2019 Ford Focus — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2019 Ford Focus passed 88.8% of its 251,617 recorded MOT tests. Against small family cars of a similar age (9.6% fail rate), the 2019 Focus comes out 1.6pp worse. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.4%) and lighting & signalling (3.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, brake pads and headlamp aim — tread depth alone was recorded 7,159 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 7.8% in the 0-30k band and 15.9% in the 150k+ band, a 8.1-point spread — more than double.
Fuel type barely separates them — petrol fails 11.0% of the time against 11.9% for diesel.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 23.4% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 8.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 13.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.4% | 13,572 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 3.1% | 7,733 |
| 3 | Brakes | 2.4% | 6,054 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 2.1% | 5,215 |
| 5 | Visibility | 1.6% | 4,055 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.8% | 2,089 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 7,159 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 6,033 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 4,755 |
| 4 | Catalyst emissions | 4,695 |
| 5 | Washers | 2,579 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 2,186 |
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% | 58,898 |
| 2 | Brakes | 18.4% | 46,291 |
| 3 | Other defects | 7.0% | 17,522 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.8% | 4,416 |
| 5 | Suspension | 1.7% | 4,243 |
| 6 | Steering | 1.6% | 3,948 |
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 | 106,516 | 7.8% |
| 30-60k | 111,695 | 13.1% |
| 60-90k | 27,444 | 15.7% |
| 90-120k | 4,821 | 16.6% |
| 120-150k | 926 | 16.2% |
| 150k+ | 207 | 15.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 192,061 | 11.0% |
| Diesel | 59,546 | 11.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,915 | 8.6% |
| 2022 | 62,121 | 8.8% |
| 2023 | 62,289 | 10.6% |
| 2024 | 61,578 | 12.1% |
| 2025 | 62,714 | 13.4% |
What to check before buying a 2019 Focus
On a 2019 Focus, tyres is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 5.4% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Tyres (5.4% 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 (3.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (2.4% 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 2019 Ford Focuss pass their MOT?
88.8% of the 251,617 2019 Ford Focus MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 11.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2019 Ford Focus?
Tyres, recorded in 5.4% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (3.1%).
Does the 2019 Focus get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.8% in the 0-30k band to 15.9% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 251,617 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.