2020 Ford Tourneo Custom 320 T-Nium — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2020 Ford Tourneo Custom 320 T-Nium passed 88.9% of its 261 recorded MOT tests. Against all cars of a similar age (9.0% fail rate), the 2020 Tourneo Custom 320 T-Nium comes out 2.1pp worse. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, visibility and emissions & environmental.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (5.4%) and visibility (3.1%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are wipers, malfunction indicator lamp and individual direction indicators — wipers alone was recorded 8 times.
Mileage matters less than usual here: the 2020 Tourneo Custom 320 T-Nium fails 6.8% of the time in the 0-30k band and 8.5% at 60-90k, a spread of only 1.7 points.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 15.7% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 8.1% of tests failed in 2023 against 17.7% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 5.4% | 14 |
| 2 | Visibility | 3.1% | 8 |
| 3 | Emissions & environmental | 2.7% | 7 |
| 4 | Tyres | 2.3% | 6 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.3% | 6 |
| 6 | Suspension | 2.3% | 6 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 8 |
| 2 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 7 |
| 3 | Individual direction indicators | 5 |
| 4 | Joints | 5 |
| 5 | Registration plate lamp(s) | 5 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 4 |
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 | 15.7% | 41 |
| 2 | Tyres | 13.0% | 34 |
| 3 | Suspension | 8.8% | 23 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 8.4% | 22 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.4% | 14 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 3.8% | 10 |
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 | 44 | 6.8% |
| 30-60k | 90 | 6.7% |
| 60-90k | 59 | 8.5% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 74 | 8.1% |
| 2024 | 78 | 11.5% |
| 2025 | 79 | 17.7% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Tourneo Custom 320 T-Nium
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 5.4% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (5.4% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Visibility (3.1% 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.
- Emissions & environmental (2.7% of tests): More common on older diesels (DPF/EGR) — can be expensive; check for warning lights and smoke. Typical repair: £100–£600.
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 Tourneo Custom 320 T-Niums pass their MOT?
88.9% of the 261 2020 Ford Tourneo Custom 320 T-Nium MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 11.1% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Ford Tourneo Custom 320 T-Nium?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 5.4% of tests, followed by visibility (3.1%).
Does the 2020 Tourneo Custom 320 T-Nium get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 6.8% in the 0-30k band to 8.5% in the 60-90k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 261 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.