Is the Ford Fiesta reliable?

On MOT evidence the Ford Fiesta is below average. It passes 67.1% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 206 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Ford Fiesta?

The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 18.7% of failed Ford Fiesta tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Ford Fiesta?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 24.2% of all Ford Fiesta tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Ford Fiesta usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 71,194 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Which Ford Fiesta years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Ford Fiesta cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 88.0%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 54.1%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.

Does a Ford Fiesta get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 88.0% of Ford Fiesta tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 54.1%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

Are most Ford Fiesta models petrol or diesel?

Of the Ford Fiesta cars tested, 88% are petrol, 12% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Ford Fiesta MOT pass rate & common failures

From 1,360,485 recorded MOT tests of the Ford Fiesta, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Ford Fiesta passes 67.1% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is below average, ranking it 206 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 1,360,485 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which appears in 18.7% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 71,194 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

67.1%national average72.3%unadjusted65.6%range covered100%rank206 of 262

The Fiesta is 5.2 percentage points below the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is below average. The unadjusted figure is 65.6%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Ford Fiesta tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn18.7%
68,978 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
2.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning15.6%
57,498 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained
3.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements11.0%
40,556 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
4.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play10.9%
40,259 occurrencesBall joint worn explained
5.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning9.1%
33,788 occurrencesLamp not working explained
6.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened9.0%
33,383 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
7.A stub axle swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn7.4%
27,437 occurrencesBall joint worn explained
8.A tyre cords visible or damaged6.9%
25,405 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
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 repaired6.0%
22,236 occurrencesSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
10.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen5.9%
21,730 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Ford Fiesta tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements24.2%
328,617 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A tyre seriously damaged16.0%
217,018 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
3.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened12.7%
172,697 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured10.3%
140,311 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm7.3%
98,688 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.A stub axle swivel pin and/or bush excessively worn7.1%
96,698 testsBall joint worn explained
7.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded7.0%
94,662 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
8.A wheel badly distorted or wear between wheel and hub at spigot mounting5.4%
73,130 testsRoad wheel damaged, distorted or cracked explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Ford Fiesta

The 18 other defects testers recorded on this model, beyond the most common listed above. Each links to what it means and what it takes to put right.

Known faults

Ford Fiesta common problems, by part and by year

The same failure record read the way a buyer asks the question: which parts wear out on a Fiesta, when they start, and how each registration year compares — including the steps that mark a generation change.

Fiesta common problems and results by year

How wear changes the picture

Fiesta pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Ford Fiesta passes at each age, with the years those cars were first registered. Tests are from 2025, so a car aged 3 to 5 was first used in 2020–2022.

3–5 yrsreg. 2020–202288%

6–8 yrsreg. 2017–201981%

9–11 yrsreg. 2014–201665%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201359%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier54%

Read this as an age curve rather than a verdict on particular model years. Nearly every car passes less often as it gets older, so a newer Fiesta outscoring an older one says more about wear than about how that year’s cars were built. Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Fiesta fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 71,194
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol87.8%
Diesel12.1%

Trim names grouped into this model (40)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

FIESTA ACTIVE
FIESTA ACTIVE 3
FIESTA ACTIVE EDITION T MHEV
FIESTA ACTIVE EDITION T MHEV A
FIESTA ACTIVE EDITION TDCI
FIESTA ACTIVE EDITION TURBO
FIESTA ACTIVE EDITION TURBO A
FIESTA ACTIVE TURBO
FIESTA ACTIVE TURBO MHEV
FIESTA ACTIVE TURBO MHEV AUTO
FIESTA ACTIVE VIGNALE T MHEV
FIESTA ACTIVE VIGNALE T MHEV A
FIESTA ACTIVE VIGNALE TURBO
FIESTA ACTIVE X ED TRBO MHEV A
FIESTA ACTIVE X ED TURBO AUTO
FIESTA ACTIVE X EDITION T MHEV
FIESTA ACTIVE X EDITION TDCI
FIESTA ACTIVE X EDITION TURBO
FIESTA ACTIVE X TURBO MHEV A
FIESTA BE256
FIESTA BLACK EDITION
FIESTA EDGE
FIESTA GHIA
FIESTA SPORT TURBO
FIESTA SPORT TURBO MHEV
FIESTA SPORT VAN
FIESTA ST
FIESTA ST 150
FIESTA ST EDITION TURBO
FIESTA ST PERFORMANCE ED TURBO
FIESTA ST-LINE
FIESTA ST-LINE ED TRBO MHEV A
FIESTA ST-LINE EDITION T MHEV
FIESTA ST-LINE EDITION TDCI
FIESTA ST-LINE EDITION TURBO
FIESTA ST-LINE EDITION TURBO A
FIESTA ST-LINE TURBO
FIESTA ST-LINE TURBO MHEV
FIESTA ST-LINE TURBO MHEV AUTO
FIESTA ST-LINE VIGNALE T MHEV

Check a specific Ford Fiesta

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Ford models

Ford Focus — 71.6% adjusted
Ford Kuga — 75.3% adjusted
Ford Transit — 68.0% adjusted
Ford Transit Custom — 77.3% unadjusted
Ford Mondeo — 76.0% adjusted
Ford KA — 62.7% adjusted
All Ford models

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Vauxhall Corsa — 64.4% adjusted, ranked 225
Volkswagen Golf — 78.3% adjusted, ranked 72
Volkswagen Polo — 67.5% adjusted, ranked 201
Nissan Qashqai — 67.4% adjusted, ranked 204

Common questions

Is the Ford Fiesta reliable?: On MOT evidence the Ford Fiesta is below average. It passes 67.1% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 206 of 262 models with enough data for a fair comparison. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Ford Fiesta?: The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 18.7% of failed Ford Fiesta tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Ford Fiesta?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 24.2% of all Ford Fiesta tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Ford Fiesta usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 71,194 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Which Ford Fiesta years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Ford Fiesta cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 88.0%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 54.1%. But that ordering is mostly age, not build year: almost every model passes less often as it wears, so the newest cars top this list whatever they are. A specific year looking strong here means little on its own; the failure items above, and the individual car's own MOT history, tell you far more.
Does a Ford Fiesta get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 88.0% of Ford Fiesta tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 54.1%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Ford Fiesta models petrol or diesel?: Of the Ford Fiesta cars tested, 88% are petrol, 12% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.