2021 Ford Focus — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2021 Ford Focus passed 91.6% of its 46,878 recorded MOT tests. That is effectively the same as small family cars of a similar age (8.3% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.0%) and lighting & signalling (2.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, headlamp aim and brake pads — tread depth alone was recorded 1,074 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2021 Focus fails 6.6% of the time in the 0-30k band and 10.0% at 150k+, a spread of only 3.4 points.
The petrol cars hold up better: 7.3% fail against 10.9% for diesel, a 3.6-point gap across 46,535 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 22.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 11.1% in 2021 to 8.4% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.0% | 2,342 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 2.4% | 1,116 |
| 3 | Brakes | 1.5% | 687 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.4% | 632 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 0.7% | 321 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.4% | 166 |
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 | 1,074 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 841 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 532 |
| 4 | Washers | 431 |
| 5 | Brake discs | 243 |
| 6 | Wipers | 228 |
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 | 22.7% | 10,632 |
| 2 | Brakes | 15.3% | 7,198 |
| 3 | Other defects | 6.3% | 2,950 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.4% | 667 |
| 5 | Road wheels | 0.9% | 431 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.7% | 313 |
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 | 26,386 | 6.6% |
| 30-60k | 17,224 | 10.1% |
| 60-90k | 2,652 | 12.8% |
| 90-120k | 495 | 14.9% |
| 120-150k | 91 | 12.1% |
| 150k+ | 30 | 10.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 33,083 | 7.3% |
| Diesel | 13,452 | 10.9% |
| Hybrid | 343 | 8.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 81 | 11.1% |
| 2023 | 1,549 | 6.8% |
| 2024 | 22,832 | 8.5% |
| 2025 | 22,403 | 8.4% |
What to check before buying a 2021 Focus
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.0% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (5.0% 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 (2.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (1.5% 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.
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 2021 Ford Focuss pass their MOT?
91.6% of the 46,878 2021 Ford Focus MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 8.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2021 Ford Focus?
Tyres, recorded in 5.0% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (2.4%).
Does the 2021 Focus get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.6% in the 0-30k band to 10.0% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 46,878 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.