Ford Mustang MOT pass rate & common failures
62,782 MOT tests on the Ford Mustang (1980–2025) give it an 87.4% pass rate. Coupes & convertibles of a similar age fail at 11.8%, so the Mustang sits squarely on the average. Its most common failure areas are brakes, tyres and lighting & signalling.
Best and worst Mustang years
Ranked across Mustang 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
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2020 cars pass 89.5% of the time while 2005 cars manage 85.5%, a 4.0-point spread.
No single area dominates — brakes (4.8%) and tyres (4.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are rbt (sp), wipers and tread depth — rbt (sp) alone was recorded 1,972 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 9.1% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 18.6% once past 150k — 2.0× the risk.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 17.4% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 11.3% of tests failed in 2021 against 13.1% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Mustang model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 46 | 87.0% | 13.0% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 1989 | 83 | 87.9% | 12.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1990 | 80 | 86.3% | 13.8% | Brakes |
| 1991 | 47 | 87.2% | 12.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1992 | 50 | 88.0% | 12.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1993 | 43 | 90.7% | 9.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1994 | 311 | 82.3% | 17.7% | Brakes |
| 1995 | 346 | 78.6% | 21.4% | Brakes |
| 1996 | 329 | 81.2% | 18.8% | Brakes |
| 1997 | 207 | 85.0% | 15.0% | Brakes |
| 1998 | 126 | 92.9% | 7.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1999 | 231 | 82.7% | 17.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2000 | 273 | 81.7% | 18.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2001 | 215 | 84.7% | 15.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2002 | 183 | 84.7% | 15.3% | Brakes |
| 2003 | 292 | 86.3% | 13.7% | Brakes |
| 2004 | 367 | 82.3% | 17.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 1,786 | 85.5% | 14.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 1,448 | 85.6% | 14.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 1,619 | 86.7% | 13.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 1,260 | 87.9% | 12.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 541 | 87.6% | 12.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 577 | 87.0% | 13.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 464 | 81.9% | 18.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 520 | 86.2% | 13.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 549 | 89.4% | 10.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 624 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 2,013 | 87.5% | 12.5% | Brakes |
| 2016 | 14,697 | 86.6% | 13.4% | Brakes |
| 2017 | 10,855 | 87.6% | 12.3% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 11,989 | 88.4% | 11.6% | Tyres |
| 2019 | 5,571 | 88.2% | 11.8% | Brakes |
| 2020 | 3,549 | 89.5% | 10.4% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 880 | 89.4% | 10.6% | Tyres |
| 2022 | 486 | 93.2% | 6.8% | Tyres |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 4.8% | 3,024 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.0% | 2,504 |
| 3 | Lighting & signalling | 3.5% | 2,188 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.0% | 1,896 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.1% | 1,305 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.2% | 765 |
| 7 | Other defects | 0.8% | 503 |
| 8 | Steering | 0.5% | 306 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rbt (sp) | 1,972 |
| 2 | Wipers | 1,337 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 1,191 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 1,124 |
| 5 | Parking brake performance | 953 |
| 6 | Washers | 898 |
| 7 | Registration plates | 789 |
| 8 | Ball joint | 687 |
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 | 17.4% | 10,917 |
| 2 | Brakes | 9.5% | 5,991 |
| 3 | Suspension | 6.1% | 3,855 |
| 4 | Other defects | 3.5% | 2,176 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.2% | 1,363 |
| 6 | Visibility | 2.2% | 1,355 |
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 | 33,370 | 9.1% |
| 30-60k | 19,473 | 15.8% |
| 60-90k | 6,289 | 17.5% |
| 90-120k | 2,273 | 17.4% |
| 120-150k | 901 | 22.4% |
| 150k+ | 442 | 18.6% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 10,905 | 11.3% |
| 2022 | 12,097 | 12.0% |
| 2023 | 13,154 | 12.9% |
| 2024 | 13,141 | 13.5% |
| 2025 | 13,485 | 13.1% |
What to check before buying a Ford Mustang
- Brakes (4.8% 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.
- Tyres (4.0% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (3.5% 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
What is the MOT pass rate for the Ford Mustang?
87.4% of the 62,782 Ford Mustang MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 12.6% fail rate, across model years 1980–2025.
What does the Ford Mustang most often fail its MOT on?
Brakes, recorded in 4.8% of tests, then tyres (4.0%).
Which Mustang years are best and worst for MOT results?
2020 has the best pass rate at 89.5% and 2005 the weakest at 85.5%, from 3,549 and 1,786 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Mustang MOT results?
Fail rates run at 9.1% for cars in the 0-30k band and 18.6% for 150k+, a 9.4-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 62,782 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.