Ford Fiesta: suspension MOT failures
Of the 8,785,208 Ford Fiesta MOT tests in this dataset, 9.8% recorded at least one suspension failure. It shows up most on 1999 and 2001 cars.
Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair cost: £150–£450 per corner (rough UK ballpark, not a quote).
Suspension failures by year
| Model year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 353 | 3.1% |
| 1982 | 581 | 4.3% |
| 1983 | 878 | 5.0% |
| 1984 | 329 | 4.6% |
| 1985 | 536 | 7.6% |
| 1986 | 663 | 4.8% |
| 1987 | 1,120 | 5.6% |
| 1988 | 2,003 | 7.5% |
| 1989 | 1,473 | 8.6% |
| 1990 | 1,056 | 7.9% |
| 1991 | 1,774 | 7.0% |
| 1992 | 1,094 | 9.7% |
| 1993 | 1,019 | 10.1% |
| 1994 | 1,377 | 11.7% |
| 1995 | 1,915 | 10.9% |
| 1996 | 2,714 | 14.8% |
| 1997 | 5,017 | 18.3% |
| 1998 | 11,185 | 18.7% |
| 1999 | 14,242 | 19.4% |
| 2000 | 13,556 | 18.7% |
| 2001 | 23,532 | 19.3% |
| 2002 | 62,771 | 13.4% |
| 2003 | 127,105 | 11.0% |
| 2004 | 166,798 | 12.8% |
| 2005 | 197,789 | 14.3% |
| 2006 | 322,338 | 13.7% |
| 2007 | 380,729 | 11.2% |
| 2008 | 404,488 | 12.2% |
| 2009 | 633,348 | 14.8% |
| 2010 | 588,052 | 14.0% |
| 2011 | 564,525 | 13.2% |
| 2012 | 650,063 | 12.8% |
| 2013 | 721,553 | 11.3% |
| 2014 | 762,253 | 8.0% |
| 2015 | 775,759 | 8.7% |
| 2016 | 704,083 | 9.4% |
| 2017 | 520,643 | 4.4% |
| 2019 | 346,552 | 0.7% |
| 2020 | 166,281 | 1.9% |
| 2021 | 61,239 | 0.3% |
Methodology & source. 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.