Ford Focus MOT Guide (2010-2024): Pass Rates, Mileage Benchmarks & What to Watch For

Table of Contents

1. The Ford Focus Reality Check
2. Pass Rates by Age: The Reliability Curve
3. Mileage Benchmarks: What's Normal, What's Not
4. Common Failure Patterns
5. The Buyer's Decision Framework
6. Check Your Specific Focus

The Ford Focus Reality Check

Let's start with what the data actually shows:

That's 7.7 percentage points below the national average of 73.7%.

What This Means

The Ford Focus is not a bad car—it's a volume car with age-related issues. Our dataset skews heavily towards older models (10+ years), which naturally fail more often. But even accounting for age, the Focus shows patterns you need to understand:

✅ Younger Focuses (3-9 years): Solid performers, especially with proper maintenance
⚠️ Older Focuses (10-15 years): Decline accelerates, particularly in suspension and brakes
🚩 Very Old Focuses (15+ years): High-risk territory unless immaculately maintained

Where the Focus Sits Strategically

In our Manufacturer Matrix, Ford sits in "The Danger Zone" quadrant (low pass rate, high popularity). This isn't a manufacturing quality issue—it's a reality check:

1. Volume bias: So many on the road that every neglected example shows up in the data
2. Age bias: Most Focuses in circulation are 10+ years old (median 14.3 years in our sample)
3. Known issues: Suspension bushes, front-wheel bearings, and DPF problems (diesel models)

Pass Rates by Age: The Reliability Curve

The 10-Year Cliff: Pass rates hold steady until 10 years, then drop sharply. This isn't gradual—it's a **reliability cliff**. 6-9 year old Focuses still achieve 72.4%, but by 10-14 years it's fallen to 66.8%, and by 15+ years you're at 58.3%. Budget £££ for repairs or walk away.

The Age-Band Breakdown

We grouped Focuses into three cohorts:

3-5 Years Old (Sample: 4 tests—insufficient for reliable conclusions)

• Expected pass rate: 85-90% (industry baseline for modern cars)
• These should sail through MOT. If one fails, walk away.

6-9 Years Old (Sample: 454 tests)

• Typical pass rate: ~70-75%
• Common issues start emerging: worn brake discs, advisory-level corrosion
• Verdict: Still a safe buy if maintenance history is clean

10+ Years Old (Sample: 7,054 tests—the bulk of our data)

• Measured pass rate: 60-65%
• Failure accelerates around year 12-13 ("the cliff")
• Verdict: Requires careful inspection; budget for repairs

Mileage Benchmarks: What's Normal, What's Not

How to use this map: Find your car's age on the left, mileage band across the top. Green = safe buy. Yellow = needs thorough inspection. Red = avoid unless you're mechanically savvy or budgeting £1,000+ for repairs.

"Is 80,000 miles a lot for a Focus?" It depends entirely on age.

Real-World Mileage by Age Band

How to Use This

Example 1: You're viewing a 7-year-old Focus with 60,000 miles.

• This is bang-on median for the cohort (58,691 mi for 6-9 years)
• Verdict: Typical mileage—proceed with mechanical inspection

Example 2: You're viewing a 12-year-old Focus with 50,000 miles.

• This is well below the median (96,460 mi for 10+ years)
• Red flag: Suspiciously low. Check MOT history for mileage consistency. Could be clocking, or genuinely low use (which brings its own issues: seized calipers, perished seals).

Example 3: You're viewing a 13-year-old Focus with 140,000 miles.

• This is above Q3 (75th percentile = 118,806 mi)
• Not necessarily bad: High-mileage motorway cars can be reliable. Check for:
  • Consistent MOT mileage progression (no jumps/drops)
  • Service history (especially timing belt if petrol)
  • Clean pass history despite high miles

Common Failure Patterns: What Kills the Focus

The Suspension Problem: 28.3% of failures are suspension-related—bushes, bearings, drop links. This is the Focus's Achilles heel. Budget £200-400 for these repairs on any 10+ year old model.

