Ford Escort, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
15,844 Ford Escorts are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 79.6% of initial MOT tests, 7.3 points above the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Escort? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Ford Escort at the MOT
79.6% of 9,576 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Escort 204th of 575 models.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Where Escorts fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Ford Escort tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were component mounting prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (7.4%), service brake imbalance across an axle (3.8%) and joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (3.1%).
The MOT page lists every common Escort MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Escort's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
-
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.22.4% of Escort failure items
-
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.19.6% of Escort failure items
-
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.18.5% of Escort failure items
Ford Escorts in the UK
15,844 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 68% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- −68%from 49,301 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 1980half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 1980 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 142against 291 in 2021
- Declared off the road
- 42,85973% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Ford Escorts since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 49,301 |
| End of 2015 | 36,264 |
| End of 2016 | 27,313 |
| End of 2017 | 21,028 |
| End of 2018 | 17,645 |
| End of 2019 | 15,914 |
| End of 2020 | 14,855 |
| End of 2021 | 14,867 |
| End of 2022 | 14,682 |
| End of 2023 | 14,132 |
| End of 2024 | 14,263 |
| End of 2025 | 14,085 |
| End of June 2026 | 15,844 |
How old they are
Licensed Ford Escorts by year of first use.
A further 7,371 were first used before 1983.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 176 |
| 2001 | 246 |
| 2000 | 266 |
| 1999 | 132 |
| 1998 | 273 |
| 1997 | 324 |
| 1996 | 319 |
| 1995 | 238 |
| 1994 | 175 |
| 1993 | 168 |
| 1992 | 137 |
| 1991 | 134 |
| 1990 | 434 |
| 1989 | 439 |
| 1988 | 275 |
| 1987 | 151 |
| 1986 | 112 |
| 1985 | 202 |
| 1984 | 195 |
| 1983 | 352 |
Escort engines and fuel
1.6 litre engines made up 48% of Ford Escort MOT tests in 2025, followed by 2.0 litre at 18%. Petrol accounts for 95% of licensed Escorts and diesel for 4.8%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 9,572 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Escorts
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 15,090 | 95% |
| Diesel | 753 | 5% |
| Gas | 1 | <0.1% |
Ford Escort recalls
12 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Ford Escort. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Escort is affected.
-
Jul 2002 R/2002/105
Loss of steering power assistance
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The power assisted steering pump drive pulley may crack or break up. this could result in the steering being heavy/stiff to operate.
- Remedy
- Fit a modified drive pulley to the affected vehicles.
-
Jun 1998 R/1998/037
Unexpected deployment of passenger air bag
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Unexpected passenger air bag deployment due to an electrostatic discharge through the air bag igniter.
- Remedy
- Recall affected vehicles and fit ground wire to passenger air bag
-
Jan 1996 R/1996/022
Failure of braking system vacuum assistance
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The brake vacuum pump may cease to provide vacuum assistance. Should this occur greater brake pedal pressure would be needed and stopping distances may be increased.
- Remedy
- The affected vehicles are being recalled to Ford dealers to have the brake pump manufacturing codes checked. Vacuum pumps within certain ranges will be replaced with new units. This campaign supersedes recall R1995/081 and includes all the vehicles alrea
-
Nov 1995 R/1995/076
Possibility of rear brake cylinders being insecure
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- It is possible that the two bolts securing the rear brake cylinder to the brake back plate may not have been fully tightened. If the bolts were to come loose the efficiency of that brake circuit could be impaired.
- Remedy
- Recall the affected vehicles to tighten the subject bolts to the correct specification.
-
Sep 1995 R/1995/061
Chafing of brake hoses
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- The hydraulic hoses to the rear brake calipers may have been incorrectly routed. This could result in contact between the hose and the suspension system with consequent damage to the hose.
- Remedy
- Recall the affected vehicles to check and where necessary re-route the subject hoses. Any damaged hoses will be replaced.
-
Jul 1995 R/1995/050
Incorrectly rated tyres
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- S maximum speed rated tyres have been fitted. As the vehicle maximum capability exceeds the maximum speed rating of the S rated tyre vehicle stability could be adversely affected on a vehicle travelling in excess of the speed rating.
- Remedy
- Recall the affected vehicles and replace the tyres with T maximum speed rated examples.
-
May 1994 R/1994/009
Exhaust downpipe may move and contact wiring loom
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- It is possible that the exhaust downpipe may separate from the upper flange and drop onto the starter motor terminal causing damage to the vehicle wiring loom. This may result in the loss of various electrical circuits.
- Remedy
- Recall the affected vehicles for replacement of the exhaust downpipe with the current production component.
-
Sep 1993 R/1993/060
Tailgate strut brackets may bend
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- There is a possibility that one or both of the brackets which attach the tailgate struts to the body 'C' pillars may bend allowing the strut to detach. This could permit the tailgate to close unexpectedly.
- Remedy
- Recall the affected vehicles for reinforcement of both strut brackets and replacement of any brackets found to be bent.
Other Ford models
The most-tested Ford models in 2025, against the Escort's 79.6% MOT pass rate.
Ford Escort FAQs
How many Ford Escorts are there in the UK?
15,844 Ford Escorts were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 42,859 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Ford Escort reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 79.6% first-time pass rate for the Ford Escort across 9,576 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Ford Escort had any recalls?
12 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Ford Escort. The most recent was published in July 2002. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
What should I check before buying a used Ford Escort?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and brakes. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.
How do I check a Ford Escort's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
Already found an Escort?
Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Ford history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Ford VIN check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.