MOT fail rates by first-use year

2005 Ford Fiesta MOT fail rate and common faults

How Ford Fiesta cars first used in 2005 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 110,458 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 20 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 20 (n=20,119)46.4%

All cars at 20 years (n=1,845,952)42.8%

Difference+3.6 pts

MOT tests of 2005 cars, 2022 to 2025110,458

What stands out

In 2025, at 20 years old, Ford Fiesta cars first used in 2005 failed 46.4% of MOTs (20,119 tests), 3.6 points above the 42.8% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 17 to 20 years old, the fail rate moved from 46.1% to 46.4%.
Ford Fiesta cars first used a year earlier, in 2004, failed 46.7% at the same age of 20 years (20,586 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Ford Fiesta at 20 years, is rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded, at 5.6 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 2.5).

MOT fail rate by test year

Ford Fiesta cars first used in 2005: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	17 years	46.1%	35,235	43.1%	+3.0 pts
2023	18 years	46.1%	30,105	43.3%	+2.8 pts
2024	19 years	46.8%	24,999	43.2%	+3.6 pts
2025	20 years	46.4%	20,119	42.8%	+3.6 pts

Most common faults at 20 years

These figures cover all Ford Fiesta MOTs at 20 years: cars first used 2002 to 2005, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=71,656). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Brake light not working Wear	7.8	3.9
Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded	5.6	2.5
Side/position light not working Wear	5.6	5.2
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	4.8	3.4
Engine warning lamp at the petrol emissions check: not working or showing a fault	3.6	2.5
Suspension arm ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	3.4	1.1
Headlamp aim: too low Wear	3.4	1.8
Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength	3.2	2.9
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	2.7	2.6
Shock absorber leaking	2.6	1.2

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=71,656). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material	26.4	15.2
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	16.6	15.7
Coil spring: corroded	13.7	8.0
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	13.4	10.2
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	12.4	14.1
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear	9.6	6.2
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	8.2	10.7
Road wheel condition: slightly distorted	5.8	1.1
Suspension arm ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated	5.6	2.1
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear	5.3	5.4

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=71,656). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 20 years

These figures cover all Ford Fiesta MOTs at 20 years: cars first used 2002 to 2005, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=71,656). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Petrol	91.5%	45.6%	65,540	42.5%	88,395 miles
Diesel	8.5%	46.7%	6,116	43.6%	121,670 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 20 years

These figures cover all Ford Fiesta MOTs at 20 years: cars first used 2002 to 2005, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=71,656). At 20 years, Ford Fiesta cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (53.4%, n=4,612) than those at under 30,000 miles (24.8%, n=1,615). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Under 30,000 miles	24.8%	1,615	22.2%
30,000 to 60,000 miles	34.5%	11,693	33.4%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	44.1%	21,343	41.3%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	50.9%	20,669	45.5%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	52.9%	10,792	47.2%
Over 150,000 miles	53.4%	4,612	46.9%

Car tax rules for a 2005 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Many petrol cars first registered from 2001 to 2005 already meet Euro 4, but not all of them. For a 2005 petrol car the Euro standard of that car decides.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2005 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Ford Fiesta

2004 Ford Fiesta 2006 Ford Fiesta

Other Ford models first used in 2005

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Ford Focus (2005)	20 years in 2025	44.7%	16,450	42.8%
Ford Mondeo (2005)	20 years in 2025	44.3%	4,513	42.8%
Ford Fusion (2005)	20 years in 2025	43.8%	3,886	42.8%
Ford C-Max (2005)	20 years in 2025	48.3%	2,253	42.8%
Ford Ka (2005)	20 years in 2025	45.9%	1,748	42.8%
Ford Ranger (2005)	20 years in 2025	42.3%	1,678	42.8%
Ford Galaxy (2005)	19 years in 2024	50.1%	1,418	43.2%

More on the Ford Fiesta

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2005 Ford Fiesta cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.