MOT fail rates by first-use year

2008 Ford Ka MOT fail rate and common faults

How Ford Ka cars first used in 2008 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 24,349 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 17 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 17 (n=3,649)49.1%

All cars at 17 years (n=4,040,458)43.1%

Difference+6.1 pts

MOT tests of 2008 cars, 2022 to 202524,349

What stands out

In 2025, at 17 years old, Ford Ka cars first used in 2008 failed 49.1% of MOTs (3,649 tests), 6.1 points above the 43.1% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 14 to 17 years old, the fail rate moved from 52.3% to 49.1%.
Ford Ka cars first used a year earlier, in 2007, failed 49.3% at the same age of 17 years (3,965 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Ford Ka at 17 years, is component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength, at 14.7 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 1.9).

MOT fail rate by test year

Ford Ka cars first used in 2008: 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	14 years	52.3%	8,842	40.3%	+12.0 pts
2023	15 years	51.1%	6,824	41.6%	+9.5 pts
2024	16 years	50.2%	5,034	42.6%	+7.6 pts
2025	17 years	49.1%	3,649	43.1%	+6.1 pts

Most common faults at 17 years

These figures cover all Ford Ka MOTs at 17 years: cars first used 2005 to 2008, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=15,810). 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
Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength	14.7	1.9
Coil spring broken	6.5	3.5
Seat belt prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced	6.5	0.7
Suspension arm bush worn	6.1	2.2
Brake light not working Wear	5.2	4.0
Wipers not clearing screen Wear	4.8	2.8
Side/position light not working Wear	4.6	5.8
Dipped headlight not working Wear	4.3	2.2
Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid Wear	3.3	2.4
Sub-frame mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength	3.0	0.2

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=15,810). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	18.5	8.7
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	14.5	17.9
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	14.2	11.7
Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Wear	13.4	9.6
Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive	12.5	2.4
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	8.9	11.3
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear	5.7	5.9
Integral vehicle structure condition: is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced	5.4	1.4
Road wheel condition: slightly distorted	5.1	1.4
Sub-frame mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area is corroded but not considered excessive	5.0	0.9

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=15,810). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 17 years

These figures cover all Ford Ka MOTs at 17 years: cars first used 2005 to 2008, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=15,810). 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	100.0%	50.1%	15,791	43.2%	52,038 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 17 years

These figures cover all Ford Ka MOTs at 17 years: cars first used 2005 to 2008, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=15,810). At 17 years, Ford Ka cars at 90,000 to 120,000 miles failed more often (61.4%, n=1,055) than those at under 30,000 miles (35.5%, n=2,384). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Under 30,000 miles	35.5%	2,384	21.1%
30,000 to 60,000 miles	49.7%	7,289	32.5%
60,000 to 90,000 miles	57.6%	4,736	41.7%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	61.4%	1,055	46.2%

Car tax rules for a 2008 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.
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 Ka

2007 Ford Ka 2009 Ford Ka

Other Ford models first used in 2008

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Ford Fiesta (2008)	17 years in 2025	46.5%	48,960	43.1%
Ford Focus (2008)	17 years in 2025	43.9%	39,143	43.1%
Ford Mondeo (2008)	17 years in 2025	44.4%	11,147	43.1%
Ford C-Max (2008)	17 years in 2025	46.7%	8,982	43.1%
Ford Fusion (2008)	17 years in 2025	41.5%	7,196	43.1%
Ford S-Max (2008)	17 years in 2025	46.1%	3,557	43.1%
Ford Galaxy (2008)	17 years in 2025	45.1%	2,833	43.1%
Ford Kuga (2008)	17 years in 2025	39.4%	2,155	43.1%

More on the Ford Ka

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 2008 Ford Ka 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.