851,102 Focuses had an MOT in 2025. 68.6% passed first time, against 69.1% for other cars of the same age and mileage. Those registered from 2020 onwards pass as often as other cars their age.
Each dot compares how often Focuses of that year failed on one area of the test with cars of the same age and mileage.
| Year | Passed first time | Against same age and mileage | MOTs | Suspension | Steering | Brakes | Tyres | Lights & electrics | Visibility | Body & structure | Emissions & leaks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 54.8% | −2.5 | 16,288 | ||||||||
| 2006 | 58.0% | +1.5 | 22,864 | ||||||||
| 2007 | 57.5% | +0.2 | 32,195 | ||||||||
| 2008 | 55.6% | −1.0 | 38,683 | ||||||||
| 2009 | 55.7% | −1.9 | 48,365 | ||||||||
| 2010 | 56.6% | −2.2 | 49,338 | ||||||||
| 2011 | 58.1% | −2.3 | 59,185 | ||||||||
| 2012 | 61.7% | −0.8 | 64,197 | ||||||||
| 2013 | 62.2% | −2.5 | 70,196 | ||||||||
| 2014 | 64.3% | −3.6 | 72,088 | ||||||||
| 2015 | 72.4% | +1.2 | 74,065 | ||||||||
| 2016 | 76.9% | +2.3 | 63,215 | ||||||||
| 2017 | 80.8% | +2.6 | 63,265 | ||||||||
| 2018 | 81.8% | +0.7 | 47,244 | ||||||||
| 2019 | 81.5% | −1.8 | 55,239 | ||||||||
| 2020 | 85.7% | −0.2 | 37,990 | ||||||||
| 2021 | 88.8% | +1.4 | 20,848 | ||||||||
| 2022 | 90.1% | +1.1 | 15,837 |
Much worse: failed on that area at least 1.5 times as often. Worse: 1.15 to 1.5 times. Better: up to 0.87 times. Much better: two-thirds as often or less. Gaps under half a percentage point count as about the same. Registration year is the year the car was first used.
Well behind: 5 or more points below cars of the same age and mileage. Behind: 1.5 to 5 points below. Level: within 1.5 points. Ahead: 1.5 or more points above.
15.1% of Focus MOTs failed on lights and electrics, against 12.3% for cars of the same age and mileage, and 8.0% on tyres, against 6.7%.
Up to 120,000 miles, Focuses pass as often as cars of the same age and mileage. Behind from there: 120,000+ miles 4.5 points.
Diesels passed 66.1% first time, 1.4 points below comparable cars; petrols passed 69.7%, 0.2 points below comparable cars. Diesels had a median of 96,959 miles at the test, against 70,448 for petrols.
| Fuel | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 578,237 | 69.7% | 69.9% | −0.2 | 70,448 |
| Diesel | 272,527 | 66.1% | 67.6% | −1.4 | 96,959 |
Cars registered 2014 to 2021, each against cars of the same age and mileage. The Focus ranks 10 of 15.
| Model | MOTs | Passed first time | Same age and mileage | Gap (pts) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. VW Golf | 453,675 | 84.7% | 77.2% | +7.5 | |
| 2. Audi A3 | 236,485 | 83.4% | 76.3% | +7.1 | |
| 3. Skoda Octavia | 130,349 | 81.5% | 75.7% | +5.8 | |
| 4. Toyota Corolla | 55,580 | 89.2% | 84.2% | +5.1 | |
| 5. Toyota Auris | 78,822 | 78.5% | 73.7% | +4.8 | |
| 6. Honda Civic | 96,393 | 82.2% | 77.5% | +4.8 | |
| 7. BMW 1 Series | 216,359 | 81.6% | 77.1% | +4.5 | |
| 8. Seat Leon | 133,332 | 79.6% | 77.2% | +2.3 | |
| 9. Mercedes A-Class | 285,897 | 80.7% | 79.2% | +1.6 | |
| 10. Ford Focus | 433,954 | 77.1% | 76.9% | +0.2 | |
| 11. Kia Ceed | 68,633 | 75.8% | 76.8% | −1.0 | |
| 12. Vauxhall Astra | 259,770 | 73.6% | 75.2% | −1.6 | |
| 13. Hyundai i30 | 54,108 | 73.1% | 75.3% | −2.2 | |
| 14. Nissan Leaf | 42,108 | 78.9% | 81.7% | −2.7 | |
| 15. Peugeot 308 | 69,563 | 71.2% | 75.2% | −4.0 |
What testers most often noted as advisories on Focuses in 2025: wear that passed but was close to failing. Figures in brackets are for cars of the same age and mileage.
At the MOT, 68.6% of 851,102 Focus MOTs in 2025 passed first time, against 69.1% for cars of the same age and mileage. 2005: behind (−2.5 points). 2006 to 2008: level (−1.0 to +1.5 points). 2009 to 2011: behind (−1.9 to −2.3 points). 2012: level (−0.8 points). 2013 to 2014: behind (−2.5 to −3.6 points). 2015: level (+1.2 points). 2016 to 2017: ahead (+2.3 to +2.6 points). 2018: level (+0.7 points). 2019: behind (−1.8 points). 2020 to 2022: level (−0.2 to +1.4 points).
Going by 2025 MOT results, 2005 and 2009 to 2011 and 2013 to 2014 and 2019. Those cars passed first time −2.5 and −1.9 to −2.3 and −2.5 to −3.6 and −1.8 points against comparable cars.
Position lamp: not working: 3.9% of Focus MOTs, against 3.0% for cars of the same age and mileage.
Petrol Focuses passed 69.7% first time and diesels 66.1%. Against cars of the same age and mileage, petrols were 0.2 points below and diesels 1.4 points below.
For cars registered 2014 to 2021, the VW Golf passed 84.7% first time, +7.5 points against comparable cars. The Focus passed 77.1%, +0.2 points.
Data. Every car MOT in Great Britain in 2025 (31,475,521 first tests on cars first used 2005 to 2022), from DVSA's anonymised MOT test data. Retests are left out.
Passed first time. A car passed if its first test that year ended in a pass. Cars that failed and were fixed within the hour count as fails, as DVSA counts them.
Same age and mileage. We group every car by the year it was first used and its mileage (under 30k, 30–60k, 60–90k, 90–120k, over 120k). The comparison figure is what those groups scored, weighted to match the Focus's mix of ages and mileages.
Model. Every car DVSA records as a Ford Focus: 80 recorded model names, from "FOCUS" to trims such as "FOCUS ST-LINE X EDITION MHEV".
The full method, including how each report-card dot and year group is decided.