Ford Tourneo MOT pass rate & common failures
80,538 MOT tests on the Ford Tourneo (1996–2024) give it an 82.3% pass rate. MPVs of a similar age fail 15.0% of the time, so this is 2.7pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, brakes and suspension.
Best and worst Tourneo years
Ranked across Tourneo 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
Not every year is equal — 87.9% of 2019 examples pass against 76.7% of 2013 ones.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (7.3%) and brakes (5.5%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are joints, brake pads and wipers — joints alone was recorded 3,270 times.
Mileage is the strongest signal on the record: 8.9% of 0-30k cars fail, rising to 22.2% once past 150k — 2.5× the risk.
Split by fuel, diesel examples fail 8.8pp more often than petrol ones (18.1% vs 9.3%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: brakes was flagged on 25.6% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 15.0% of tests failed in 2021 against 19.4% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every Tourneo model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 334 | 67.4% | 32.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2005 | 111 | 68.5% | 31.5% | Body, structure & corrosion |
| 2007 | 36 | 77.8% | 22.2% | Suspension |
| 2008 | 57 | 68.4% | 31.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 58 | 67.2% | 32.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 55 | 61.8% | 38.2% | Suspension |
| 2012 | 119 | 78.1% | 21.9% | Suspension |
| 2013 | 3,115 | 76.7% | 23.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 9,782 | 77.5% | 22.5% | Brakes |
| 2015 | 14,440 | 78.6% | 21.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 9,105 | 81.6% | 18.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 17,119 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 14,502 | 86.3% | 13.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 10,872 | 87.9% | 12.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 694 | 89.6% | 10.4% | Tyres |
| 2021 | 60 | 80.0% | 20.0% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 7.3% | 5,917 |
| 2 | Brakes | 5.5% | 4,424 |
| 3 | Suspension | 4.7% | 3,816 |
| 4 | Body, structure & corrosion | 4.4% | 3,516 |
| 5 | Tyres | 4.3% | 3,478 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.7% | 2,955 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 2.5% | 2,033 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.1% | 851 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Joints | 3,270 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 1,997 |
| 3 | Wipers | 1,967 |
| 4 | Pins and bushes | 1,866 |
| 5 | Rigid brake pipes | 1,815 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 1,806 |
| 7 | Headlamp | 1,535 |
| 8 | Stop lamp | 1,532 |
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 | 25.6% | 20,617 |
| 2 | Tyres | 18.8% | 15,116 |
| 3 | Suspension | 17.1% | 13,770 |
| 4 | Other defects | 7.9% | 6,340 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 7.1% | 5,718 |
| 6 | Visibility | 6.3% | 5,082 |
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 | 10,135 | 8.9% |
| 30-60k | 18,184 | 14.0% |
| 60-90k | 16,060 | 18.7% |
| 90-120k | 11,283 | 20.5% |
| 120-150k | 7,596 | 21.5% |
| 150k+ | 17,237 | 22.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 77,127 | 18.1% |
| Petrol | 3,406 | 9.3% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 13,579 | 15.0% |
| 2022 | 16,352 | 16.4% |
| 2023 | 16,814 | 17.9% |
| 2024 | 17,006 | 19.3% |
| 2025 | 16,787 | 19.4% |
What to check before buying a Ford Tourneo
- Lighting & signalling (7.3% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (5.5% 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.
- Suspension (4.7% 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.
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?
82.3% of the 80,538 Ford Tourneo MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 17.7% fail rate, across model years 1996–2024.
What does the Ford Tourneo most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 7.3% of tests, then brakes (5.5%).
Which Tourneo years are best and worst for MOT results?
2019 has the best pass rate at 87.9% and 2013 the weakest at 76.7%, from 10,872 and 3,115 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Tourneo MOT results?
Fail rates run at 8.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 22.2% for 150k+, a 13.3-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel Tourneo more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 9.3% of the time against 18.1% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 80,538 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.