Ford Mondeo MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 30 model years and 1,333,062 tests, the Ford Mondeo passes its MOT 78.0% of the time. That is effectively the same as large family cars of a similar age (21.9% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and brakes.
Best and worst Mondeo years
Ranked across Mondeo 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 — 88.8% of 2020 examples pass against 69.5% of 2003 ones.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (11.3%) and suspension (8.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, tread depth and position lamp — headlamp aim alone was recorded 63,195 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 8.6% in the 0-30k band and 27.1% in the 150k+ band, a 18.5-point spread — more than double.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 15.1pp more often than electric ones (24.4% vs 9.3%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 28.8% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Mondeo model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 548 | 76.6% | 23.4% | Suspension |
| 1994 | 673 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Suspension |
| 1995 | 945 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Suspension |
| 1996 | 1,365 | 73.0% | 27.0% | Suspension |
| 1997 | 1,512 | 71.8% | 28.2% | Suspension |
| 1998 | 2,064 | 70.8% | 29.2% | Suspension |
| 1999 | 3,404 | 69.9% | 30.1% | Suspension |
| 2000 | 5,820 | 69.7% | 30.3% | Suspension |
| 2001 | 13,517 | 70.6% | 29.4% | Suspension |
| 2002 | 15,918 | 70.2% | 29.8% | Suspension |
| 2003 | 21,150 | 69.5% | 30.5% | Suspension |
| 2004 | 34,769 | 69.6% | 30.4% | Suspension |
| 2005 | 52,768 | 70.2% | 29.8% | Suspension |
| 2006 | 61,080 | 70.9% | 29.1% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 95,089 | 71.5% | 28.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 115,368 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 115,055 | 74.8% | 25.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 113,272 | 75.7% | 24.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 89,282 | 77.5% | 22.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 104,522 | 78.0% | 22.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 82,080 | 78.9% | 21.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 72,470 | 81.1% | 18.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 102,175 | 86.0% | 14.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 92,898 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 62,619 | 88.6% | 11.4% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 40,599 | 88.7% | 11.3% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 20,694 | 88.7% | 11.3% | Tyres |
| 2020 | 7,975 | 88.8% | 11.2% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 2,747 | 88.4% | 11.6% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 684 | 91.2% | 8.8% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.3% | 151,319 |
| 2 | Suspension | 8.5% | 113,775 |
| 3 | Brakes | 6.9% | 92,430 |
| 4 | Tyres | 6.9% | 92,069 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.7% | 48,734 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.6% | 48,443 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 3.5% | 47,144 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.9% | 25,995 |
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 | 63,195 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 52,480 |
| 3 | Position lamp | 50,328 |
| 4 | Pins and bushes | 48,915 |
| 5 | Brake pads | 36,366 |
| 6 | Wipers | 28,191 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 27,885 |
| 8 | Stop lamp | 27,698 |
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 | 28.8% | 383,376 |
| 2 | Brakes | 27.7% | 369,780 |
| 3 | Suspension | 27.6% | 368,276 |
| 4 | Other defects | 10.6% | 141,362 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 10.5% | 140,174 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.2% | 109,180 |
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 | 38,577 | 8.6% |
| 30-60k | 151,649 | 12.6% |
| 60-90k | 266,360 | 18.5% |
| 90-120k | 330,532 | 23.3% |
| 120-150k | 272,753 | 25.7% |
| 150k+ | 271,713 | 27.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 1,038,714 | 21.6% |
| Petrol | 276,554 | 24.4% |
| Hybrid | 15,696 | 10.5% |
| Electric | 2,041 | 9.3% |
| Gas/LPG | 41 | 17.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 319,171 | 22.3% |
| 2022 | 292,810 | 21.8% |
| 2023 | 267,769 | 21.9% |
| 2024 | 240,256 | 22.1% |
| 2025 | 213,056 | 21.8% |
What to check before buying a Ford Mondeo
- Lighting & signalling (11.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (8.5% 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 (6.9% 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 Mondeo?
78.0% of the 1,333,062 Ford Mondeo MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 22.0% fail rate, across model years 1993–2022.
What does the Ford Mondeo most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.3% of tests, then suspension (8.5%).
Which Mondeo years are best and worst for MOT results?
2020 has the best pass rate at 88.8% and 2003 the weakest at 69.5%, from 7,975 and 21,150 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Mondeo MOT results?
Fail rates run at 8.6% for cars in the 0-30k band and 27.1% for 150k+, a 18.5-point difference.
Is the electric or petrol Mondeo more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the electric fails 9.3% of the time against 24.4% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 1,333,062 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.