Ford Focus
From 1,327,920 MOT tests. Average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
Newer Focuss fare better: 2022 models pass at 89% vs 61.1% for 1999.
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements and the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements. The top issue, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, caused 47,161 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.
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 47,161 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 34,021 |
| the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | 33,767 |
| a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 27,648 |
| a lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | 24,910 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 23,636 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 20,912 |
| windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen | 17,598 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 16,682 |
| a transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 13,364 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 15.8% of Focus failures could actually strand you: fractured springs, engine faults, exhaust problems. Another 41.7% are safety issues where the car still drives but shouldn't, such as worn brakes, corroded brake pipes, and steering wear. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £107.
The warranty question
A 3-year-old Focus passes its MOT 89% of the time. By 7 years old that drops to 83.4%, a 5.6 percentage point fall, right as the manufacturer warranty runs out. At 10 years it's down to 72.5%. With an average repair bill of £107 when things go wrong, an extended warranty can make sense on a Focus that's past its third birthday.
Ford Focus on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 66,378 scrapped or exported in the past year with only 12,534 newly registered, a net loss of 53,844. At this rate, roughly 18.3 years until none remain. Now at 66.3% of its peak (1,487,001 in 2014 Q2).
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 889,970 | 96,195 | +2,778 | -15,992 | -13,214 |
| 2025 Q2 | 904,743 | 94,636 | +2,532 | -15,498 | -12,966 |
| 2025 Q1 | 917,605 | 94,740 | +4,390 | -17,333 | -12,943 |
| 2024 Q4 | 930,872 | 94,416 | +2,834 | -17,555 | -14,721 |
| 2024 Q3 | 946,941 | 93,068 | +4,601 | -17,101 | -12,500 |
| 2024 Q2 | 960,294 | 92,215 | +4,519 | -15,330 | -10,811 |
| 2024 Q1 | 971,390 | 91,930 | +6,014 | -18,194 | -12,180 |
| 2023 Q4 | 985,075 | 90,425 | +5,334 | -14,229 | -8,895 |
20 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Focus Zetec Tdci | Diesel | 62,187 | 13% |
| Focus Titanium | Diesel | 53,475 | 11% |
| Focus Zetec | Diesel | 46,077 | 9% |
| Focus Titanium Tdci | Petrol | 40,697 | 8% |
| Focus Zetec 100 | Diesel | 37,833 | 8% |
| Focus St-Line | Petrol | 34,241 | 7% |
| Focus Zetec Turbo | Petrol | 30,217 | 6% |
| Focus Zetec 125 | Petrol | 20,596 | 4% |
| Focus Zetec 105 | Diesel | 17,849 | 4% |
| Focus Titanium X Tdci | Diesel | 17,680 | 4% |
| Focus Titanium Auto | Petrol | 16,118 | 3% |
| Focus St-Line X | Petrol | 14,890 | 3% |
| Focus Zetec S Tdci | Diesel | 14,803 | 3% |
| Focus Zetec Climate | Petrol | 14,126 | 3% |
| Focus Zetec Edition | Petrol | 12,158 | 2% |
| Focus St-3 Turbo | Petrol | 11,690 | 2% |
| Focus Zetec Auto | Gas | 11,557 | 2% |
| Focus Titanium X | Petrol | 11,531 | 2% |
| Focus Lx | Diesel | 11,205 | 2% |
| Focus St-Line Tdci | Diesel | 10,693 | 2% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 89% | a tyre seriously damaged, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2021 | 88.3% | a tyre seriously damaged, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2020 | 89% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2019 | 86.6% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
21 earlier years
| 2018 | 86.3% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2017 | 85.6% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2016 | 83.4% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre seriously damaged |
| 2015 | 80.3% | tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, a tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative |
| 2014 | 74.5% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2013 | 72.5% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2012 | 71.8% | a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2011 | 68.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2010 | 67.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2009 | 67.6% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2008 | 65.9% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
| 2007 | 67% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, a spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened |
| 2006 | 66.7% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2005 | 64.4% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements |
| 2004 | 63.3% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 2003 | 62.3% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2002 | 63.1% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2001 | 62.9% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 2000 | 63.1% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn |
| 1999 | 61.1% | a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired |
| 1998 | 62.7% | the strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired, the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements |
Typical mileage
Half of all Focuss tested had between 71,426 and 118,744 miles on the clock. A significant number are high-mileage vehicles.
At 91,595 median miles, the Focus has 0.028 failures per 10,000 miles driven.
Other Ford models
| Ford Fiesta | 72.9% |
| Ford Transit | 70.4% |
| Ford Kuga | 82.2% |
| Ford Mondeo | 73.8% |
| Ford Ka | 73% |
Common questions
What is the Ford Focus MOT pass rate?
The Ford Focus has a 74.7% MOT pass rate based on 1,327,920 real MOT tests. This is around the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Ford Focus?
The most common MOT failure on the Ford Focus is a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which caused 47,161 failures. Other common issues include tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements.
How many Ford Focuss are on UK roads?
There are 889,970 Ford Focuss currently licensed on UK roads, with 96,195 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Ford Focus at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Ford Focus is 91,595 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 71,426 and 118,744 miles.
Buying a used Focus?
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 74.7% pass rate and an average repair bill of £107 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.