Ford Fusion MOT pass rate & common failures
The Ford Fusion appears in 370,162 MOT tests spanning model years 2000–2022, and 76.2% of them passed. Against superminis of a similar age (27.4% fail rate), the Fusion comes out 3.5pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Fusion years
Ranked across Fusion years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 84.9% of 2012 examples pass against 70.8% of 2002 ones.
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 18.1% of all tests — 8.8 points clear of suspension, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are stop lamp, rigid brake pipes and headlamp aim — stop lamp alone was recorded 28,326 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 11.5% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 32.2% once past 150k — 2.8× the risk.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 2.7pp more often than petrol ones (25.9% vs 23.2%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 34.0% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 23.0% of tests failed in 2021 against 25.0% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Fusion model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 4,330 | 70.8% | 29.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2003 | 31,064 | 71.9% | 28.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 32,785 | 73.2% | 26.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 34,759 | 74.2% | 25.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 49,101 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 51,617 | 75.7% | 24.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 54,001 | 77.5% | 22.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 55,628 | 78.4% | 21.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 36,342 | 79.9% | 20.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 15,411 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 4,766 | 84.9% | 15.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 33 | 78.8% | 21.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 30 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 42 | 76.2% | 23.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 46 | 80.4% | 19.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 38 | 79.0% | 21.1% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 57 | 75.4% | 24.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 30 | 76.7% | 23.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 44 | 84.1% | 15.9% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 18.1% | 67,172 |
| 2 | Suspension | 9.4% | 34,688 |
| 3 | Brakes | 8.7% | 32,076 |
| 4 | Visibility | 5.2% | 19,239 |
| 5 | Tyres | 4.7% | 17,334 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.7% | 17,248 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 3.9% | 14,262 |
| 8 | Steering | 2.3% | 8,374 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stop lamp | 28,326 |
| 2 | Rigid brake pipes | 25,690 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 24,540 |
| 4 | Headlamp | 18,286 |
| 5 | Wipers | 15,650 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 14,818 |
| 7 | Ball joint dust cover | 14,421 |
| 8 | Rear fog lamp | 12,597 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 34.0% | 125,699 |
| 2 | Tyres | 28.3% | 104,677 |
| 3 | Suspension | 25.9% | 95,796 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 14.8% | 54,832 |
| 5 | Other defects | 13.0% | 48,033 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 10.9% | 40,276 |
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 | 12,203 | 11.5% |
| 30-60k | 78,706 | 17.0% |
| 60-90k | 123,955 | 23.0% |
| 90-120k | 95,913 | 27.7% |
| 120-150k | 42,151 | 30.3% |
| 150k+ | 16,488 | 32.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 279,805 | 23.2% |
| Diesel | 90,277 | 25.9% |
| Hybrid | 71 | 22.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 87,732 | 23.0% |
| 2022 | 80,800 | 23.2% |
| 2023 | 74,758 | 23.8% |
| 2024 | 67,365 | 24.6% |
| 2025 | 59,507 | 25.0% |
What to check before buying a Ford Fusion
- Lighting & signalling (18.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (9.4% 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.
- Brakes (8.7% 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Ford Fusion?
76.2% of the 370,162 Ford Fusion MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 23.8% fail rate, across model years 2000–2022.
What does the Ford Fusion most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 18.1% of tests, then suspension (9.4%).
Which Fusion years are best and worst for MOT results?
2012 has the best pass rate at 84.9% and 2002 the weakest at 70.8%, from 4,766 and 4,330 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Fusion MOT results?
Fail rates run at 11.5% for cars in the 0-30k band and 32.2% for 150k+, a 20.7-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Fusion more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 23.2% of the time against 25.9% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 370,162 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.