2013 Ford Ka — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 113,514 MOT tests, the 2013 Ford Ka recorded an 80.7% pass rate. City cars of a similar age fail at 19.1%, so the 2013 Ka sits squarely on the average. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (9.7%) and lighting & signalling (8.5%) 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 stop lamp — shock absorbers alone was recorded 7,579 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 22.2% versus 10.3%.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 4.6pp more often than petrol ones (23.9% vs 19.3%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: suspension was flagged on 35.0% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 16.0% of tests failed in 2021 against 22.2% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 9.7% | 11,060 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 8.5% | 9,630 |
| 3 | Tyres | 4.8% | 5,426 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.7% | 5,288 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.0% | 4,589 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.5% | 2,897 |
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 | 7,579 |
| 2 | Pins and bushes | 4,414 |
| 3 | Stop lamp | 3,869 |
| 4 | Ball joint | 3,423 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 3,309 |
| 6 | Exhaust system | 2,648 |
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 | 35.0% | 39,687 |
| 2 | Tyres | 27.2% | 30,871 |
| 3 | Brakes | 16.3% | 18,491 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 12.5% | 14,220 |
| 5 | Other defects | 7.8% | 8,836 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 5.4% | 6,129 |
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 | 15,911 | 10.3% |
| 30-60k | 54,378 | 17.8% |
| 60-90k | 34,804 | 24.1% |
| 90-120k | 7,367 | 27.0% |
| 120-150k | 887 | 28.2% |
| 150k+ | 135 | 22.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 112,957 | 19.3% |
| Diesel | 557 | 23.9% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 22,254 | 16.0% |
| 2022 | 22,760 | 18.0% |
| 2023 | 22,927 | 19.5% |
| 2024 | 22,865 | 21.1% |
| 2025 | 22,708 | 22.2% |
What to check before buying a 2013 Ka
On a 2013 Ka, suspension is what the MOT record says goes wrong most — it appeared in 9.7% of tests. Check these areas before you commit.
- Suspension (9.7% 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 (8.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (4.8% 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
How many 2013 Ford Kas pass their MOT?
80.7% of the 113,514 2013 Ford Ka MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 19.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2013 Ford Ka?
Suspension, recorded in 9.7% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (8.5%).
Does the 2013 Ka get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.3% in the 0-30k band to 22.2% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 113,514 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.