Know Your MOT
26.6%fail rate

Ford Freestyle common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 124 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 26.6% of MOT tests recorded on the Ford Freestyle in DVSA data end in a failure. The same handful of items account for most of them.

Its most common failure is lamps & electrical, which makes up 60.6% of the Ford Freestyle's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, other, suspension, tyres. 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

Lamps & electrical60.6% 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.

Other30.3% of failures

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

Suspension24.2% 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.

Tyres15.2% of failures

Tyres fail for tread below the 1.6mm legal limit across the central three-quarters, uneven or exposed-cord wear, or sidewall damage. The tester inspects all four; a single illegal tyre is a fail.

Seat belts9.1% of failures

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

Brakes9.1% 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.

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 lamps & electrical failure: Ford Freestyle headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Ford Freestyle headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Ford Freestyle headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Ford Freestyle suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Ford Freestyle suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Ford Freestyle suspension springs and shock absorbers on eBayaffiliate
For the tyres failure: Ford Freestyle tyresSearch Amazon for Ford Freestyle tyresaffiliate searchFind Ford Freestyle tyres on eBayaffiliate
For the seat belts failure: Ford Freestyle seat beltsSearch Amazon for Ford Freestyle seat beltsaffiliate searchFind Ford Freestyle seat belts on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Ford Freestyle brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Ford Freestyle brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Ford Freestyle brake pads and discs 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