Ford Motorhome MOT pass rate & common failures
The Ford Motorhome appears in 2,034 MOT tests spanning model years 1981–2021, and 80.8% of them passed. That is 6.3 percentage points better than all cars of a similar age, which fail at 25.5%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
What the MOT record shows
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 12.7% of all tests — 3.8 points clear of brakes, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are headlamp aim, service brake performance and rigid brake pipes — headlamp aim alone was recorded 90 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 14.7% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 23.2% once past 150k.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 25.4% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 18.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 20.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Motorhome model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 36 | 72.2% | 27.8% | Suspension |
| 1996 | 30 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1997 | 38 | 76.3% | 23.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 49 | 61.2% | 38.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 41 | 75.6% | 24.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 42 | 78.6% | 21.4% | Suspension |
| 2002 | 49 | 89.8% | 10.2% | Brakes |
| 2003 | 36 | 86.1% | 13.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2004 | 94 | 84.0% | 16.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 208 | 78.8% | 21.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 144 | 81.9% | 18.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 285 | 86.0% | 14.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 301 | 78.7% | 21.3% | Brakes |
| 2009 | 134 | 82.1% | 17.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 160 | 78.8% | 21.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 145 | 84.1% | 15.9% | Brakes |
| 2012 | 76 | 89.5% | 10.5% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 12.7% | 259 |
| 2 | Brakes | 8.9% | 182 |
| 3 | Suspension | 5.6% | 114 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 3.4% | 69 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.3% | 68 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 2.6% | 53 |
| 7 | Tyres | 1.8% | 36 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 1.4% | 28 |
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 | 90 |
| 2 | Service brake performance | 84 |
| 3 | Rigid brake pipes | 79 |
| 4 | Component mounting prescribed areas | 78 |
| 5 | Rbt (sp) | 64 |
| 6 | Wipers | 60 |
| 7 | Pins and bushes | 60 |
| 8 | Position lamp | 59 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 25.4% | 516 |
| 2 | Suspension | 19.7% | 401 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 10.8% | 220 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 9.8% | 200 |
| 5 | Tyres | 8.6% | 176 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 6.2% | 125 |
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 | 381 | 14.7% |
| 30-60k | 977 | 17.7% |
| 60-90k | 440 | 23.2% |
| 90-120k | 120 | 24.2% |
| 120-150k | 46 | 28.3% |
| 150k+ | 56 | 23.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 1,591 | 18.4% |
| Petrol | 440 | 22.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 423 | 18.2% |
| 2022 | 432 | 17.6% |
| 2023 | 402 | 18.9% |
| 2024 | 389 | 21.1% |
| 2025 | 388 | 20.4% |
What to check before buying a Ford Motorhome
- Lighting & signalling (12.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (8.9% 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.
- Suspension (5.6% 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.
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 Motorhome?
80.8% of the 2,034 Ford Motorhome MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 19.2% fail rate, across model years 1981–2021.
What does the Ford Motorhome most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 12.7% of tests, then brakes (8.9%).
How much does mileage affect Motorhome MOT results?
Fail rates run at 14.7% for cars in the 0-30k band and 23.2% for 150k+, a 8.5-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 2,034 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.