2020 Ford Ranger — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2020 Ford Ranger passed 85.5% of its 39,551 recorded MOT tests. That is 1.8 percentage points worse than pick-up trucks of a similar age, which fail at 12.7%. Failures cluster in suspension, lighting & signalling and tyres.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — suspension (7.8%) and lighting & signalling (5.0%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are coil spring, headlamp aim and brake pads — coil spring alone was recorded 2,825 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 16.1% versus 10.2%.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 17.2% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is improving — the fail rate fell from 20.0% in 2021 to 16.7% in 2025, as the worst-kept examples leave the fleet.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Suspension | 7.8% | 3,068 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 5.0% | 1,979 |
| 3 | Tyres | 3.0% | 1,180 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.0% | 1,172 |
| 5 | Visibility | 1.5% | 610 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.5% | 611 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coil spring | 2,825 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 1,551 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 705 |
| 4 | Tread depth | 702 |
| 5 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 455 |
| 6 | Washers | 452 |
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 | 17.2% | 6,799 |
| 2 | Brakes | 13.1% | 5,191 |
| 3 | Suspension | 5.5% | 2,174 |
| 4 | Other defects | 5.1% | 2,017 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 3.6% | 1,439 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 3.3% | 1,294 |
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 | 8,669 | 10.2% |
| 30-60k | 18,337 | 14.0% |
| 60-90k | 8,916 | 17.3% |
| 90-120k | 2,794 | 19.7% |
| 120-150k | 649 | 20.6% |
| 150k+ | 186 | 16.1% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 35 | 20.0% |
| 2022 | 298 | 12.1% |
| 2023 | 12,618 | 12.8% |
| 2024 | 13,198 | 13.8% |
| 2025 | 13,402 | 16.7% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Ranger
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: suspension accounted for 7.8% of tests. Start there.
- Suspension (7.8% 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 (5.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (3.0% 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.
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 2020 Ford Rangers pass their MOT?
85.5% of the 39,551 2020 Ford Ranger MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 14.5% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Ford Ranger?
Suspension, recorded in 7.8% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (5.0%).
Does the 2020 Ranger get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 10.2% in the 0-30k band to 16.1% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 39,551 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.