MOT fail rates by first-use year

2006 Ford Focus MOT fail rate and common faults

How Ford Focus cars first used in 2006 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 132,689 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 19 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 19 (n=23,187)41.5%

All cars at 19 years (n=2,479,858)43.2%

Difference−1.7 pts

MOT tests of 2006 cars, 2022 to 2025132,689

What stands out

In 2025, at 19 years old, Ford Focus cars first used in 2006 failed 41.5% of MOTs (23,187 tests), 1.7 points below the 43.2% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 16 to 19 years old, the fail rate moved from 42.6% to 41.5%.
Ford Focus cars first used a year earlier, in 2005, failed 45.6% at the same age of 19 years (21,664 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Ford Focus at 19 years, is component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength, at 4.1 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 2.6).

MOT fail rate by test year

Ford Focus cars first used in 2006: 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	16 years	42.6%	43,837	42.6%	0.0 pts
2023	17 years	42.3%	36,384	43.1%	−0.8 pts
2024	18 years	42.6%	29,281	43.3%	−0.6 pts
2025	19 years	41.5%	23,187	43.2%	−1.7 pts

Most common faults at 19 years

These figures cover all Ford Focus MOTs at 19 years: cars first used 2003 to 2006, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=84,214). 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	6.2	4.0
Side/position light not working Wear	5.0	5.4
Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength	4.1	2.6
Dipped headlight not working Wear	3.7	2.0
Coil spring broken	3.6	2.8
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	3.5	2.8
Steering track rod end: ball joint play	3.3	2.0
Suspension ball joint worn	3.2	2.4
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	3.0	3.3
Handbrake too weak	3.0	2.9

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=84,214). 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	19.7	16.6
Coil spring: corroded	15.5	7.9
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	12.7	13.2
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	11.5	9.9
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material	10.9	14.1
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	10.9	10.8
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	10.7	8.1
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened	10.0	5.0
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear	9.2	5.8
Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened	8.7	2.9

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=84,214). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 19 years

These figures cover all Ford Focus MOTs at 19 years: cars first used 2003 to 2006, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=84,214). 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	90.5%	45.4%	76,200	43.0%	99,868 miles
Diesel	9.5%	47.9%	7,991	43.8%	123,813 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 19 years

These figures cover all Ford Focus MOTs at 19 years: cars first used 2003 to 2006, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=84,214). At 19 years, Ford Focus cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (53.0%, n=8,642) than those at under 30,000 miles (26.9%, n=1,468). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Under 30,000 miles	26.9%	1,468	22.0%
30,000 to 60,000 miles	34.0%	8,387	33.3%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	41.7%	20,390	41.7%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	47.9%	26,182	46.2%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	51.8%	17,385	47.5%
Over 150,000 miles	53.0%	8,642	46.9%

Car tax rules for a 2006 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 2006 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 Focus

2005 Ford Focus 2007 Ford Focus

Other Ford models first used in 2006

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Ford Fiesta (2006)	19 years in 2025	47.0%	34,708	43.2%
Ford Mondeo (2006)	19 years in 2025	43.5%	5,483	43.2%
Ford Fusion (2006)	19 years in 2025	47.2%	5,778	43.2%
Ford C-Max (2006)	19 years in 2025	47.2%	3,610	43.2%
Ford Ka (2006)	19 years in 2025	49.0%	2,097	43.2%
Ford Ranger (2006)	19 years in 2025	45.1%	2,004	43.2%
Ford Galaxy (2006)	19 years in 2025	48.4%	1,255	43.2%
Ford S-Max (2006)	18 years in 2024	48.3%	1,448	43.3%

More on the Ford Focus

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 2006 Ford Focus 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.