2021 Ford Mondeo — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 2,747 MOT tests, the 2021 Ford Mondeo recorded an 88.4% pass rate. Against large family cars of a similar age (10.3% fail rate), the 2021 Mondeo comes out 1.2pp worse. Failures cluster in tyres, visibility and lighting & signalling.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (5.9%) and visibility (4.8%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, tread depth and brake pads — wipers alone was recorded 153 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2021 Mondeo fails 8.5% of the time in the 0-30k band and 9.1% at 120-150k, a spread of only 0.6 points.
Fuel type barely separates them — hybrid fails 11.3% of the time against 11.7% for diesel.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 22.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 16.7% in 2021 to 10.7% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 5.9% | 163 |
| 2 | Visibility | 4.8% | 133 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 2.8% | 78 |
| 4 | Brakes | 1.5% | 41 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 1.4% | 38 |
| 6 | Suspension | 0.3% | 8 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 153 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 79 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 44 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 43 |
| 5 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 31 |
| 6 | Side repeaters | 19 |
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 | 22.3% | 612 |
| 2 | Brakes | 13.3% | 366 |
| 3 | Other defects | 5.6% | 155 |
| 4 | Visibility | 2.9% | 81 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 1.4% | 39 |
| 6 | Road wheels | 0.9% | 26 |
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 | 898 | 8.5% |
| 30-60k | 1,087 | 12.7% |
| 60-90k | 558 | 13.4% |
| 90-120k | 162 | 14.2% |
| 120-150k | 33 | 9.1% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 1,501 | 11.7% |
| Hybrid | 1,244 | 11.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 36 | 16.7% |
| 2023 | 92 | 12.0% |
| 2024 | 1,311 | 12.4% |
| 2025 | 1,295 | 10.7% |
What to check before buying a 2021 Mondeo
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 5.9% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (5.9% 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.
- Visibility (4.8% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
- Lighting & signalling (2.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
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 2021 Ford Mondeos pass their MOT?
88.4% of the 2,747 2021 Ford Mondeo MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 11.6% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2021 Ford Mondeo?
Tyres, recorded in 5.9% of tests, followed by visibility (4.8%).
Does the 2021 Mondeo get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.5% in the 0-30k band to 9.1% in the 120-150k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 2,747 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.