MOT fail rates by first-use year

2019 Ford Fiesta MOT fail rate and common faults

How Ford Fiesta cars first used in 2019 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 317,383 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 6 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 6 (n=78,319)15.2%

All cars at 6 years (n=10,382,720)17.8%

Difference−2.6 pts

MOT tests of 2019 cars, 2022 to 2025317,383

What stands out

In 2025, at 6 years old, Ford Fiesta cars first used in 2019 failed 15.2% of MOTs (78,319 tests), 2.6 points below the 17.8% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 3 to 6 years old, the fail rate moved from 12.0% to 15.2%.
Ford Fiesta cars first used a year earlier, in 2018, failed 15.8% at the same age of 6 years (93,721 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Ford Fiesta at 6 years, is coil spring broken, at 3.7 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 1.0).

MOT fail rate by test year

Ford Fiesta cars first used in 2019: 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	3 years	12.0%	81,431	12.1%	−0.1 pts
2023	4 years	12.4%	78,997	13.4%	−1.0 pts
2024	5 years	14.1%	78,636	15.3%	−1.2 pts
2025	6 years	15.2%	78,319	17.8%	−2.6 pts

Most common faults at 6 years

These figures cover all Ford Fiesta MOTs at 6 years: cars first used 2016 to 2019, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=381,553). 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
Coil spring broken	3.7	1.0
Brake light not working Wear	3.3	0.7
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	2.3	2.0
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	1.7	1.9
Headlamp aim: too low Wear	1.6	0.8
Tyre condition: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear	1.2	1.4
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear	1.2	0.9
Steering track rod end: ball joint play	0.9	0.2
Dipped headlight not working Wear	0.9	0.7
Tyre with cords exposed Wear	0.8	1.0

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=381,553). 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	15.7	14.3
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	10.3	9.2
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	8.6	9.3
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	5.8	7.3
Swivel pins and bushes: swivel pin and/or bush slightly worn	2.3	0.1
Brake discs: worn, but not excessively	2.1	2.5
Non-component advisories: Nail in tyre	2.0	2.0
Tyre tread close to the legal limit, under the 1.0 mm rule Wear	1.9	2.0
Shock absorber misting oil	1.8	1.9
Tyre condition: has a cut but not deep enough to reach the ply or cords Wear	1.7	1.6

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=381,553). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 6 years

These figures cover all Ford Fiesta MOTs at 6 years: cars first used 2016 to 2019, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=381,553). 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	93.6%	20.3%	357,231	16.9%	37,229 miles
Diesel	6.4%	30.3%	24,320	19.4%	62,366 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 6 years

These figures cover all Ford Fiesta MOTs at 6 years: cars first used 2016 to 2019, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=381,553). At 6 years, Ford Fiesta cars at 120,000 to 150,000 miles failed more often (37.0%, n=1,439) than those at under 30,000 miles (12.7%, n=119,210). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Under 30,000 miles	12.7%	119,210	11.9%
30,000 to 60,000 miles	22.8%	203,835	17.6%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	31.2%	47,810	22.2%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	35.2%	7,030	25.6%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	37.0%	1,439	26.1%

Car tax rules for a 2019 car

Cars first registered from 1 April 2017 pay a first-year rate set by CO2 emissions, then the standard rate each year. A petrol, diesel or hybrid car with a list price over £40,000 also pays the expensive car supplement for five years, from the second tax payment.

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 from September 2015 usually meet Euro 6, the diesel standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
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

2018 Ford Fiesta 2020 Ford Fiesta

Other Ford models first used in 2019

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Ford Focus (2019)	6 years in 2025	18.4%	55,482	17.8%
Ford Kuga (2019)	6 years in 2025	15.6%	40,775	17.8%
Ford EcoSport (2019)	6 years in 2025	18.1%	24,775	17.8%
Ford Ranger (2019)	6 years in 2025	24.3%	14,178	17.8%
Ford Ka (2019)	6 years in 2025	13.7%	10,016	17.8%
Ford Transit Courier (2019)	6 years in 2025	28.5%	4,504	17.8%
Ford Mondeo (2019)	6 years in 2025	15.5%	4,394	17.8%
Ford C-Max (2019)	6 years in 2025	16.6%	2,627	17.8%

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 2019 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.