2018 Ford Tourneo Custom — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2018 Ford Tourneo Custom passed 86.7% of its 5,956 recorded MOT tests. That is 1.0 percentage points worse than MPVs of a similar age, which fail at 12.3%. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and visibility.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (5.8%) and tyres (4.2%) 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 209 times.
Condition tracks the odometer closely. Failures run at 8.1% in the 0-30k band and 18.0% in the 150k+ band, a 10.0-point spread — more than double.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 18.6% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 9.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 16.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 5.8% | 347 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.2% | 252 |
| 3 | Visibility | 4.1% | 246 |
| 4 | Brakes | 3.6% | 216 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.3% | 134 |
| 6 | Suspension | 2.0% | 121 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 209 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 142 |
| 3 | Headlamp aim | 137 |
| 4 | Joints | 109 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 86 |
| 6 | Headlamp | 74 |
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 | 18.6% | 1,109 |
| 2 | Tyres | 17.2% | 1,026 |
| 3 | Other defects | 7.1% | 426 |
| 4 | Suspension | 6.6% | 391 |
| 5 | Visibility | 5.4% | 321 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 4.1% | 245 |
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 | 1,255 | 8.1% |
| 30-60k | 2,224 | 13.2% |
| 60-90k | 1,148 | 15.3% |
| 90-120k | 543 | 15.7% |
| 120-150k | 309 | 16.2% |
| 150k+ | 477 | 18.0% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 1,073 | 9.6% |
| 2022 | 1,151 | 12.0% |
| 2023 | 1,214 | 14.0% |
| 2024 | 1,260 | 14.0% |
| 2025 | 1,258 | 16.3% |
What to check before buying a 2018 Tourneo Custom
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 5.8% of tests. Start there.
- 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 (4.2% 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 (4.1% 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.
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 2018 Ford Tourneo Customs pass their MOT?
86.7% of the 5,956 2018 Ford Tourneo Custom MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 13.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2018 Ford Tourneo Custom?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 5.8% of tests, followed by tyres (4.2%).
Does the 2018 Tourneo Custom get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.1% in the 0-30k band to 18.0% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 5,956 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.