Ford Freda MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 29 model years and 6,087 tests, the Ford Freda passes its MOT 67.5% of the time. That is 8.4 percentage points worse than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 24.0%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and body, structure & corrosion.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (19.1%) and suspension (17.9%) 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, integral vehicle structure condition and rear fog lamp — component mounting prescribed areas alone was recorded 1,282 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the Freda fails 31.3% of the time in the 0-30k band and 35.2% at 150k+, a spread of only 3.9 points.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 5.8pp more often than petrol ones (34.3% vs 28.5%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 33.1% of tests without failing them.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 32.6% in 2021 to 30.6% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
By model year
Every Freda model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 267 | 67.8% | 32.2% | Suspension |
| 1996 | 299 | 65.9% | 34.1% | Suspension |
| 1997 | 245 | 62.9% | 37.1% | Suspension |
| 1998 | 206 | 69.4% | 30.6% | Suspension |
| 1999 | 246 | 71.1% | 28.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 146 | 74.7% | 25.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 132 | 74.2% | 25.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 44 | 84.1% | 15.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 90 | 65.6% | 34.4% | Suspension |
| 2004 | 272 | 66.9% | 33.1% | Suspension |
| 2005 | 523 | 63.5% | 36.5% | Suspension |
| 2006 | 514 | 66.5% | 33.5% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 633 | 65.9% | 34.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 401 | 64.3% | 35.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 346 | 66.8% | 33.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 335 | 66.9% | 33.1% | Suspension |
| 2011 | 276 | 69.2% | 30.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 133 | 62.4% | 37.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 139 | 67.6% | 32.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 186 | 69.3% | 30.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 227 | 73.1% | 26.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 160 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 130 | 73.9% | 26.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 45 | 75.6% | 24.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 56 | 64.3% | 35.7% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 19.1% | 1,162 |
| 2 | Suspension | 17.9% | 1,087 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 11.1% | 675 |
| 4 | Brakes | 9.2% | 560 |
| 5 | Visibility | 7.1% | 435 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 5.1% | 312 |
| 7 | Steering | 4.3% | 261 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 3.2% | 196 |
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 | 1,282 |
| 2 | Integral vehicle structure condition | 514 |
| 3 | Rear fog lamp | 475 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 453 |
| 5 | Headlamp aim | 360 |
| 6 | Wipers | 350 |
| 7 | Chassis condition | 344 |
| 8 | Service brake performance | 341 |
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 | 33.1% | 2,014 |
| 2 | Brakes | 27.9% | 1,699 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 20.3% | 1,238 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 18.6% | 1,129 |
| 5 | Tyres | 18.5% | 1,127 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 17.2% | 1,045 |
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 | 32 | 31.3% |
| 30-60k | 135 | 21.5% |
| 60-90k | 699 | 26.9% |
| 90-120k | 1,274 | 31.1% |
| 120-150k | 1,395 | 32.6% |
| 150k+ | 2,551 | 35.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 4,179 | 34.3% |
| Petrol | 1,901 | 28.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,382 | 32.6% |
| 2022 | 1,327 | 34.0% |
| 2023 | 1,227 | 31.4% |
| 2024 | 1,139 | 33.3% |
| 2025 | 1,012 | 30.6% |
What to check before buying a Ford Freda
- Lighting & signalling (19.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (17.9% 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.
- Body, structure & corrosion (11.1% of tests): The one to take seriously on older cars — corrosion to structural areas can be costly and is an MOT failure. Typical repair: £200–£1,500+.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Ford Freda?
67.5% of the 6,087 Ford Freda MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 32.5% fail rate, across model years 1993–2021.
What does the Ford Freda most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 19.1% of tests, then suspension (17.9%).
How much does mileage affect Freda MOT results?
Fail rates run at 31.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 35.2% for 150k+, a 3.9-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Freda more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 28.5% of the time against 34.3% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 6,087 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.