MOT fail rates by first-use year

2013 Ford Fiesta MOT fail rate and common faults

How Ford Fiesta cars first used in 2013 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 455,251 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 12 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 12 (n=110,135)39.3%

All cars at 12 years (n=7,303,151)36.0%

Difference+3.3 pts

MOT tests of 2013 cars, 2022 to 2025455,251

What stands out

In 2025, at 12 years old, Ford Fiesta cars first used in 2013 failed 39.3% of MOTs (110,135 tests), 3.3 points above the 36.0% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 9 to 12 years old, the fail rate moved from 33.5% to 39.3%.
Ford Fiesta cars first used a year earlier, in 2012, failed 41.0% at the same age of 12 years (99,237 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Ford Fiesta at 12 years, is suspension ball joint worn, at 8.8 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 2.4).

MOT fail rate by test year

Ford Fiesta cars first used in 2013: 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	9 years	33.5%	116,763	27.1%	+6.4 pts
2023	10 years	35.5%	115,183	30.3%	+5.2 pts
2024	11 years	37.9%	113,170	33.3%	+4.7 pts
2025	12 years	39.3%	110,135	36.0%	+3.3 pts

Most common faults at 12 years

These figures cover all Ford Fiesta MOTs at 12 years: cars first used 2010 to 2013, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=389,900). 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
Suspension ball joint worn	8.8	2.4
Brake light not working Wear	6.7	2.8
Side/position light not working Wear	4.1	4.1
Steering track rod end: ball joint play	4.0	1.9
Coil spring broken	3.7	3.9
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	3.2	2.9
Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases	2.7	1.0
Dipped headlight not working Wear	2.6	2.1
Tyre with cords exposed Wear	2.5	1.7
Individual direction indicators: incorrect colour Wear	1.9	0.8

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=389,900). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	18.8	18.0
Coil spring: corroded	11.5	4.7
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	10.8	8.9
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	9.4	10.4
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	5.6	7.6
Suspension ball joint: slight play	5.6	1.9
Swivel pins and bushes: swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn	5.3	0.6
Road wheel condition: slightly distorted	4.9	1.1
Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases	4.3	2.6
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear	3.9	2.8

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=389,900). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 12 years

These figures cover all Ford Fiesta MOTs at 12 years: cars first used 2010 to 2013, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=389,900). 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	77.8%	39.3%	303,349	35.3%	72,772 miles
Diesel	22.2%	44.6%	86,539	36.9%	103,818 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 12 years

These figures cover all Ford Fiesta MOTs at 12 years: cars first used 2010 to 2013, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=389,900). At 12 years, Ford Fiesta cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (50.4%, n=12,571) than those at under 30,000 miles (15.9%, n=15,915). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Under 30,000 miles	15.9%	15,915	17.5%
30,000 to 60,000 miles	30.3%	88,633	27.7%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	42.0%	141,845	36.2%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	47.7%	95,056	40.2%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	50.3%	33,652	41.2%
Over 150,000 miles	50.4%	12,571	41.3%

Car tax rules for a 2013 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

Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2013 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

2012 Ford Fiesta 2014 Ford Fiesta

Other Ford models first used in 2013

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Ford Focus (2013)	12 years in 2025	37.5%	70,585	36.0%
Ford Ka (2013)	12 years in 2025	33.8%	18,189	36.0%
Ford B-Max (2013)	12 years in 2025	36.0%	14,565	36.0%
Ford C-Max (2013)	12 years in 2025	31.7%	13,400	36.0%
Ford Mondeo (2013)	12 years in 2025	34.4%	11,946	36.0%
Ford Kuga (2013)	12 years in 2025	29.4%	12,412	36.0%
Ford S-Max (2013)	12 years in 2025	38.6%	6,038	36.0%
Ford Grand C-Max (2013)	12 years in 2025	38.0%	4,311	36.0%

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 2013 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.