Ford Fiesta UK Reliability — DVSA MOT Pass Rate Profile

Background

This profile covers Ford Fiesta MOT results in the UK, using 5,465,614 recorded tests across vehicle ages 3 through 30. The dataset is not a repair-history file or a complaint log; it is a pass-rate view of roadworthiness outcomes at MOT time. That makes it useful for tracking how the model’s inspection performance changes with age and mileage.

The broad pattern is straightforward. The Fiesta posts a strong pass rate at age 3, then declines steadily through the core used-car years. At age 3, 295,117 tests returned a 92.35 pass rate, with median mileage at 19,020. By age 7, across 473,155 tests, the pass rate is 79.06 and median mileage is 47,369. By age 12, across 348,487 tests, the pass rate is 66.67 and median mileage is 79,717.

Age profile

The age curve is the central reliability story here. Early results are comparatively strong, but the decline from age 3 onward is persistent rather than abrupt.

Age	Tests	Pass rate	Median mileage
3	295,117	92.35	19,020
4	363,903	89.01	25,653
5	417,699	83.97	32,828
6	448,773	80.89	39,995
7	473,155	79.06	47,369
8	459,188	76.94	54,323
9	422,276	73.51	61,447
10	388,372	70.22	68,233

This is a notably large sample through the main ownership years, with every age from 3 to 10 represented by 295,117 tests or more. That gives the midlife trend unusual weight. The Fiesta does not show a one-year collapse; instead, it moves from 92.35 at age 3 to 89.01 at age 4, 83.97 at age 5, 80.89 at age 6, and 79.06 at age 7.

By age 10, the pass rate is 70.22 across 388,372 tests. In practical terms, the model remains capable of passing in large numbers, but the margin for neglect appears to narrow with age.

Midlife and older-vehicle pattern

The decline continues into the early teens, though at a slower pace than in the first part of the curve.

Age	Tests	Pass rate	Median mileage
11	373,827	67.59	74,229
12	348,487	66.67	79,717
13	329,236	66.0	83,657
14	298,001	65.12	86,449
15	232,018	64.44	88,513
16	193,182	63.7	90,341
17	150,547	62.72	91,601
18	104,257	62.87	89,983

From age 11 through age 18, the Fiesta settles into a narrower band, mostly in the low-to-mid 60s. That suggests a mature fleet in which survivors are still passing at meaningful rates, but no longer with the resilience seen in younger cars. The pass rate is 67.59 at age 11, 66.67 at age 12, and 66.0 at age 13. It then moves to 65.12 at age 14 and 64.44 at age 15.

Median mileage also peaks in this part of the profile. It reaches 91,601 at age 17, before easing to 89,983 at age 18. That softening in mileage, alongside a relatively stable pass rate, points to an older surviving fleet that may be driven less than younger examples.

Mileage context

Mileage rises in a consistent way from age 3 through age 17. The median moves from 19,020 at age 3 to 25,653 at age 4, 32,828 at age 5, 39,995 at age 6, and 47,369 at age 7. It continues to 54,323 at age 8, 61,447 at age 9, and 68,233 at age 10.

That progression matters because the pass-rate decline is occurring alongside a clear accumulation of use. By age 12, median mileage is 79,717; by age 16, it is 90,341; and by age 17, it reaches 91,601. After that, median mileage falls back: 83,884 at age 19, 77,463 at age 20, 70,865 at age 21, and 63,840 at age 22.

For interpretation, that late-life mileage reversal is important. It means the oldest cars in the sample are not simply higher-mileage versions of the younger fleet. They appear to be a more selectively retained group, which can make very old-age pass rates look firmer than a simple wear-only story would suggest.

Test-year stability

Across recent test years, the Fiesta’s aggregate pass rate is fairly stable.

Test year	Tests	Pass rate
2020	408,239	80.18
2021	494,049	79.35
2022	466,416	79.82
2023	430,111	81.25

The spread between 2020 and 2023 is limited, with all four years clustered around 79.35 to 81.25. The lowest figure in this run is 79.35 in 2021, while the highest is 81.25 in 2023. That consistency suggests the model’s overall MOT performance did not swing dramatically across these years, even though the age mix of the tested fleet may have shifted.

Oldest vehicles and survivor effects

At the oldest ages, the pass-rate trend stops falling and begins to recover. After 59.51 at age 21 and 55.43 at age 22, the Fiesta records 55.55 at age 23, 55.95 at age 24, 57.77 at age 25, 61.21 at age 26, 64.45 at age 27, 68.21 at age 28, 70.7 at age 29, and 73.92 at age 30.

Those later figures should be read with caution because test counts are much smaller: 12,450 at age 22, 8,600 at age 23, 6,013 at age 24, 3,576 at age 25, 1,962 at age 26, 1,246 at age 27, 953 at age 28, 935 at age 29, and 878 at age 30. The likely explanation is survivor bias: the oldest cars still reaching test are a selected subset.

Limitations

This is an MOT pass-rate study, not a diagnosis of specific faults. It does not identify which components failed, how expensive repairs were, or whether failures were first-time or repeat events. It also does not separate trim levels, engines, or maintenance histories.

Still, the central finding is clear. In UK MOT data, the Ford Fiesta starts from a high 92.35 pass rate at age 3, falls to 79.06 at age 7, and reaches 66.67 at age 12. After that, results remain broadly in the 60s for much of later life, before rising again among the oldest, most selectively retained cars.