Know Your MOT
37.3%fail rate

Ford Cargo common MOT failures and failure rate

What a Ford Cargo fails its MOT on, from real DVSA test data, and the part that resolves each item.

Based on 295 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 37.3% of MOT tests recorded on the Ford Cargo in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is brakes, which makes up 43.6% of the Ford Cargo's failures, followed by brakes, lamps & electrical, other, visibility/wipers. Each item below links to the part that resolves it. Confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying, and have safety-critical work done by a competent mechanic.

What it fails on, and why

Brakes43.6% of failures

Brake failures cover worn pads and discs, an imbalance between wheels, corroded or scored discs, or a binding caliper. Braking efficiency is measured on a rolling road, so a spongy or pulling brake shows up as a low reading.

Lamps & electrical41.8% of failures

Lighting is the single most common MOT failure and the cheapest to put right. A blown headlight, brake-light or number-plate bulb, a cracked lens, or a headlamp beam that points too high or low will all fail. Most are a two-minute bulb swap.

Other23.6% of failures

This covers a range of smaller items, from a non-working horn to a warning light left on.

Visibility/wipers19.1% of failures

Visibility failures include torn or smearing wiper blades, a washer jet that does not reach the screen, and chips or cracks in the driver's swept area. Blades and washer fluid are quick, cheap fixes.

Suspension17.3% of failures

Suspension failures usually mean a worn or snapped coil spring, a leaking shock absorber, or play in a lower arm ball joint or bush. The tester checks for corrosion, fractures and excessive movement. A broken front spring is one of the most common failures on higher-mileage cars and is a straightforward replacement.

Seat belts11.8% of failures

Seat-belt failures are frays, cuts, corroded anchorages, or a belt that will not lock under a sharp pull or retract properly.

The parts that fix each

If your car has just failed, you have 10 working days to fix the items and get a free partial retest. These are the usual parts; confirm the exact fitment against your registration or VIN before buying.

For the brakes failure: Ford Cargo brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Ford Cargo brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Ford Cargo brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the lamps & electrical failure: Ford Cargo headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Ford Cargo headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Ford Cargo headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Ford Cargo wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Ford Cargo wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Ford Cargo wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Ford Cargo suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Ford Cargo suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Ford Cargo suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the seat belts failure: Ford Cargo seat beltsSearch Amazon for Ford Cargo seat beltsaffiliate searchFind Ford Cargo seat belts on eBayaffiliate

Other models

Ford Fiesta MOT failures27.1% failure rateFord Focus MOT failures26.1% failure rateFord Transit MOT failures31.1% failure rateVauxhall Corsa MOT failures30.1% failure rate

Sources: DVSA MOT History API: MOT test results and defect data ยท DVSA MOT testing data for Great Britain