1994 Ford Granada — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 466 MOT tests, the 1994 Ford Granada recorded an 80.9% pass rate. Against all cars of a similar age (23.9% fail rate), the 1994 Granada comes out 4.8pp better. Failures cluster in suspension, emissions & environmental and body, structure & corrosion.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (8.4%) and emissions & environmental (6.2%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are catalyst emissions, component mounting prescribed areas and wipers — catalyst emissions alone was recorded 45 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 1994 Granada fails 16.7% of the time in the 30-60k band and 19.1% at 150k+, a spread of only 2.4 points.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 32.0% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 21.7% in 2021 to 16.4% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 8.4% | 39 |
| 2 | Emissions & environmental | 6.2% | 29 |
| 3 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.1% | 24 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 4.9% | 23 |
| 5 | Brakes | 4.7% | 22 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.1% | 19 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Catalyst emissions | 45 |
| 2 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 38 |
| 3 | Wipers | 19 |
| 4 | Prescribed areas | 17 |
| 5 | Pins and bushes | 11 |
| 6 | Individual direction indicators | 11 |
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 | 32.0% | 149 |
| 2 | Suspension | 26.4% | 123 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 23.4% | 109 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 20.4% | 95 |
| 5 | Tyres | 19.3% | 90 |
| 6 | Other defects | 16.1% | 75 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 30-60k | 42 | 16.7% |
| 60-90k | 94 | 20.2% |
| 90-120k | 97 | 20.6% |
| 120-150k | 141 | 17.7% |
| 150k+ | 89 | 19.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 120 | 21.7% |
| 2022 | 120 | 23.3% |
| 2023 | 88 | 15.9% |
| 2024 | 77 | 14.3% |
| 2025 | 61 | 16.4% |
What to check before buying a 1994 Granada
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 8.4% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (8.4% 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.
- Emissions & environmental (6.2% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
- Body, structure & corrosion (5.1% 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
How many 1994 Ford Granadas pass their MOT?
80.9% of the 466 1994 Ford Granada MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 19.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 1994 Ford Granada?
Suspension, recorded in 8.4% of tests, followed by emissions & environmental (6.2%).
Does the 1994 Granada get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 16.7% in the 30-60k band to 19.1% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 466 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.