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Ford Focus steering problems

DVSA MOT tests 2022–2025 · 297,664 MOT tests · Updated

At 10 years, 0.8 in 100 MOT tests of the Ford Focus failed on steering, against 2.1 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 297,664 MOT tests) [1].

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  • Against all class 4 vehicles the same age: fails less often than all class 4 vehicles the same age (0.3–0.4×) (all test years), 2,312 MOT tests with a fail
  • By age: seen at 23 ages from 3 to 25 years, 3,840,973 MOT tests
  • MOT tests at 10 years: 297,664 for the Ford Focus

Figures are for the model as a whole, not for one car.

What the MOT tests show

What we know

0.8 fails per 100 MOT tests at 10 years, against 2.1 for all class 4 vehicles tested at 10 (all test years). The Ford Focus fails less often here.

Why it matters

A steering fail stops the car passing until it is fixed.

What to check

With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock: listen for knocks or groans and feel for play at the straight-ahead position. On the drive the car should not wander.

Ford Focus steering fails by age

Ford Focus steering fails per 100 MOT tests by ageSolid line: the Ford Focus. Dashed line: all cars the same age. The table below lists every value.02463 years: 0.1 per 100 (all cars 0.1), 134,403 MOT tests34 years: 0.2 per 100 (all cars 0.2), 164,641 MOT tests5 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 0.3), 207,403 MOT tests56 years: 0.5 per 100 (all cars 0.5), 233,113 MOT tests7 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 0.8), 253,151 MOT tests78 years: 0.4 per 100 (all cars 1.2), 281,338 MOT tests9 years: 0.6 per 100 (all cars 1.8), 292,862 MOT tests910 years: 0.8 per 100 (all cars 2.1), 297,664 MOT tests11 years: 1.0 per 100 (all cars 2.5), 286,522 MOT tests1112 years: 1.2 per 100 (all cars 2.8), 268,184 MOT tests13 years: 1.3 per 100 (all cars 2.9), 255,603 MOT tests1314 years: 1.5 per 100 (all cars 3.2), 239,313 MOT tests15 years: 1.6 per 100 (all cars 3.3), 218,895 MOT tests1516 years: 1.6 per 100 (all cars 3.4), 189,426 MOT tests17 years: 2.4 per 100 (all cars 3.6), 151,025 MOT tests1718 years: 4.0 per 100 (all cars 3.9), 114,624 MOT tests19 years: 5.2 per 100 (all cars 4.1), 84,214 MOT tests1920 years: 6.1 per 100 (all cars 4.2), 63,148 MOT tests21 years: 5.9 per 100 (all cars 4.2), 45,277 MOT tests2122 years: 4.8 per 100 (all cars 4.0), 30,221 MOT tests23 years: 4.3 per 100 (all cars 3.9), 18,361 MOT tests2324 years: 3.7 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 8,367 MOT tests25 years: 3.9 per 100 (all cars 3.7), 3,218 MOT tests25
Fails per 100 MOT tests by age, all first-use years pooled. Ford Focus All class 4 vehicles the same age Shaded: over 18 years, survivors only.
AgeMOT testsFails per 100All class 4 vehicles the same age
3134,4030.10.1
4164,6410.20.2
5207,4030.40.3
6233,1130.50.5
7253,1510.40.8
8281,3380.41.2
9292,8620.61.8
10297,6640.82.1
11286,5221.02.5
12268,1841.22.8
13255,6031.32.9
14239,3131.53.2
15218,8951.63.3
16189,4261.63.4
17151,0252.43.6
18114,6244.03.9
19*84,2145.24.1
20*63,1486.14.2
21*45,2775.94.2
22*30,2214.84.0
23*18,3614.33.9
24*8,3673.73.7
25*3,2183.93.7

All first-use years of the Ford Focus pooled at each age, against all class 4 vehicles at that age over all 2022–2025 test years. * Only survivors are still tested at this age.

What fails in the steering at 10 years

Advisories (not fails)

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  • Model risks for this year and fuel
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By engine and fuel

  • 1.6 petrol: 1.5 per 100 at 10 years, about average for petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 58,240 MOT tests)
  • 1.0 petrol: 0.4 per 100 at 10 years, fails less often than petrol class 4 vehicles the same age (0.2× (0.18–0.22×)) (all test years; 92,728 MOT tests)
  • 1.6 diesel: 0.8 per 100 at 10 years, fails less often than diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (0.3–0.4×) (all test years; 97,464 MOT tests)
  • 1.5 diesel: 0.4 per 100 at 10 years, fails less often than diesel class 4 vehicles the same age (0.2× (0.15–0.23×)) (all test years; 22,821 MOT tests)

How to check on a test drive

With the engine running, turn the wheel lock to lock: listen for knocks or groans and feel for play at the straight-ahead position. On the drive the car should not wander.

The most common advisory here in MOT records: Play in steering rack inner joint(s).

Check one Ford Focus, not the average

The figures here describe Ford Focus cars as a group. These free tools answer for one car. Each line says what the tool reads.

Other Ford Focus problems

Steering on rival models

Questions people ask

Does the Ford Focus have more steering problems than other cars?

0.3 to 0.4 times the steering fail rate of all class 4 vehicles the same age at 10 years (all test years), from 297,664 MOT tests. The interval is clear of 0.8 in the same direction at 11 of the 23 ages seen (ages up to 18 with at least 100 MOT tests with a fail).

How common are Ford Focus steering problems?

0.8 in 100 MOT tests at 10 years failed on steering, against 2.1 for all class 4 vehicles the same age (all test years; 297,664 MOT tests).

Sources

  1. Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2022 to 2025. DVSA MOT data, Open Government Licence v3.0, 3,840,973 MOT tests. Accessed 7 Oct 2026.

Parts: against all class 4 vehicles at the same age, all 2022–2025 test years pooled, not adjusted for mileage. Breakdowns and non-MOT faults are not in this data. How we compare