Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 5,496 tests analysed

Ford Fiesta 2002: reliability & common MOT faults

2,411 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2002 Ford Fiesta in 2025. The items recorded most often on them were Service brake imbalance (rear) and Stop lamp. Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Petrol Fiestas passed first time 2.8 pp more often than diesel ones (56.3% of 5,074 vs 53.6% of 422).

First-attempt pass

56.1%

of 5,496 first tests (2025)

First tests

5,496

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

2,411

failed first-attempt tests

Most common fail

10.8%

Service brake imbalance (rear)

MOT pass rates

First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.

First-attempt pass

56.1%

of 5,496 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

64.6%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

5,496

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 23.0 yrs · median mileage 82,174 mi

vs 2024: +1.2 pp first-attempt

Note:

  • Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
  • PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
  • Raw outcomes for this cohort — not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
  • MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.

Common faults

Failure patterns that show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars.

These MOT failure patterns show up more often on this registration year than on similar cars of the same class, age, and mileage.

Shares below are measured across the 2,378 of 2,411 failed first attempts (98.6%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025 — the subset the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Service brake imbalance (rear) — 10.8% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 256 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 3.6× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. On this year it is also the commonest failure, so it answers both questions at once. The full ranked list is in the table below.

No patterns met the strongest callout thresholds on this page; showing the highest-lift rows that still cleared the display floors.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Service brake imbalance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service Brake Efficiency (sp) > Rbt (sp) > Service brake imbalance
 Rear 256 ×3.6 10.8% Likely
Wheel bearings (rear)
Suspension > Wheel bearings
 Rear 97 ×3.3 4.1% Likely
Ball joint dust cover (front)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Ball joint dust cover
 Front 129 ×2.7 5.4% Possible
Prescribed areas
Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems > Seat belts > Prescribed areas
 Any 48 ×2.5 2.0% Possible
Flexible brake hoses (rear)
Brakes > Flexible brake hoses
 Rear 50 ×2.4 2.1% Possible
Shock absorbers (rear)
Suspension > Shock absorbers
 Rear 94 ×2.2 4.0% Possible

Only patterns that clear minimum sample and elevation thresholds are shown (at least 20 failures and about 2.0× more often than similar cars).

Note: Rates and comparisons are among first-attempt failed tests, not all MOTs. Patterns come from MOT defect codes — not manufacturer service bulletins, recalls, or a diagnosis of any individual car. Failures and advisories are listed separately.

Advisories

Notes recorded at the test that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory notes recorded on failed first-attempt tests that appear more often than on similar cars.

Advisory pattern Location Notes vs similar cars Share Confidence
Road Wheels — Condition (rear)
Road Wheels > Condition
 Rear 70 ×5.7 2.9% Elevated
Road Wheels — Condition (front)
Road Wheels > Condition
 Front 99 ×5.1 4.2% Elevated
Swivel pins and bushes (rear)
Suspension > Axles > Swivel pins and bushes
 Rear 89 ×3.8 3.7% Likely
Wheel bearings (rear)
Suspension > Wheel bearings
 Rear 115 ×3.4 4.8% Likely
Pins and bushes (rear)
Suspension > Sub-frames > Pins and bushes
 Rear 30 ×2.8 1.3% Elevated
Other components
Steering > Power steering > Other components
 Any 36 ×2.4 1.5% Elevated
Service brake imbalance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Rbt > Service brake imbalance
 Rear 21 ×2.1 0.9% Elevated
Stop lamp (rear)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Stop lamp
 Rear 36 ×2.1 1.5% Elevated
Note: Advisories are not a fail rate — they flag issues noted at the test, often before they become failures.

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

On this year, prefer the petrol. The diesel cars passed first time 2.8 pp less often, on 422 tests.

What to check on a 2002 Fiesta

The items that failed 2002 Fiestas most often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes wrong, not what is unusual — the table further up the page covers that.

  • Service brake imbalance (rear) — recorded on 10.8% of failed first attempts
  • Stop lamp — recorded on 10.0% of failed first attempts
  • Component mounting prescribed areas (rear) — recorded on 7.8% of failed first attempts
  • Catalyst emissions — recorded on 7.7% of failed first attempts
  • Position lamp (front) — recorded on 7.1% of failed first attempts

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.

FAQs

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

Petrol Fiestas passed first time 2.8 pp more often than diesel ones (56.3% of 5,074 vs 53.6% of 422). In 2025, 56.1% of 5,496 first MOTs on the 2002 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 64.6%. Among 2,411 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Service brake imbalance (rear) appears more often than on simi…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2002 Ford Fiestas most often at the first attempt were Service brake imbalance (rear) (10.8%), Stop lamp (10.0%) and Component mounting prescribed areas (rear) (7.8%) — each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common…
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Service brake imbalance (rear) (10.8% of those tests; 256 observed failures; about 3.6× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Service brake imbalance (rear) shows up more often than on similar cars (10.8% of those tests; 256 observed failures; about 3.6× 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 check point, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2002 Ford Fiesta include Service brake imbalance (rear), Wheel bearings (rear), Ball joint dust cover (front). These patterns show up more often than on similar cars after we filter out sparse noise — not a full list of every possible fault on an 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 2002 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.
  • We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.

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

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