 8.2%
- Engine management light on 6.5%
2008 Ford Kuga 39.8% failed, from 2,133 tests
- Sidelight out 20.4%
- Brake light out 11.0%
- Split joint boot 9.3%
- Broken coil spring 9.0%
- Worn brake pads 8.8%
- Diesel engine emissions exceed manufacturer's specified limit 8.8%
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 Kuga problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Ford Kuga?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Position lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 12.8% of failed Ford Kuga tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 36.2% of failed tests.
How often does a Ford Kuga fail its MOT?
20.6% of Ford Kuga tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 311,435 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 55 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Ford Kuga than on other cars?
Yes. “Position lamp: not working” appears on 12.8% of its failures against 5.6% for cars of the same age, and “Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative” appears on 7.0% of its failures against 3.1% 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 Kuga 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 | 311,435 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.