1981 Ford Cortina — MOT failures & pass rate
The 1981 Ford Cortina passed 87.9% of its 272 recorded MOT tests. That is 5.3 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 17.4%. Failures cluster in visibility, brakes and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — visibility (5.5%) and brakes (5.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are service brake performance, washers and service brake imbalance — service brake performance alone was recorded 11 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 12.5% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 17.1% once past 60-90k.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 15.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 12.4% in 2021 to 8.6% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visibility | 5.5% | 15 |
| 2 | Brakes | 5.1% | 14 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 4.4% | 12 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 3.7% | 10 |
| 5 | Suspension | 3.3% | 9 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.3% | 9 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Service brake performance | 11 |
| 2 | Washers | 10 |
| 3 | Service brake imbalance | 8 |
| 4 | Pins and bushes | 8 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 8 |
| 6 | Wipers | 7 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 15.8% | 43 |
| 2 | Body, structure & corrosion | 12.1% | 33 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 11.0% | 30 |
| 4 | Brakes | 8.1% | 22 |
| 5 | Steering | 7.3% | 20 |
| 6 | Other defects | 6.6% | 18 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 72 | 12.5% |
| 30-60k | 90 | 6.7% |
| 60-90k | 88 | 17.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 105 | 12.4% |
| 2022 | 59 | 10.2% |
| 2023 | 43 | 18.6% |
| 2024 | 30 | 10.0% |
| 2025 | 35 | 8.6% |
What to check before buying a 1981 Cortina
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: visibility accounted for 5.5% of tests. Start there.
- Visibility (5.5% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
- Brakes (5.1% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
- Lighting & signalling (4.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 1981 Ford Cortinas pass their MOT?
87.9% of the 272 1981 Ford Cortina MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 12.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 1981 Ford Cortina?
Visibility, recorded in 5.5% of tests, followed by brakes (5.1%).
Does the 1981 Cortina get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 12.5% in the 0-30k band to 17.1% in the 60-90k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 272 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.