Is the Ford Fiesta reliable?

The Ford Fiesta has an average MOT pass rate of 76% across 33 years, based on 2,484,327 tests in 2026. That's 6 points below the national average of 82%. The most reliable year is 2021 with a 94% pass rate.

Which year Ford Fiesta is best?

The 2021 Ford Fiesta has the highest MOT pass rate at 94%, while the 1998 model has the lowest at 65%. There's a 29 percentage point spread between the best and worst years.

Ford Fiesta

Reliability, running costs, and MOT data across 33 years from 2,484,327 real MOT tests.

Avg Pass Rate

76%

Total Tests

2,484,327

Best Year

2021 (94%)

Years Covered

About the Ford Fiesta

The Ford Fiesta has been tested 2,484,327 times in 2026 MOT data across 33 model years (1990 to 2022), with an average pass rate of 76%. That's 6 points below the national average of 82%, so check the year-by-year data carefully before buying. Available as petrol and diesel.

Best and Worst Years

The 2021 model is the most reliable with a 94% pass rate from 6,234 tests. The 1998 model has the lowest at 65%. With a 29 point spread, choosing the right year makes a big difference to reliability.

Reliability Trend

Newer FORD FIESTAs show better MOT pass rates than older ones, with an average improvement of 9 percentage points.

Mileage Across Years

The oldest model in our data (1990) averages 53,299 miles, while the newest (2022) averages 18,726 miles.

Compared to the Ford brand average of 85%, the Fiesta is 9 points lower, placing it among the less reliable Ford models.

Estimated Running Costs

Fuel (Petrol, 1496cc)

£1,137

Road Tax

£195

MOT Test

£55

Predicted Repairs

£200

Total per year£1,587

Per month£132/mo

Based on 7,400 miles/year, current fuel prices, and MOT pass rate data. Insurance not included.

Full 2022 details

How reliable is the Ford Fiesta?

vs national average-6% (82% avg)

vs Ford brand average-9% (85% avg)

Best to worst year spread29 percentage points

Reliability trendImproving over years

Ford Fiesta by Year

Click any year to see detailed running costs, reliability data, and comparisons with similar cars.

Year	Pass Rate	Tests	Avg Mileage
2022	93%	404	18,726 mi
2021	94%	6,234	22,177 mi
2020	91%	34,173	29,611 mi
2019	91%	124,950	34,738 mi
2018	90%	157,746	42,265 mi
2017	85%	154,616	48,995 mi
2016	81%	205,128	56,940 mi
2015	81%	225,575	63,696 mi
2014	79%	224,536	71,010 mi
2013	77%	211,536	77,629 mi
2012	75%	185,847	83,104 mi
2011	75%	161,778	90,389 mi
2010	73%	165,879	95,140 mi
2009	72%	180,029	96,775 mi
2008	72%	109,443	95,143 mi
2007	72%	99,442	96,164 mi
2006	70%	81,463	97,129 mi
2005	70%	48,429	97,715 mi
2004	71%	39,183	97,910 mi
2003	71%	29,898	96,816 mi
2002	70%	14,118	88,471 mi
2001	68%	4,970	72,535 mi
2000	67%	2,809	71,739 mi
1999	67%	4,854	66,066 mi
1998	65%	4,382	56,318 mi
1997	66%	1,926	57,252 mi
1996	71%	1,061	51,823 mi
1995	74%	859	53,478 mi
1994	77%	616	50,884 mi
1993	69%	565	50,329 mi
1992	76%	545	53,988 mi
1991	84%	854	51,137 mi
1990	83%	479	53,299 mi