In 2025, 171,295 Ford Mondeo cars had a regular MOT in Great Britain. 67% passed first time, compared with 66% for all cars of the same ages, which makes the Mondeo about average. Adjusted for age, it ranks 125 of the 217 most-tested car models.
That comparison matters: older cars fail more often, so a raw pass rate flatters models that are mostly young. We compare each model against every car on the road at the same age.
Pass rate by age
At 3 years old, 86% of Mondeos passed first time (all cars that age: 88%). By 20 years, that figure is 55% (all cars: 58%). It beats the average car at every age with enough data, from 8 to 10 years.
Ford Mondeo All cars of that age
| Age | Tests | Mondeo passed first time | All cars | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 years | 244 | 86% | 88% | 36,735 |
| 4 years | 949 | 85% | 87% | 51,242 |
| 5 years | 1,990 | 86% | 86% | 60,162 |
| 6 years | 4,356 | 84% | 84% | 72,332 |
| 7 years | 6,988 | 83% | 81% | 82,904 |
| 8 years | 10,839 | 82% | 78% | 90,766 |
| 9 years | 15,996 | 80% | 75% | 99,414 |
| 10 years | 17,034 | 76% | 72% | 106,537 |
| 11 years | 11,023 | 68% | 69% | 121,690 |
| 12 years | 11,878 | 65% | 66% | 128,293 |
| 13 years | 14,616 | 64% | 63% | 128,514 |
| 14 years | 11,905 | 63% | 61% | 132,865 |
| 15 years | 13,224 | 58% | 59% | 132,387 |
| 16 years | 12,407 | 58% | 58% | 135,211 |
| 17 years | 11,039 | 55% | 57% | 138,257 |
| 18 years | 8,396 | 55% | 57% | 130,779 |
| 19 years | 5,415 | 56% | 57% | 121,728 |
| 20 years | 4,478 | 55% | 58% | 121,185 |
What fails most on a Ford Mondeo
The area that lets the Mondeo down most, relative to other cars, is tyres: 12.0% of tests failed on it, 1.4 times the rate for the average car.
Share of Mondeo tests failing on this area Average car
The six most common failure items
| Failure item | Area | Share of tests |
|---|---|---|
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | Suspension | 5.7% |
| The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements | Lights and electrics | 5.6% |
| Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements | Tyres | 4.3% |
| A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning | Lights and electrics | 4.2% |
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | Suspension | 3.2% |
| A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm | Brakes | 3.2% |
What to check when buying a used Mondeo
Based on where the Mondeo fails more often than other cars, these are the checks worth making before you buy:
- Tyres: Check tread across the whole width (uneven wear hints at alignment or suspension faults), and look for cuts, bulges and mismatched brands. Repair guide
- Steering: Feel for play or knocking through the wheel, and check power-steering fluid isn’t leaking. More
- Body and structure: Get underneath with a torch: sills, jacking points, subframe mounts and floor pans. Structural rust is the failure that can make a car uneconomic to fix. Repair guide
Then check the individual car: its own MOT history will show whether it follows the pattern. A car with repeated advisories in the same weak area is more likely to fail its next test.
Check a specific Mondeo
Enter the registration to see its full MOT history, mileage record and reliability score, compared with these figures.
Check a MondeoFrequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for a Ford Mondeo?
In 2025, 67% of Ford Mondeo cars passed their MOT first time, across 171,295 tests. Cars of the same ages averaged 66%.
What do Ford Mondeo cars most often fail their MOT on?
The most common failure items were: a suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn (5.7% of tests); the aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements (5.6% of tests); tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements (4.3% of tests).
Other Ford models
Ford Fiesta (65%), Ford Focus (67%), Ford Kuga (78%), Ford Transit (62%), Ford Ka (66%), Ford Transit Connect (66%). All Ford models
Source: DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 (class 4 normal tests; first-time pass means passed with no faults fixed at the test). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.