Ford Ecosport
From 166,964 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Ecosports fare better: 2022 models pass at 91% vs 73.7% for 2014.
Pass rate by fuel type
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, a tyre seriously damaged and tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements. The top issue, stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, caused 3,198 failures in 2024. Checking tread depth (1.6mm legal minimum, 3mm recommended) before your test can save an unnecessary fail. You can check prices at Black Circles if you need replacements. If you need repairs before retesting, sites like BookMyGarage let you compare local prices.
| stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 3,198 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 2,745 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 2,120 |
| parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement | 1,798 |
| a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led | 1,471 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 1,349 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 1,297 |
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 1,269 |
| exhaust system leaking or insecure | 1,175 |
| lambda coefficient outside the default limits or the range specified by the manufacturer | 1,121 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 40% of failures are serious: 33.3% are safety issues (brakes, steering, tyre damage) and 6.7% could actually leave you stranded. That's close to the 44.4% average across all models. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £84.
The warranty question
A 3-year-old Ecosport passes its MOT 88.1% of the time. By 7 years old that drops to 75.9%, a 12.2 percentage point fall, right as the manufacturer warranty runs out. With an average repair bill of £84 when things go wrong, an extended warranty can make sense on a Ecosport that's past its third birthday.
Fuel type matters
Petrol versions pass at 82.5% while Diesel versions pass at 77.3%, a 5 percentage point gap.
Ford Ecosport on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 874 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 5 newly registered, a net loss of 869.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 107,707 | 937 | +1 | -418 | -417 |
| 2025 Q2 | 108,128 | 933 | +1 | -456 | -455 |
| 2025 Q1 | 108,687 | 829 | +2 | -0 | +127 |
| 2024 Q4 | 108,658 | 731 | +1 | -0 | +57 |
| 2024 Q3 | 108,669 | 663 | +2 | -533 | -531 |
| 2024 Q2 | 109,250 | 613 | +1 | -341 | -340 |
| 2024 Q1 | 109,649 | 554 | +4 | -0 | +93 |
| 2023 Q4 | 109,596 | 514 | +3 | -145 | -142 |
19 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecosport St-Line | Petrol | 30,215 | 28% |
| Ecosport Titanium | Petrol | 17,819 | 17% |
| Ecosport Titanium Turbo | Petrol | 11,922 | 11% |
| Ecosport Titanium Auto | Petrol | 9,791 | 9% |
| Ecosport Zetec | Petrol | 7,443 | 7% |
| Ecosport Titanium Tdci | Petrol | 6,840 | 6% |
| Ecosport Zetec Turbo | Petrol | 4,771 | 4% |
| Ecosport St-Line Auto | Petrol | 4,563 | 4% |
| Ecosport Zetec Auto | Petrol | 2,846 | 3% |
| Ecosport Zetec Tdci | Diesel | 2,650 | 2% |
| Ecosport Titanium S | Petrol | 2,452 | 2% |
| Ecosport Active | Petrol | 2,160 | 2% |
| Ecosport Titanium X-Pack Tdci | Petrol | 986 | <1% |
| Ecosport St-Line Tdci | Diesel | 936 | <1% |
| Ecosport Titanium X-Pack Turbo | Petrol | 884 | <1% |
| Ecosport St-Line Design | Petrol | 502 | <1% |
| Ecosport Titanium X-Pack | Petrol | 385 | <1% |
| Ecosport St-Line Tdci 4X4 | Diesel | 287 | <1% |
| Ecosport Titanium Tdci 4X4 | Diesel | 174 | <1% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 91% | a tyre seriously damaged, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2021 | 86.4% | a tyre seriously damaged, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2020 | 88.1% | a tyre seriously damaged, a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led |
| 2019 | 86.2% | a tyre seriously damaged, a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led |
5 earlier years
| 2018 | 84.8% | a tyre seriously damaged, a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led |
| 2017 | 77.5% | stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, exhaust system leaking or insecure |
| 2016 | 75.9% | stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2015 | 73.4% | stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2014 | 73.7% | stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, a steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play |
Typical mileage
Half of all Ecosports tested had between 39,937 and 78,873 miles on the clock.
At 59,095 median miles, the Ecosport has 0.031 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Ford models
| Ford Fiesta | 72.9% |
| Ford Focus | 74.7% |
| Ford Transit | 70.4% |
| Ford Kuga | 82.2% |
| Ford Mondeo | 73.8% |
Common questions
What is the Ford Ecosport MOT pass rate?
The Ford Ecosport has a 81.9% MOT pass rate based on 166,964 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Ford Ecosport?
The most common MOT failure on the Ford Ecosport is stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, which caused 3,198 failures. Other common issues include a tyre seriously damaged.
How many Ford Ecosports are on UK roads?
There are 107,707 Ford Ecosports currently licensed on UK roads, with 937 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Ford Ecosport at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Ford Ecosport is 59,095 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 39,937 and 78,873 miles.
Buying a used Ecosport?
Start with the free tools. Look up the specific vehicle's MOT history on GOV.UK The mileage at each test will show if it's been wound back, and the advisory history tells you what's wearing. Cross-reference that against the typical failures above to see if anything looks unusual for this model.
The free data won't tell you about outstanding finance, theft markers, or write-off history. For that, you need a vehicle history check This is especially important on a private sale where you have fewer legal protections.
With a 81.9% pass rate and an average repair bill of £84 when things go wrong, budget accordingly.
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MOT data from DVSA anonymised test results, 2024 test year. Fleet data from DfT vehicle licensing statistics. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0. MOT pass rates are statistical summaries of test outcomes, not assessments of individual vehicle safety or condition. Always inspect a vehicle and check its full MOT history before purchasing. See terms of use.