Is the Ford Focus reliable?

On MOT evidence the Ford Focus is about average. It passes 71.6% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 155 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 Focus?

The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 13.9% of failed Ford Focus 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 Focus?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 29.0% of all Ford Focus tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

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

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 83,064 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 Focus years are the most reliable?

Going by MOT pass rate, Ford Focus cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 87.5%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 55.9%. 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 Focus get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 87.5% of Ford Focus tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 55.9%. 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 Focus models petrol or diesel?

Of the Ford Focus cars tested, 69% are petrol, 31% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Ford Focus MOT pass rate & common failures

From 886,898 recorded MOT tests of the Ford Focus, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Ford Focus passes 71.6% 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 about average, ranking it 155 of 262 models with enough data to compare fairly. Based on 886,898 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements, which appears in 13.9% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 83,064 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

71.6%national average72.3%unadjusted68.0%range covered100%rank155 of 262

The Focus is 0.7 percentage points below the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is about average. The unadjusted figure is 68.0%; 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 Focus tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements13.9%
31,045 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened13.3%
29,691 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
3.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning11.9%
26,541 occurrencesLamp not working explained
4.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements10.2%
22,613 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.1%
22,534 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.A tyre cords visible or damaged8.9%
19,890 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
7.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm8.0%
17,715 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
8.A tyre seriously damaged6.5%
14,494 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
9.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning6.0%
13,400 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained
10.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc5.6%
12,564 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Ford Focus 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 requirements29.0%
257,519 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn14.0%
124,146 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.A tyre seriously damaged13.7%
121,668 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured11.0%
97,400 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm9.7%
85,904 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
6.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened8.5%
75,365 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
7.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded7.3%
64,365 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
8.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded5.6%
49,640 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained

The rest of the record

Everything else recorded on the Ford Focus

The 22 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 Focus 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 Focus, when they start, and how each registration year compares — including the steps that mark a generation change.

Focus common problems and results by year

How wear changes the picture

Focus pass rate by age and registration year

How often the Ford Focus 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. 2014–201671%

12–14 yrsreg. 2011–201361%

15+ yrsreg. 2010 and earlier56%

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 Focus 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 Focus fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 83,064
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol69.0%
Diesel31.0%

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.

FOCUS ACTIVE
FOCUS ACTIVE EDITION
FOCUS ACTIVE EDITION MHEV
FOCUS ACTIVE MHEV
FOCUS ACTIVE MHEV AUTO
FOCUS ACTIVE STYLE
FOCUS ACTIVE STYLE MHEV
FOCUS ACTIVE STYLE MHEV AUTO
FOCUS ACTIVE VIGNALE
FOCUS ACTIVE VIGNALE MHEV
FOCUS ACTIVE VIGNALE MHEV AUTO
FOCUS ACTIVE X EDITION
FOCUS ACTIVE X EDITION AUTO
FOCUS ACTIVE X EDITION MHEV
FOCUS ACTIVE X MHEV AUTO
FOCUS ACTIVE X VIGNALE
FOCUS ACTIVE X VIGNALE AUTO
FOCUS ACTIVE X VIGNALE EBLUE A
FOCUS ACTIVE X VIGNALE ECOBLUE
FOCUS ACTIVE X VIGNALE ED MHEV
FOCUS ECOBLUE ST-LINE
FOCUS GHIA
FOCUS GHIA TDCI
FOCUS S TDCI
FOCUS SE
FOCUS ST
FOCUS ST 170
FOCUS ST 2
FOCUS ST AUTO
FOCUS ST ECOBLUE
FOCUS ST EDITION
FOCUS ST-LINE
FOCUS ST-LINE EDITION
FOCUS ST-LINE EDITION MHEV
FOCUS ST-LINE MHEV
FOCUS ST-LINE MHEV AUTO
FOCUS ST-LINE STYLE
FOCUS ST-LINE STYLE ECOBLUE
FOCUS ST-LINE STYLE ECOBLUE A
FOCUS ST-LINE STYLE MHEV

Check a specific Ford Focus

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

Compare within the range

Other Ford models

Ford Fiesta — 67.1% 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 Focus reliable?: On MOT evidence the Ford Focus is about average. It passes 71.6% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%, which ranks it 155 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 Focus?: The item recorded most often is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", which appears in 13.9% of failed Ford Focus 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 Focus?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 29.0% of all Ford Focus tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Ford Focus usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 83,064 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 Focus years are the most reliable?: Going by MOT pass rate, Ford Focus cars first registered 2020–2022 do best at 87.5%, and those registered 2010 and earlier do worst at 55.9%. 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 Focus get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 3 to 5 years old, 87.5% of Ford Focus tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 55.9%. 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 Focus models petrol or diesel?: Of the Ford Focus cars tested, 69% are petrol, 31% 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.