1987 Ford Escort — MOT failures & pass rate
1,866 MOT tests on the 1987 Ford Escort are in this dataset, and 82.7% of them passed. Small family cars of a similar age fail 18.6% of the time, so this is 1.3pp better than the group it competes with. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.6% of tests against 7.5% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are component mounting prescribed areas, headlamp aim and position lamp — component mounting prescribed areas alone was recorded 85 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 1987 Escort fails 16.0% of the time in the 0-30k band and 17.2% at 90-120k, a spread of only 1.2 points.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 18.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 21.0% in 2021 to 17.1% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 10.6% | 197 |
| 2 | Brakes | 7.5% | 140 |
| 3 | Suspension | 5.9% | 111 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.4% | 101 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 3.7% | 69 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.0% | 57 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 85 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 82 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 82 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 81 |
| 5 | Service brake performance | 80 |
| 6 | Service brake imbalance | 63 |
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 | 18.2% | 339 |
| 2 | Brakes | 13.7% | 255 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 12.1% | 226 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 9.9% | 185 |
| 5 | Tyres | 7.7% | 144 |
| 6 | Other defects | 6.3% | 117 |
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 | 587 | 16.0% |
| 30-60k | 480 | 17.7% |
| 60-90k | 565 | 18.4% |
| 90-120k | 227 | 17.2% |
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,826 | 17.3% |
| Diesel | 40 | 15.0% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 385 | 21.0% |
| 2022 | 399 | 16.3% |
| 2023 | 371 | 15.1% |
| 2024 | 348 | 16.7% |
| 2025 | 363 | 17.1% |
What to check before buying a 1987 Escort
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 10.6% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (10.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (7.5% 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.
- Suspension (5.9% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
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 1987 Ford Escorts pass their MOT?
82.7% of the 1,866 1987 Ford Escort MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 17.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 1987 Ford Escort?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 10.6% of tests, followed by brakes (7.5%).
Does the 1987 Escort get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 16.0% in the 0-30k band to 17.2% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,866 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.