2018 Ford Tourneo — MOT failures & pass rate
The 2018 Ford Tourneo passed 86.3% of its 14,502 recorded MOT tests. Against MPVs of a similar age (12.3% fail rate), the 2018 Tourneo comes out 1.4pp worse. Failures cluster in lighting & signalling, tyres and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (6.6%) and tyres (4.3%) 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 tread depth — wipers alone was recorded 368 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 17.9% versus 8.7%.
Brakes is the most common advisory, noted on 20.1% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 9.7% of tests failed in 2021 against 16.7% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 6.6% | 958 |
| 2 | Tyres | 4.3% | 627 |
| 3 | Brakes | 3.7% | 533 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.6% | 518 |
| 5 | Suspension | 2.5% | 355 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.0% | 291 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wipers | 368 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 363 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 322 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 318 |
| 5 | Headlamp | 282 |
| 6 | Stop lamp | 249 |
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 | 20.1% | 2,909 |
| 2 | Tyres | 19.1% | 2,768 |
| 3 | Suspension | 10.7% | 1,558 |
| 4 | Other defects | 7.2% | 1,041 |
| 5 | Visibility | 6.5% | 949 |
| 6 | Lighting & signalling | 5.9% | 850 |
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 | 2,407 | 8.7% |
| 30-60k | 4,662 | 13.0% |
| 60-90k | 2,822 | 14.0% |
| 90-120k | 1,603 | 15.0% |
| 120-150k | 1,089 | 17.3% |
| 150k+ | 1,918 | 17.9% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 14,465 | 13.7% |
| Petrol | 37 | 10.8% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2,693 | 9.7% |
| 2022 | 2,814 | 11.8% |
| 2023 | 2,913 | 14.1% |
| 2024 | 3,040 | 15.4% |
| 2025 | 3,042 | 16.7% |
What to check before buying a 2018 Tourneo
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: lighting & signalling accounted for 6.6% of tests. Start there.
- Lighting & signalling (6.6% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (4.3% 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.
- Brakes (3.7% 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.
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 Tourneos pass their MOT?
86.3% of the 14,502 2018 Ford Tourneo MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 13.7% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2018 Ford Tourneo?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 6.6% of tests, followed by tyres (4.3%).
Does the 2018 Tourneo get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 8.7% in the 0-30k band to 17.9% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 14,502 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.