Model Reports 4 min read Updated 18 Oct 2026

Ford Fiesta 2001: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 55 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2001 Ford Fiesta were passes. Most common reason for a fail: Suspension mounting area (rear).

Summary

The 2001 Ford Fiesta follows the pattern of the model years either side.

At a glance

How 1,907 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
55 in every 100
Did not pass first time
45 in every 100852 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
24 yearsabout 65,490 miles
First tests counted
1,907

What failed most often

  1. Suspension mounting area (rear)24 in every 100 failed tests
  2. Suspension arm pins and bushes (front)10 in every 100 failed tests
  3. Brake efficiency below minimum (roller test)9 in every 100 failed tests

How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.

Note:

These are patterns across 2001 Ford Fiesta vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.

Suspension

Four faults. The strongest is the swivel pins and bushes (rear): 25 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 852 failed first attempts in 2025 that had a mileage recorded, which allows a like-for-like comparison.

We only list faults with at least 20 failures and a rate of about 2.0 times that of similar cars, which keeps one-off results out of the list.

Swivel pins and bushes (rear)

Failed on 37 first tests25 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A stub axle swivel pin or bush that is excessively worn is Major. One that is insecure, or so worn or insecure that directional stability is impaired, is graded Dangerous.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 37 first tests, 4.7 times as often as on similar cars.

Shock absorbers (rear)

Failed on 63 first tests4.7 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Slight seepage that leaves a film of fluid on a shock absorber does not fail it. Severe leakage, or damage so that it does not function, is Major. A shock absorber missing or likely to become detached is graded Dangerous, though a missing one is only rejected if shock absorbers were fitted as standard.

Suspension arm pins and bushes (front)

Failed on 81 first tests3.5 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Pins and bushes on suspension arms fail as Major when they are excessively worn. They are graded Dangerous when likely to become detached. DVSA uses the same wording for a suspension joint.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 200 first tests, 4.5 times as often as on similar cars.

Suspension mounting area (rear)

Failed on 205 first tests3.5 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

The load bearing structure within a set distance of a sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting is a prescribed area. Major applies when its strength or continuity is significantly reduced or it is inadequately repaired. Dangerous applies when it is so weakened that control of the vehicle is likely to be adversely affected.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 72 first tests, 2.3 times as often as on similar cars.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Seat belts and restraints

Two faults. The strongest is the seat belt mounting area (front): 7.7 times as often as on similar cars.

Seat belt mounting area (front)

Failed on 59 first tests7.7 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A seat belt anchorage likely to become detached in the event of a collision is graded Dangerous. The load bearing structure near an anchorage, called a prescribed area, is Major when its strength or continuity is significantly reduced or it is inadequately repaired. Anchorage points are inspected for all seat belts fitted, except a belt with no corresponding seat.

Seat belt mounting area (rear)

Failed on 24 first tests2.7 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A seat belt anchorage likely to become detached in the event of a collision is graded Dangerous. The load bearing structure near an anchorage, called a prescribed area, is Major when its strength or continuity is significantly reduced or it is inadequately repaired. Anchorage points are inspected for all seat belts fitted, except a belt with no corresponding seat.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Brakes

Three faults. The strongest is the flexible brake hoses (rear): 6.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Flexible brake hoses (rear)

Failed on 38 first tests6.0 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Testers reject a flexible brake hose for being excessively damaged or chafed only if it is severe enough to expose the reinforcement. Slight damage, chafing or twisting is graded Minor. A leak is graded Dangerous on a hydraulic braking system and Major on an air system, and a hose damaged and likely to fail is also Dangerous.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 74 first tests, 3.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Flexible brake hoses (front)

Failed on 40 first tests4.2 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

Testers reject a flexible brake hose for being excessively damaged or chafed only if it is severe enough to expose the reinforcement. Slight damage, chafing or twisting is graded Minor. A leak is graded Dangerous on a hydraulic braking system and Major on an air system, and a hose damaged and likely to fail is also Dangerous.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 91 first tests, 3.2 times as often as on similar cars.

Brake efficiency below minimum (roller test)

Failed on 73 first tests2.8 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Service brake efficiency below the minimum requirement is Major, and efficiency less than half of the required value is graded Dangerous. On a roller brake tester, if more than half of the wheels of a brake system lock, the efficiency requirement for that system counts as met.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.

Body and structure

One fault: exhaust system (front), 3.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Exhaust system (front)

Failed on 23 first tests3.0 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Exhaust fumes causing a danger to health of persons on board are graded Dangerous, and so is a silencer likely to become detached. Fumes entering the cabin are Major. One or more missing or defective mountings does not necessarily make the exhaust insecure, since testers assess the overall security of the system.

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

Advisories

Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.

An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail. Advisories for the faults above are shown with those faults.

Suspension sub-frame pins and bushes (rear)

Noted on 20 first tests6.7 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Macpherson strut pins and bushes (front)

Noted on 35 first tests5.1 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Wheel condition (front)

Noted on 22 first tests3.8 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.

MOT pass rates

How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.

Passed first time
55in every 100
Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station
6in every 100
Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed
39in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 55.3% of 1,907 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 60.8%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 6 fixed and the 39 not fixed make the 45 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Same model, other years

Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.

40608010020012005201020152020Older carsNewer cars
406080100200120102020Newer cars

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb. A year earlier (2024), when these cars were a year younger, 56 in every 100 passed first time.

YearPassed first timeFirst tests
199753 in every 100407
199852 in every 100879
199956 in every 1001,115
200054 in every 1001,109
2001 This car55 in every 1001,907
200256 in every 1005,496
200355 in every 10011,632
200453 in every 10015,586
200553 in every 10019,163
200652 in every 10032,932
200753 in every 10042,015
200852 in every 10046,538
200953 in every 10080,926
201055 in every 10078,060
201157 in every 10077,995
201258 in every 10092,486
201360 in every 100105,711
201462 in every 100115,867
201565 in every 100119,208
201667 in every 100108,889
201774 in every 10086,424
201883 in every 10089,668
201985 in every 10075,408
202086 in every 10048,062
202189 in every 10026,736
202291 in every 10024,525

FAQs

Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.

The 2001 Ford Fiesta follows the pattern of the model years either side. Its main cause of failure was Suspension mounting area (rear), about 24 in every 100 failed tests. In 2025, 55.3% of 1,907 first MOTs on the 2001 Ford Fiesta passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 60.8%. Among 852 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Swivel pins and bushes (rear) appears more often than on similar cars (4.3% of those tests; 37 observed failures; about 25× more often than similar cars). There is no single reliability score here; this is a pre-purchase checklist built from DVSA open data, not a guarantee for any individual car.
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that most often failed a 2001 Ford Fiesta at the first attempt were Suspension mounting area (rear) (24.1%), Suspension arm pins and bushes (front) (9.5%) and Brake efficiency below minimum (roller test) (8.6%), each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong most often on the car. The common faults table shows a different measure: faults that are unusual compared with similar cars.
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Swivel pins and bushes (rear) (4.3% of those tests; 37 observed failures; about 25× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Swivel pins and bushes (rear) shows up more often than on similar cars (4.3% of those tests; 37 observed failures; about 25× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault. Age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase checkpoint, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2001 Ford Fiesta include Swivel pins and bushes (rear), Seat belt mounting area (front), Flexible brake hoses (rear). These are the faults that stand out compared with similar cars, not a complete list of what can go wrong on any individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2001 Ford Fiesta (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics, not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

About this data

How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.

These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.

2024 2025

What we include

UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.

Same-day repairs

PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.

How we compare

We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.

What this does not cover

  • MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
  • Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
  • Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
  • If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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