2019 Ford Fiesta — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2019 Ford Fiesta passed 91.1% of its 346,552 recorded MOT tests. That is 1.1 percentage points better than superminis of a similar age, which fail at 10.0%. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (4.7%) and lighting & signalling (4.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, tread depth and brake pads — headlamp aim alone was recorded 10,936 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 6.5% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 21.0% once past 150k — 3.2× the risk.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 1.6pp more often than petrol ones (10.5% vs 8.8%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 24.7% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 6.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 10.5% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 4.7% | 16,259 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 4.1% | 14,343 |
| 3 | Visibility | 1.9% | 6,642 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.8% | 6,173 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.7% | 2,258 |
| 6 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.6% | 2,093 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 10,936 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 8,771 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 5,591 |
| 4 | Washers | 5,396 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 2,665 |
| 6 | Shock absorbers | 1,986 |
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 | 24.7% | 85,686 |
| 2 | Brakes | 12.9% | 44,698 |
| 3 | Other defects | 5.7% | 19,795 |
| 4 | Suspension | 2.0% | 6,899 |
| 5 | Road wheels | 1.7% | 5,809 |
| 6 | Visibility | 1.4% | 4,804 |
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 | 196,904 | 6.5% |
| 30-60k | 126,840 | 11.5% |
| 60-90k | 19,259 | 14.9% |
| 90-120k | 2,763 | 15.6% |
| 120-150k | 553 | 15.4% |
| 150k+ | 176 | 21.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 333,844 | 8.8% |
| Diesel | 12,704 | 10.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3,303 | 6.6% |
| 2022 | 87,298 | 7.4% |
| 2023 | 85,328 | 8.2% |
| 2024 | 84,518 | 9.7% |
| 2025 | 86,105 | 10.5% |
What to check before buying a 2019 Fiesta
On a 2019 Fiesta, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 4.7% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (4.7% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (4.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (1.9% 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.
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 2019 Ford Fiestas pass their MOT?
91.1% of the 346,552 2019 Ford Fiesta MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 8.9% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2019 Ford Fiesta?
Tyres, recorded in 4.7% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (4.1%).
Does the 2019 Fiesta get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.5% in the 0-30k band to 21.0% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 346,552 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.