2012 Ford Ka — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2012 Ford Ka passed 78.8% of its 106,431 recorded MOT tests. That is effectively the same as city cars of a similar age (20.9% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (11.9%) and lighting & signalling (9.3%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are shock absorbers, pins and bushes and ball joint — shock absorbers alone was recorded 9,445 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 24.6% versus 10.8%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 21.1% fail against 26.3% for diesel, a 5.1-point gap across 106,431 tests.
Suspension is the most common advisory, noted on 39.9% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 18.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 23.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 11.9% | 12,672 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 9.3% | 9,845 |
| 3 | Brakes | 5.0% | 5,301 |
| 4 | Tyres | 4.9% | 5,212 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.9% | 4,129 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.9% | 3,121 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shock absorbers | 9,445 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 5,412 |
| 3 | Ball joint | 3,405 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 3,309 |
| 5 | Stop lamp | 3,295 |
| 6 | Exhaust system | 2,711 |
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 | 39.9% | 42,454 |
| 2 | Tyres | 27.4% | 29,169 |
| 3 | Brakes | 15.8% | 16,805 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 13.7% | 14,594 |
| 5 | Other defects | 9.2% | 9,780 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 7.8% | 8,329 |
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 | 11,037 | 10.8% |
| 30-60k | 45,536 | 18.8% |
| 60-90k | 38,575 | 24.9% |
| 90-120k | 9,684 | 28.0% |
| 120-150k | 1,357 | 29.6% |
| 150k+ | 195 | 24.6% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 105,266 | 21.1% |
| Diesel | 1,165 | 26.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 21,556 | 18.5% |
| 2022 | 21,543 | 20.2% |
| 2023 | 21,489 | 21.1% |
| 2024 | 21,359 | 23.1% |
| 2025 | 20,484 | 23.1% |
What to check before buying a 2012 Ka
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 11.9% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (11.9% 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.
- 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 (5.0% 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 2012 Ford Kas pass their MOT?
78.8% of the 106,431 2012 Ford Ka MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 21.2% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2012 Ford Ka?
Suspension, recorded in 11.9% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (9.3%).
Does the 2012 Ka get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.8% in the 0-30k band to 24.6% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 106,431 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.