Ford Fiesta, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
1,283,746 Ford Fiestas are licensed in the UK, the most common model on the road. In 2025 they passed 65.6% of initial MOT tests, 6.7 points below the 72.3% UK average.
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Ford Fiesta at the MOT
65.6% of 1,360,720 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Fiesta 420th of 575 models. Ford Fiestas aged 3 to 5 years passed 86.8% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 56.6%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Ford Fiesta tests in 2025.
Where Fiestas fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Ford Fiesta tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were stop lamp not working (8.1%), ball joint excessively worn (6.6%) and position lamp not working (4.1%).
The MOT page lists every common Fiesta MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Fiesta's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.
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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.30.2% of Fiesta failure items
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Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.22.1% of Fiesta failure items
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Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.12.7% of Fiesta failure items
Ford Fiestas in the UK
1,283,746 were licensed at the end of June 2026, more than any other Ford. The number licensed has fallen 11% since the end of 2014, and 19% from its peak of 1,581,738 at the end of 2019.
- Change since 2014
- −11%from 1,444,519 licensed
- Typical year of first use
- 2014half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2014 or earlier
- First registered in 2025
- 105against 138,174 in 2015
- Declared off the road
- 123,7028.8% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Ford Fiestas since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 1,444,519 |
| End of 2015 | 1,493,255 |
| End of 2016 | 1,544,480 |
| End of 2017 | 1,556,978 |
| End of 2018 | 1,574,463 |
| End of 2019 | 1,581,738 |
| End of 2020 | 1,556,719 |
| End of 2021 | 1,525,736 |
| End of 2022 | 1,492,572 |
| End of 2023 | 1,458,588 |
| End of 2024 | 1,391,244 |
| End of 2025 | 1,322,272 |
| End of June 2026 | 1,283,746 |
How old they are
Licensed Ford Fiestas by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 35,441 were first used before 2005.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,566 | 1,709 |
| 2023 | 24,967 | 26,393 |
| 2022 | 24,444 | 26,131 |
| 2021 | 26,987 | 28,285 |
| 2020 | 48,501 | 50,882 |
| 2019 | 75,890 | 80,207 |
| 2018 | 89,807 | 96,541 |
| 2017 | 86,612 | 96,576 |
| 2016 | 109,167 | 125,335 |
| 2015 | 119,232 | 138,174 |
| 2014 | 115,333 | |
| 2013 | 105,032 | |
| 2012 | 91,036 | |
| 2011 | 74,693 | |
| 2010 | 73,638 | |
| 2009 | 75,325 | |
| 2008 | 41,578 | |
| 2007 | 37,045 | |
| 2006 | 28,350 | |
| 2005 | 16,163 |
119,232 Fiestas first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 86% of the 138,174 first registered that year.
Fiesta engines and fuel
1.0 litre engines made up 36% of Ford Fiesta MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.2 litre at 29%. Petrol accounts for 88% of licensed Fiestas and diesel for 12%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 1,360,634 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Fiestas
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 1,127,203 | 88% |
| Diesel | 149,456 | 12% |
| Hybrid electric | 7,055 | 0.5% |
| Gas | 32 | <0.1% |
Ford Fiesta recalls
31 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Ford Fiesta. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Fiesta is affected.
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Sep 2025 R/2025/359
CrossCar: Sync3 Rear-View Camera Software Update
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles a software problem may result in issues with the rear-view camera that reduce the driver's view or with it remaining on after a reversing event.
- Remedy
- Update the vehicle software to the latest level.
-
Mar 2025 R/2025/084
25S10 - Puma Fiesta Courier - Fuel line chafing
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may experience chafing between the fuel line support shield and the fuel line which could result in damage to the fuel line.
- Remedy
- Replace the fuel line support shield (bracket). Inspect the fuel lines and rework if necessary.
-
Dec 2024 R/2025/094
X-Car Powertain Control Module (PCM) Software Update
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may develop a crack in the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF).
- Remedy
- Update software to prevent a cracked DPF. Test and replace DPFs that are already cracked.
-
Sep 2023 R/2023/274
On the affected vehicles an incorrect Instrument Cluster has been fitted. This results in the speedometer not correctly displaying the maximum vehicle speed
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Affected vehicles will have the instrument cluster exchanged.
-
Jun 2023 R/2023/189
The front suspension lower ball joint bolt/nut may not be torqued correctly on a small number of Fiesta vehicles
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Affected vehicles need to be returned to a Ford Authorised Dealer to have the torque confirmed.
-
Apr 2022 R/2022/171
The right-hand engine oil seperator may have been damaged prior to engine assembly
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Certain vehicles could have an engine oil separator that may have been damaged prior to engine assembly.
- Remedy
- Inspect the engine oil separator and if found to be damaged and/or leaking a replacement engine oil separator must be installed
-
Oct 2021 R/2021/348
The wiring harness for the crankshaft position sensor may not be secured correctly into position
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Due to a production error the wiring harness for the crankshaft position sensor may not be secured correctly into position.
- Remedy
- The crankshaft position sensor harness securing clip must be pushed into the vacant hole on the engine front cover.
-
Apr 2021 R/2021/123
Vehicle seatbelts may have a defective low g locking mechanism
Defect and remedy
- Remedy
- Inspect the seat belt label for date range. If within suspect range exchange seat belt retractor.
Fiesta vs similar cars
Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.
Other Ford models
The most-tested Ford models in 2025, against the Fiesta's 65.6% MOT pass rate.
Ford Fiesta FAQs
How many Ford Fiestas are there in the UK?
1,283,746 Ford Fiestas were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 123,702 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Ford Fiesta 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 65.6% first-time pass rate for the Ford Fiesta across 1,360,720 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Ford Fiesta had any recalls?
31 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Ford Fiesta. The most recent was published in September 2025. 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 Fiesta?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and tyres. 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 Fiesta'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 a Fiesta?
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.