From analyzing thousands of MOT advisories and failures, these are the recurring weak points:

🔴 Suspension & Steering (Primary Failure Zone)

Specific Issues:

• Front lower wishbone bushes (perish/split around 70-90k miles)
• Front wheel bearings (noise/play, especially nearside)
• Drop links and anti-roll bar bushes
• Track rod ends

What to Check:

• Clunking over bumps (bush failure)
• Humming/rumbling at speed (wheel bearing)
• Uneven tyre wear (tracking/suspension geometry)

Cost to Fix: £150-400 depending on parts needed

🟡 Braking System (Secondary Concern)

Specific Issues:

• Brake discs corroded (surface rust is common, structural corrosion is failure)
• Brake pipes corroded (especially rear axle, coastal/salted roads)
• Seized brake calipers (low-mileage cars)

What to Check:

• Brake pedal feel (spongy = air in system or failing master cylinder)
• Pull to one side when braking (seized caliper)
• MOT advisory history: "Slight corrosion on brake pipes" → will fail within 1-2 years

Cost to Fix: £100-350

🔵 Diesel-Specific: DPF & EGR Issues

If you're considering a diesel Focus (especially 1.6 TDCi):

Known Issues:

• DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) blockage from short journeys
• EGR valve carbon buildup
• Dual-mass flywheel failure (expensive: £600-1,200)

Red Flags in MOT History:

• Multiple emissions failures
• "Engine MIL (warning light) on"
• History of DPF-related advisories

Verdict: Avoid diesel Focuses unless you do 15,000+ miles/year mostly on motorways.

The Buyer's Decision Framework

✅ Green Light: Buy with Confidence

• Age: 3-9 years
• Mileage: Within Q1-Q3 range for age
• MOT History:
  • Last 2 tests = clean passes
  • No recurring advisories (same issue year after year)
  • No "Major" defects in history
• Service History: Full or mostly full
• Price: Fair market value (don't overpay for "low mileage" alone)

Action: Make an offer, get pre-purchase inspection if expensive

⚠️ Amber Light: Proceed with Caution

• Age: 10-14 years
• Mileage: Above Q3 (e.g., 130k+) OR suspiciously low (e.g., 40k on a 12-year-old)
• MOT History:
  • Recent pass but with multiple advisories
  • Pattern of same advisory worsening (e.g., "Slight corrosion" → "Corrosion affecting structural rigidity")
  • One failure in last 3 years (acceptable if promptly fixed)
• Service History: Partial or unknown

Action:

• Demand independent mechanical inspection (£100-150 well spent)
• Budget £500-1,000 for first-year repairs
• Negotiate price down to account for known issues
• Check with local specialist: "What fails on this generation Focus?"

🚩 Red Light: Walk Away

• Age: 15+ years (unless exceptional history)
• MOT History:
  • Multiple failures in last 2 years
  • Long gaps between failure and retest (indicates expensive repairs or bodge jobs)
  • Structural corrosion noted
  • Emission failures (diesel models)
• Mileage Discrepancy: MOT history shows mileage drop or implausible jumps
• V5C Recent Issue: Logbook re-issued in last 3 months (potential logbook loan)
• Price: "Too good to be true" (it is)

Action: Thank the seller politely and move on. Life's too short.

Check Your Specific Focus

What the Full Report Includes

Beyond the free MOT history, the £9.49 report gives you:

1. Outstanding Finance Check: Confirm the seller owns it (1 in 3 Focuses have active finance)
2. Write-Off Check: See if it's been declared Cat S/N (insurance write-off)
3. Stolen Vehicle Check: Query the Police National Computer
4. Mileage Validation: Flag suspicious odometer rewinds
5. V5C Issue Date: Recent re-issue can indicate problems
6. Specification Confirmation: Match the seller's description to DVLA records

This is peace of mind for the price of a tank of fuel.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Path to Clarity

You now understand:

✅ Why the Focus's 66% pass rate reflects age and volume, not fundamental unreliability
✅ Realistic mileage benchmarks for 6-9 and 10+ year cars
✅ The common failure points (suspension, brakes, diesel issues)
✅ A three-tier decision framework (Green/Amber/Red light)
✅ How to interpret MOT advisories as predictive signals

Next Steps

1. Check the specific Focus you're considering on MOT Ninja
2. Cross-reference its mileage against our benchmarks
3. Read the advisory history for worsening patterns
4. Get a pre-purchase inspection if it's Amber Light territory
5. Negotiate based on known issues (don't pay clean-car prices for a car with advisories)

Trust the data. Question the seller. Drive confident.

Related Guides:

• MOT Pass Rates 2024: The Definitive Guide
• Vauxhall Corsa MOT Guide
• Volkswagen Golf MOT Guide
• Ford Transit MOT Guide

Tools:

• Free Ford Focus MOT Check
• Full Vehicle History Report – £9.49