Know Your MOT
20.4%fail rate

Ford Kit Car common MOT failures and failure rate

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

Based on 230 MOT tests in DVSA data.

About 20.4% of MOT tests recorded on the Ford Kit Car 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 51.1% of the Ford Kit Car's failures, followed by lamps & electrical, brakes, exhaust & emissions, steering. 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 & electrical51.1% 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.

Brakes46.8% 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.

Exhaust & emissions31.9% of failures

Exhaust failures cover leaks, insecure mountings and emissions over the limit. A blowing exhaust, a failed lambda reading or a diesel that smokes beyond the limit will fail.

Steering25.5% of failures

Steering faults are typically worn track-rod ends or ball joints, play in the rack, or a split gaiter letting grease out and dirt in. Excessive free play at the wheel fails.

Visibility/wipers23.4% 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.

Suspension21.3% 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.

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 Kit Car headlight and indicator bulbsSearch Amazon for Ford Kit Car headlight and indicator bulbsaffiliate searchFind Ford Kit Car headlight and indicator bulbs on eBayaffiliate
For the brakes failure: Ford Kit Car brake pads and discsSearch Amazon for Ford Kit Car brake pads and discsaffiliate searchFind Ford Kit Car brake pads and discs on eBayaffiliate
For the exhaust & emissions failure: Ford Kit Car exhaustSearch Amazon for Ford Kit Car exhaustaffiliate searchFind Ford Kit Car exhaust on eBayaffiliate
For the steering failure: Ford Kit Car steering track rod endsSearch Amazon for Ford Kit Car steering track rod endsaffiliate searchFind Ford Kit Car steering track rod ends on eBayaffiliate
For the visibility/wipers failure: Ford Kit Car wiper bladesSearch Amazon for Ford Kit Car wiper bladesaffiliate searchFind Ford Kit Car wiper blades on eBayaffiliate
For the suspension failure: Ford Kit Car suspension springs and shock absorbersSearch Amazon for Ford Kit Car suspension springs and shock absorbersaffiliate searchFind Ford Kit Car suspension springs and shock absorbers 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