2001 Ford Focus — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 49,771 MOT tests, the 2001 Ford Focus recorded a 69.9% pass rate. That is 2.2 percentage points worse than small family cars of a similar age, which fail at 27.9%. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (16.9%) and lighting & signalling (16.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are component mounting prescribed areas, stop lamp and wipers — component mounting prescribed areas alone was recorded 4,673 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 36.1% versus 18.8%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 30.0% fail against 32.3% for diesel, a 2.3-point gap across 49,769 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 41.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 30.9% in 2021 to 28.5% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 16.9% | 8,421 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 16.7% | 8,319 |
| 3 | Brakes | 11.3% | 5,642 |
| 4 | Visibility | 6.6% | 3,304 |
| 5 | Tyres | 6.5% | 3,214 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.4% | 3,176 |
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 | 4,673 |
| 2 | Stop lamp | 3,227 |
| 3 | Wipers | 2,369 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 2,268 |
| 5 | Rigid brake pipes | 2,117 |
| 6 | Tread depth | 2,042 |
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 | 41.8% | 20,817 |
| 2 | Brakes | 34.2% | 17,040 |
| 3 | Tyres | 30.0% | 14,919 |
| 4 | Other defects | 21.4% | 10,651 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 20.3% | 10,096 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 15.6% | 7,786 |
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 | 686 | 18.8% |
| 30-60k | 4,988 | 21.6% |
| 60-90k | 12,768 | 26.7% |
| 90-120k | 15,525 | 31.2% |
| 120-150k | 10,055 | 34.3% |
| 150k+ | 5,667 | 36.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 47,044 | 30.0% |
| Diesel | 2,725 | 32.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 16,389 | 30.9% |
| 2022 | 12,042 | 30.6% |
| 2023 | 9,193 | 29.8% |
| 2024 | 6,941 | 29.3% |
| 2025 | 5,206 | 28.5% |
What to check before buying a 2001 Focus
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 16.9% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (16.9% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (16.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (11.3% 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 2001 Ford Focuss pass their MOT?
69.9% of the 49,771 2001 Ford Focus MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 30.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2001 Ford Focus?
Suspension, recorded in 16.9% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (16.7%).
Does the 2001 Focus get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 18.8% in the 0-30k band to 36.1% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 49,771 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.