Ford Journey MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 6 model years and 1,371 tests, the Ford Journey passes its MOT 78.1% of the time. Against all cars of a similar age (11.6% fail rate), the Journey comes out 10.3pp worse. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (9.3%) and brakes (6.4%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, on or after 01/01/2014 and ball joint — headlamp aim alone was recorded 68 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 26.0% versus 7.0%.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 20.9% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 14.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 23.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Journey model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 151 | 73.5% | 26.5% | Emissions & environmental |
| 2017 | 383 | 78.3% | 21.7% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 564 | 77.5% | 22.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 176 | 80.1% | 19.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 80 | 82.5% | 17.5% | Emissions & environmental |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 9.3% | 127 |
| 2 | Brakes | 6.4% | 88 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.8% | 80 |
| 4 | Emissions & environmental | 5.7% | 78 |
| 5 | Suspension | 5.3% | 72 |
| 6 | Seat belts & restraints | 4.2% | 57 |
| 7 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.4% | 47 |
| 8 | Visibility | 2.5% | 34 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 68 |
| 2 | On or after 01/01/2014 | 57 |
| 3 | Ball joint | 48 |
| 4 | Position lamp | 42 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 39 |
| 6 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 30 |
| 7 | Tread depth | 26 |
| 8 | Rigid brake pipes | 26 |
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 | 20.9% | 286 |
| 2 | Brakes | 18.1% | 248 |
| 3 | Seat belts & restraints | 11.7% | 161 |
| 4 | Other defects | 10.7% | 147 |
| 5 | Suspension | 7.9% | 108 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 7.1% | 97 |
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 | 43 | 7.0% |
| 30-60k | 131 | 16.0% |
| 60-90k | 188 | 18.6% |
| 90-120k | 223 | 17.5% |
| 120-150k | 265 | 25.3% |
| 150k+ | 511 | 26.0% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 231 | 14.3% |
| 2022 | 270 | 21.9% |
| 2023 | 287 | 20.9% |
| 2024 | 308 | 27.3% |
| 2025 | 275 | 23.3% |
What to check before buying a Ford Journey
- Lighting & signalling (9.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (6.4% 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.
- Tyres (5.8% 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.
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 Journey?
78.1% of the 1,371 Ford Journey MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 21.9% fail rate, across model years 2016–2021.
What does the Ford Journey most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 9.3% of tests, then brakes (6.4%).
How much does mileage affect Journey MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.0% for cars in the 0-30k band and 26.0% for 150k+, a 19.0-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,371 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.