MOT performance
Ford Focus diesel: MOT pass rate and common failures
Of 613,079 MOT tests on diesel Ford Focuss in 2023–2024 (on average 9.6 years old at test, median 90,998 miles), 66.5% passed first time, against 68.7% of 1,343,411 petrol Ford Focus tests. Allowing for age, mileage and fuel, diesel Ford Focuss failed 6% more often than comparable cars — 1.06× against 0.99× for the Ford Focus as a whole.
613,079 MOT tests on 317,829 vehicles, 2023–2024 · Source: DVSA (Open Government Licence) · Analysis: 73 Auto
Check a specific car's MOT history and running costsAt a glance
| Figure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| First-time pass rate | 66.5% | ±0.1 pts (95%), n = 613,079 |
| All Ford Focuss | 68.0% | n = 1,956,630 |
| Failures vs similar cars | 1.06× | same age, mileage and fuel = 1.00; Ford Focus overall 0.99× |
| Tests with a dangerous defect | 10.2% | n = 613,079 |
| Average age at test | 9.6 years | n = 613,079 |
| Registration years covered | 1999–2022 | DVSA first-use date |
Diesel against the other Ford Focus fuels
Official DVSA test results by fuel, with 73 Auto's adjusted ratio (failures against cars of the same age, mileage and fuel). The diesel cars were tested 1.4 years younger on average than the petrol ones, so the raw pass rates partly reflect age; the adjusted column doesn't.
| Fuel | Tests | Average age | First-time pass | vs similar cars | Dangerous |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,343,411 | 11 yrs | 68.7% | -4% | 9.1% |
| Diesel | 613,079 | 9.6 yrs | 66.5% | +6% | 10.2% |
Where diesel Ford Focuss differ
- Noise, emissions and leaks: diesel Ford Focuss failed 38% more often than the Ford Focus overall, relative to comparable cars (1.22× vs 0.88×).
- Steering: diesel Ford Focuss failed 21% less often than the Ford Focus overall, relative to comparable cars (0.47× vs 0.59×).
| Area | Diesel (vs similar) | All Ford Focuss (vs similar) |
|---|---|---|
| Lights, reflectors and electrical | 16.4% (+33%) | 15.3% (+14%) |
| Suspension | 10.3% (-3%) | 10.7% (-1%) |
| Tyres | 8.9% (+22%) | 7.8% (+13%) |
| Brakes | 6.1% (-22%) | 5.5% (-30%) |
| Driver's view of the road | 4.4% (-6%) | 4.5% (-15%) |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.8% (+22%) | 3.6% (-12%) |
| Body, chassis and structure | 3.3% (-16%) | 3.3% (-20%) |
| Steering | 1.1% (-53%) | 1.3% (-41%) |
| Seat belts and airbags | 0.6% (-48%) | 0.7% (-39%) |
| Road wheels | 0.5% (+11%) | 0.5% (+9%) |
| Registration plates and VIN | 0.4% (+3%) | 0.4% (+4%) |
Most common diesel Ford Focus failure items
| Item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 4.32% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 3.99% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights, reflectors and electrical | 3.60% |
| Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 3.54% |
| Condition: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 2.39% |
Pass rate by age, by fuel
| Age at test (years) | diesel pass rate (tests) | petrol pass rate (tests) |
|---|---|---|
| 3-4 | 83.9% (45,460) | 87.0% (135,545) |
| 5-6 | 80.7% (67,034) | 84.5% (153,435) |
| 7-8 | 75.0% (119,353) | 79.8% (159,616) |
| 9-10 | 63.6% (132,078) | 68.9% (161,516) |
| 11-12 | 58.6% (105,064) | 63.3% (158,435) |
| 13-15 | 53.0% (86,174) | 58.4% (251,323) |
| 16+ | 51.2% (44,072) | 54.9% (290,606) |
Ford Focus by registration year
Registration-year pages cover every fuel of that year.
- 1999 Ford Focus · 50.7%
- 2000 Ford Focus · 52.4%
- 2001 Ford Focus · 52.8%
- 2002 Ford Focus · 52.6%
- 2003 Ford Focus · 52.2%
- 2004 Ford Focus · 51.5%
- 2005 Ford Focus · 53.2%
- 2006 Ford Focus · 56.3%
- 2007 Ford Focus · 57.1%
- 2008 Ford Focus · 55.8%
- 2009 Ford Focus · 57.2%
- 2010 Ford Focus · 57.8%
- 2011 Ford Focus · 59.6%
- 2012 Ford Focus · 63.5%
- 2013 Ford Focus · 64.0%
- 2014 Ford Focus · 68.5%
- 2015 Ford Focus · 77.1%
- 2016 Ford Focus · 80.6%
- 2017 Ford Focus · 83.2%
- 2018 Ford Focus · 84.3%
- 2019 Ford Focus · 84.7%
- 2020 Ford Focus · 88.0%
- 2021 Ford Focus · 88.3%
What this does and doesn't tell you
Fuel is DVSA's recorded fuel type; plug-in and self-charging hybrids are grouped as hybrid. A difference between fuels can come from the engines themselves, or from how the cars are used — diesels typically cover more miles, and the adjusted ratio allows for mileage band but not for every difference in use. For one car, its own MOT history is the better guide: see MOT check.
Check a specific diesel Ford Focus
Enter a UK registration to see that car's own MOT history and what it is likely to cost to own. Your first check is free and shows the vehicle summary and its headline ownership cost. The category-by-category breakdown is part of a paid check.
UK number plate or 17-character VIN
About this data. These are MOT test results, not a measure of mechanical reliability: a car's MOT outcome reflects its condition on the day, which depends on how it has been maintained and driven as well as how it was built. Figures cover class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans), normal tests only (retests excluded), outcomes pass, fail and pass after rectification at the station; vehicles at least 2.5 years old at test. Tests from 2023-01-01 to 2024-12-30. “Compared with similar cars” means compared with the national rate for cars of the same age, mileage band and fuel. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Makes and models are matched to 73 Auto's vehicle catalogue; tests that can't be matched are left out rather than guessed. See how the MOT figures are produced.