Ford Freedom
From 2,290 MOT tests. Above average for its class.
Common MOT failure categories
Pass rate by registration year
What goes wrong?
The most common MOT failure reasons are wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm and a tyre cords visible or damaged. The top issue, wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, caused 57 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.
| wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen | 57 |
| a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | 53 |
| a tyre cords visible or damaged | 34 |
| tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | 26 |
| exhaust system leaking or insecure | 24 |
| a tyre seriously damaged | 21 |
| smoke opacity levels exceed the manufacturer's specified limit | 18 |
| a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 16 |
| a seat belt webbing or flexible stalk significantly stretched or weakened | 14 |
| brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded | 13 |
How serious are these failures?
Not all MOT failures are equal. 49.6% of Freedom failures are safety items (worn brakes, tyre damage, steering play). The car still drives, but you shouldn't. Only 8.7% are the kind that would actually strand you. When it does fail, the average repair bill is around £99.
Ford Freedom on UK roads
The fleet is shrinking: 46 scrapped or exported in the past year, a net loss of 46. At this rate, roughly 40 years until none remain.
Quarterly breakdown
| Quarter | On road | SORN | New | Gone | Net |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q3 | 1,252 | 29 | +0 | -21 | -21 |
| 2025 Q2 | 1,274 | 28 | +0 | -0 | +7 |
| 2025 Q1 | 1,271 | 24 | +0 | -25 | -25 |
| 2024 Q4 | 1,298 | 22 | +0 | -0 | +9 |
| 2024 Q3 | 1,292 | 19 | +0 | -13 | -13 |
| 2024 Q2 | 1,305 | 19 | +0 | -12 | -12 |
| 2024 Q1 | 1,319 | 17 | +0 | -15 | -15 |
| 2023 Q4 | 1,340 | 11 | +0 | -3 | -3 |
6 variants on the road
| Variant | Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom Grand Rs | Diesel | 382 | 31% |
| Freedom Grand Rs Auto | Diesel | 315 | 25% |
| Freedom Re | Diesel | 209 | 17% |
| Freedom Rs | Diesel | 174 | 14% |
| Freedom Re Auto | Diesel | 110 | 9% |
| Freedom Rs Auto | Diesel | 58 | 5% |
Source: DfT vehicle licensing statistics, 2025 Q3. Crown copyright, OGL v3.0.
By registration year
| Year | Pass rate | Top failures |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 81% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2020 | 82.8% | wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, a headlamp or light source missing, inoperative or more than ½ not functioning in the case of led |
| 2019 | 80.5% | wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, a tyre cords visible or damaged |
| 2018 | 82.2% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, exhaust system leaking or insecure |
2 earlier years
| 2017 | 83.7% | wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm |
| 2016 | 82.7% | a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, a tyre seriously damaged |
Typical mileage
Half of all Freedoms tested had between 20,916 and 61,316 miles on the clock. Relatively low mileage overall. Many are still fairly young.
At 36,546 median miles, the Freedom has 0.047 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 Freedom MOT pass rate?
The Ford Freedom has a 82.8% MOT pass rate based on 2,290 real MOT tests. This is above the national average.
What are common MOT failures on a Ford Freedom?
The most common MOT failure on the Ford Freedom is wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen, which caused 57 failures. Other common issues include a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm.
How many Ford Freedoms are on UK roads?
There are 1,252 Ford Freedoms currently licensed on UK roads, with 29 on SORN.
What is the typical mileage of a Ford Freedom at MOT?
The median mileage at MOT for a Ford Freedom is 36,546 miles. The middle 50% of vehicles tested have between 20,916 and 61,316 miles.
Buying a used Freedom?
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 82.8% pass rate and an average repair bill of £99 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.