Model Reports 4 min read Updated 18 Oct 2026

Ford Focus 2001: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 54 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2001 Ford Focus were passes. Most common reason for a fail: Suspension mounting area (rear).

Summary

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

At a glance

How 3,892 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
54 in every 100
Did not pass first time
46 in every 1001,774 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
24 yearsabout 98,592 miles
First tests counted
3,892

What failed most often

  1. Suspension mounting area (rear)15 in every 100 failed tests
  2. Brake light10 in every 100 failed tests
  3. Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test)10 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 Focus 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

Three faults. The strongest is the anti-roll bar linkage (rear): 11 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 1,768 of 1,774 failed first attempts (99.7%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025. Mileage is needed to compare like with like.

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.

Anti-roll bar linkage (rear)

Failed on 37 first tests11 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

An anti-roll bar linkage is graded Dangerous when a suspension component is missing, likely to become detached, fractured or likely to fail. Insecure attachment that impairs directional stability is graded Dangerous too. Excessive damage or corrosion that seriously weakens the part is Major, and so is plain insecure attachment to the chassis or axle.

Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover (front)

Failed on 107 first tests3.4 times as often as similar carsLikely evidence

What it means

A suspension joint dust cover that is severely deteriorated is Minor. It becomes Major once it is missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt, so what matters is whether it still keeps dirt out. DVSA words this for any suspension joint dust cover, and files it here under anti-roll bars.

Wheel bearings (rear)

Failed on 42 first tests2.0 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Excessive play in a wheel bearing, or a bearing that is excessively rough, is Major. Play so excessive that the bearing is likely to break up or directional control is impaired is Dangerous, and so is a bearing so rough that it is likely to overheat or break up.

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

Lamps and electrical

One fault: rear fog light, 2.8 times as often as on similar cars.

Rear fog light

Failed on 131 first tests2.8 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A missing obligatory rear fog lamp, one that is not working, or one that does not emit a steady red light is graded Major. A rear fog lamp adversely affected by the operation of any other lamp is Major too. The manual allows it to go out when main beam is switched on or when dipped beam headlamps are switched off.

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

Seat belts and restraints

One fault: seat belt mounting area (rear), 2.3 times as often as on similar cars.

Seat belt mounting area (rear)

Failed on 55 first tests2.3 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.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 23 first tests, 3.2 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.

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.

Anti-roll bar linkage pins and bushes (rear)

Noted on 61 first tests9.9 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

Suspension arm (rear)

Noted on 202 first tests5.9 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

Structural sub-frame condition (rear)

Noted on 28 first tests5.1 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Anti-roll bar (rear)

Noted on 36 first tests4.3 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Suspension sub-frame (rear)

Noted on 309 first tests4.2 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Suspension arm pins and bushes (rear)

Noted on 98 first tests2.9 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

Other suspension component (rear)

Noted on 36 first tests2.7 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
54in every 100
Passed on the first test.
Fixed at the station
9in every 100
Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
Failed
37in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 54.4% of 3,892 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 62.9%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 9 fixed and the 37 not fixed make the 46 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Same model, other years

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

40608010020012005201020152020Newer 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, 53 in every 100 passed first time.

YearPassed first timeFirst tests
199952 in every 100910
200053 in every 1001,696
2001 This car54 in every 1003,892
200252 in every 1006,783
200355 in every 1008,641
200452 in every 10011,427
200554 in every 10015,756
200657 in every 10022,078
200757 in every 10031,159
200855 in every 10037,319
200955 in every 10046,757
201056 in every 10047,851
201158 in every 10057,244
201261 in every 10061,916
201362 in every 10067,752
201464 in every 10069,468
201572 in every 10071,323
201677 in every 10060,894
201781 in every 10060,958
201882 in every 10045,414
201981 in every 10052,713
202086 in every 10036,414
202189 in every 10020,069
202290 in every 10014,931

If you are buying one

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

Mileage matters most on a 2001 Focus.

Of 2001 Focus vehicles with under 69,000 miles, 66 in every 100 passed their 2025 MOT first time. With 132,000 miles or more, 46 in every 100 did.

Under 69,000782 tests
66
69,000–89,000757 tests
58
89,000–109,000 Typical car791 tests
51
109,000–132,000770 tests
51
132,000 and over777 tests
46

What to check at your mileage

How often each fault turned up on a failed first test, by the car's mileage. Read it as: what is likely to need looking at on a car like the one in front of you.

Under 69,00089,000–109,000132,000 and over
Suspension mounting area (rear)2.96.19.9
Brake light2.76.25.7
Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test)2.45.46.4
Individual sidelight or tail light (front)1.24.47.1
Rear fog light2.73.83.7

Faults per 100 first tests, by the car's mileage at the test.

When a car fails

21in every 100

of failed cars had one item to fix.

57in every 100

of failed cars had three or more items to fix.

11in every 100

of all first tests had a defect the tester marked dangerous (unsafe to drive away).

Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line, for cars of this model year tested in 2025. Each mileage band holds a fifth of the tests. 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.

The 2001 Ford Focus follows the pattern of the model years either side. Its main cause of failure was Suspension mounting area (rear), about 15 in every 100 failed tests. In 2025, 54.4% of 3,892 first MOTs on the 2001 Ford Focus passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 62.9%. Among 1,774 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Anti-roll bar linkage (rear) appears more often than on similar cars (2.1% of those tests; 37 observed failures; about 11× 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 Focus at the first attempt were Suspension mounting area (rear) (14.9%), Brake light (10.4%) and Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test) (10.0%), 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: Anti-roll bar linkage (rear) (2.1% of those tests; 37 observed failures; about 11× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Anti-roll bar linkage (rear) shows up more often than on similar cars (2.1% of those tests; 37 observed failures; about 11× 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 Focus include Anti-roll bar linkage (rear), Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover (front), Rear fog light. 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 Focus (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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