Ford Tourneo Custom MOT pass rate & common failures
Across 23 model years and 14,646 tests, the Ford Tourneo Custom passes its MOT 87.7% of the time. That is effectively the same as MPVs of a similar age (12.0% fail rate), so the MOT record here is unremarkable in either direction. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, tyres and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (5.8%) 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 wipers, brake pads and headlamp aim — wipers alone was recorded 454 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 7.5% in the 0-30k band and 16.9% in the 150k+ band, a 9.4-point spread — more than double.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 17.5% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 8.9% of tests failed in 2021 against 13.7% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Tourneo Custom model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 33 | 78.8% | 21.2% | Suspension |
| 2014 | 81 | 84.0% | 16.1% | Brakes |
| 2015 | 203 | 79.3% | 20.7% | Suspension |
| 2016 | 148 | 82.4% | 17.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 366 | 85.0% | 15.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 5,956 | 86.7% | 13.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 6,142 | 88.8% | 11.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 1,022 | 89.0% | 11.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 263 | 84.0% | 16.0% | Visibility |
| 2022 | 224 | 91.1% | 8.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2024 | 157 | 97.5% | 2.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2025 | 39 | 100.0% | 0.0% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 5.8% | 842 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.0% | 581 |
| 3 | Visibility | 3.8% | 556 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.4% | 498 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.1% | 315 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 1.9% | 281 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 1.0% | 148 |
| 8 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.7% | 99 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 454 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 348 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 332 |
| 4 | Joints | 223 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 213 |
| 6 | Linkage pins and bushes | 180 |
| 7 | Stop lamp | 174 |
| 8 | Tread depth | 173 |
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 | 17.5% | 2,567 |
| 2 | Tyres | 16.4% | 2,402 |
| 3 | Suspension | 6.9% | 1,003 |
| 4 | Other defects | 6.5% | 946 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.6% | 820 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 4.4% | 640 |
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 | 3,153 | 7.5% |
| 30-60k | 5,117 | 12.6% |
| 60-90k | 2,733 | 13.5% |
| 90-120k | 1,349 | 14.0% |
| 120-150k | 821 | 14.6% |
| 150k+ | 1,472 | 16.9% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,744 | 8.9% |
| 2022 | 2,835 | 11.2% |
| 2023 | 3,080 | 13.1% |
| 2024 | 3,382 | 13.0% |
| 2025 | 3,605 | 13.7% |
What to check before buying a Ford Tourneo Custom
- Lighting & signalling (5.8% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- 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.
- Visibility (3.8% 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.
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 Tourneo Custom?
87.7% of the 14,646 Ford Tourneo Custom MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 12.3% fail rate, across model years 2003–2025.
What does the Ford Tourneo Custom most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 5.8% of tests, then tyres (4.0%).
How much does mileage affect Tourneo Custom MOT results?
Fail rates run at 7.5% for cars in the 0-30k band and 16.9% for 150k+, a 9.4-point difference.
Methodology & source. Based on 14,646 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.