Ford Focus, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls
855,774 Ford Focuses are licensed in the UK, the 4th most common model on the road. In 2025 they passed 68% of initial MOT tests, 4.3 points below the 72.3% UK average.
Looking at a specific Focus? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Ford Focus at the MOT
68% of 886,912 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the Focus 385th of 575 models. Ford Focuses aged 3 to 5 years passed 85.6% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 58.4%.
First-time pass rate, 2025
Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.
Pass rate by age at test
Ford Focus tests in 2025.
Where Focuses fail
Share of all failure items recorded on Ford Focus tests in 2025.
The items testers recorded most often were position lamp not working (5.9%), tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.9%) and headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.7%).
The MOT page lists every common Focus MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.
What to look at on a viewing
The Focus'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.32% of Focus 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.19.9% of Focus 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.14.4% of Focus failure items
Ford Focuses in the UK
855,774 were licensed at the end of June 2026, the 2nd most of any Ford. The number licensed has fallen 39% since the end of 2014.
- Change since 2014
- −39%from 1,401,989 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
- 12,173against 84,043 in 2015
- Declared off the road
- 102,37711% of those registered, under SORN
Licensed Ford Focuses since 2014
Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.
Show the figures
| Date | Licensed |
|---|---|
| End of 2014 | 1,401,989 |
| End of 2015 | 1,388,491 |
| End of 2016 | 1,361,754 |
| End of 2017 | 1,312,233 |
| End of 2018 | 1,250,286 |
| End of 2019 | 1,200,175 |
| End of 2020 | 1,147,359 |
| End of 2021 | 1,085,547 |
| End of 2022 | 1,036,850 |
| End of 2023 | 993,048 |
| End of 2024 | 941,378 |
| End of 2025 | 887,284 |
| End of June 2026 | 855,774 |
How old they are
Licensed Ford Focuses by year of first use.
- Licensed at the end of 2025
- First registered that year
A further 41,627 were first used before 2006.
Show the figures
| First used | Licensed, end 2025 | First registered that year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11,462 | 12,173 |
| 2024 | 17,798 | 18,538 |
| 2023 | 21,892 | 23,224 |
| 2022 | 15,052 | 16,342 |
| 2021 | 20,484 | 21,945 |
| 2020 | 36,877 | 39,462 |
| 2019 | 52,397 | 56,598 |
| 2018 | 45,462 | 50,836 |
| 2017 | 61,333 | 70,042 |
| 2016 | 61,527 | 71,016 |
| 2015 | 71,989 | 84,043 |
| 2014 | 69,618 | |
| 2013 | 67,416 | |
| 2012 | 61,255 | |
| 2011 | 55,472 | |
| 2010 | 44,799 | |
| 2009 | 42,323 | |
| 2008 | 33,114 | |
| 2007 | 27,283 | |
| 2006 | 18,957 |
71,989 Focuses first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 86% of the 84,043 first registered that year.
Focus engines and fuel
1.6 litre engines made up 42% of Ford Focus MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.0 litre at 29%. Petrol accounts for 66% of licensed Focuses and diesel for 30%.
Engine size at MOT, 2025
Share of 886,834 initial MOT tests in 2025.
Fuel type, licensed Focuses
DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.
| Fuel | Licensed | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 563,736 | 66% |
| Diesel | 254,766 | 30% |
| Battery electric | 1 | <0.1% |
| Hybrid electric | 37,191 | 4% |
| Other fuels | 80 | <0.1% |
Ford Focus recalls
58 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Ford Focus. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every Focus is affected.
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Jun 2026 R/2026/237
Transit Courier: Diesel DV-Neo Engine Coolant Pump Update
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may have been repaired using a coolant pump with a potential issue. This issue may lead to incorrect engine timing resulting in an engine failure causing a sudden loss of power without prior warning. The engine cannot be restarted.
- Remedy
- Check and replace the water pump and timing belt if necessary.
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May 2026 R/2026/181
Multi Vehicle Line (MVL): Telecommunications Control Module (TCU) loss of Function Software Update
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Affected vehicles may experience a loss of emergency call system (eCall) functionality which impacts both automatic and manual eCall events.
- Remedy
- Update the Telematics Control Unit software to the latest level.
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Mar 2026 R/2026/111
25C75 Focus - Lane Centering Assist Software Update
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- Certain affected vehicles may not have the remedy for Compliance Recall 24C12 installed correctly
- Remedy
- Dealers will update Audio Front Control Module (ACM) software to the latest level available.
-
Feb 2026 R/2026/059
25C77 Focus Telematics Control Unit Software Update
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the software repair for previous recall 20C22 may not have been delivered properly and the Telematics Control Unit (TCU) in these vehicles may disconnect from Ford's Service Delivery Network and become unresponsive.
- Remedy
- Update the TCU software and perform an additional verification process to ensure the configuration has been installed correctly.
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Sep 2025 R/2025/361
Frozen Rearview Camera Screen
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles there is a potential software issue causing the rear-view camera not to function as intended.
- Remedy
- Update the Accessory Protocol Interface Module (APIM) software to the latest level.
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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.
-
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.
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Dec 2024 R/2024/442
Focus Clutch Pedal spring potential touch condition EPAS power Supply wiring
Defect and remedy
- Defect
- On affected vehicles the clutch pedal spring may touch the Electric Power Assisted Steering wiring harness which may lead to clutch spring heat up and fall out a short circuit and loss of steering power assistance.
- Remedy
- Inspect and adjust the position of the wiring and if necessary repair any wiring damage.
Focus 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 Focus's 68% MOT pass rate.
Ford Focus FAQs
How many Ford Focuses are there in the UK?
855,774 Ford Focuses were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 102,377 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.
Is the Ford Focus 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 68% first-time pass rate for the Ford Focus across 886,912 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.
Has the Ford Focus had any recalls?
58 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Ford Focus. The most recent was published in June 2026. 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 Focus?
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 Focus'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 Focus?
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.