2020 Ford EcoSport — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 30,663 MOT tests, the 2020 Ford EcoSport recorded a 90.6% pass rate. Small SUVs of a similar age fail 7.9% of the time, so this is 1.6pp worse than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (5.9%) and tyres (4.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp, headlamp aim and stop lamp — headlamp alone was recorded 796 times.
A 90-120k example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 29.0% versus 7.4%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 9.3% fail against 13.7% for diesel, a 4.3-point gap across 30,663 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 23.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 7.1% of tests failed in 2022 against 11.2% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 5.9% | 1,809 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.5% | 1,388 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.9% | 889 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.7% | 516 |
| 5 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.4% | 118 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.3% | 102 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp | 796 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 673 |
| 3 | Stop lamp | 483 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 375 |
| 5 | Washers | 368 |
| 6 | Rbt (sp) | 342 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 23.4% | 7,184 |
| 2 | Brakes | 7.3% | 2,240 |
| 3 | Other defects | 5.9% | 1,801 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.4% | 413 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 0.8% | 243 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.6% | 197 |
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 | 21,855 | 7.4% |
| 30-60k | 8,274 | 14.1% |
| 60-90k | 495 | 19.8% |
| 90-120k | 31 | 29.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 30,121 | 9.3% |
| Diesel | 542 | 13.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 892 | 7.1% |
| 2023 | 10,286 | 8.6% |
| 2024 | 9,598 | 8.8% |
| 2025 | 9,876 | 11.2% |
What to check before buying a 2020 EcoSport
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 5.9% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (5.9% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (4.5% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Brakes (2.9% 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.
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 2020 Ford EcoSports pass their MOT?
90.6% of the 30,663 2020 Ford EcoSport MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 9.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Ford EcoSport?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 5.9% of tests, followed by tyres (4.5%).
Does the 2020 EcoSport get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.4% in the 0-30k band to 29.0% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 30,663 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.