Model Reports 8 min read Updated 11 Sep 2026 DVSA open data · 13,090 tests analysed

Ford Ranger 2018: reliability & common MOT faults

3,498 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2018 Ford Ranger in 2025. Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.

Coil spring (front) was the most common reason a 2018 Ranger failed its MOT — 30.1% of its failed first attempts.

First-attempt pass

73.3%

of 13,090 first tests (2025)

First tests

13,090

test year 2025

Failed first attempts

3,498

failed first-attempt tests

MOT pass rates

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

First-attempt pass

73.3%

of 13,090 first tests (2025)

Official-style pass

77.9%

incl. same-day PRS fixes

First tests

13,090

class 4 · first MOT of the year

Typical age 7.0 yrs · median mileage 74,398 mi

vs 2024: -1.7 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 3,498 failed first attempts in 2025 that the age-and-mileage comparison can be computed on.

Standout: Leaf spring (rear) — 2.9% of this year's failed first attempts

Recorded on 103 of those tests. It tops the table on elevation — about 52× more often than on similar cars of the same age and mileage. That is what makes it unusual for its class, which is a different question from what is most likely to fail; the buying checklist ranks by that. The full ranked list is in the table below.

Fault pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Leaf spring (rear)
Suspension > Springs > Leaf springs > Leaf spring
 Rear 103 ×52 2.9% Strong
Anti-roll bars — Linkage (front)
Suspension > Anti-roll bars > Linkage
 Front 113 ×21 3.2% Strong
Service brake imbalance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service Brake Efficiency (sp) > Rbt (sp) > Service brake imbalance
 Rear 105 ×13 3.0% Strong
Coil spring (front)
Suspension > Springs > Coil springs > Coil spring
 Front 1,053 ×9.3 30.1% Strong
Anti-lock braking system
Brakes > ABS / EBS / ESC > Anti-lock braking system
 Any 129 ×6.0 3.7% Strong
Rear fog lamp
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Front and rear fog lamps > Rear fog lamp > Rear fog lamp
 Any 102 ×4.1 2.9% Likely
Malfunction indicator lamp
Noise, emissions and leaks > Exhaust emissions > Compression ignition > Malfunction indicator lamp
 Any 378 ×2.6 10.8% Possible
Service brake performance (rear)
Brakes > Brake performance > Service brake performance > Rbt > Service brake performance
 Rear 91 ×2.4 2.6% Possible
Position lamp (front)
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment > Position lamps > Position lamp
 Front 212 ×2.1 6.1% 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.

Wear patterns

Usage and mileage effects that often track road use rather than model design.

These patterns look like wear or usage effects rather than model-specific design faults. Tyres, brake friction material, and alignment-related defects often track mileage and road use.

Pattern Location Failures vs similar cars Share of fails Confidence
Tyre pressure monitoring system
Tyres > Tyre pressure monitoring system
 Any 175 ×2.1 5.0% Wear
Note: These patterns are not treated as a model design fault in our common-faults ranking.

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
Chassis condition
Body, chassis, structure > Chassis > Chassis condition
 Any 29 ×19 0.8% Elevated
Transmission oil leaks (front)
Noise, emissions and leaks > Fluid leaks > Transmission oil leaks
 Front 65 ×16 1.9% Elevated
Hydraulic systems — Reservoirs
Brakes > Hydraulic systems > Reservoirs
 Any 25 ×7.3 0.7% Elevated
Coil spring (front)
Suspension > Springs > Coil springs > Coil spring
 Front 55 ×6.8 1.6% Strong
Brake fluid
Brakes > Hydraulic systems > Brake fluid
 Any 39 ×5.8 1.1% Elevated
Ball joint (front)
Suspension > Suspension arms > Ball joint
 Front 183 ×4.2 5.2% 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.

Nothing separates this year from the Rangers either side of it, so buy on the individual car. The checks below are the items that actually failed 2018 Rangers, commonest first.

Other Ranger years worth knowing about

Newer cars always pass more often, so a plain "best year" list would just rank by age. These are the years that beat or miss the trend their own neighbouring years set — the only age-adjusted signal this data supports.

Year vs the years either side First-attempt pass (rises with newer cars) First tests
2016 Ranger +3.4 pp better 71.8% 9,695
2015 Ranger -2.7 pp worse 64.4% 5,675

What to check on a 2018 Ranger

The items that failed 2018 Rangers 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.

  • Coil spring (front) — recorded on 30.1% of failed first attempts
  • Malfunction indicator lamp — recorded on 10.8% of failed first attempts
  • Brake pads (front) — recorded on 9.1% of failed first attempts
  • Position lamp (front) — recorded on 6.1% of failed first attempts
  • Headlamp aim — recorded on 5.2% 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.

Coil spring (front) was the most common reason a 2018 Ranger failed its MOT — 30.1% of its failed first attempts. In 2025, 73.3% of 13,090 first MOTs on the 2018 Ford Ranger passed first time (PRS — items fixed at the station the same day — counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 77.9%. Among 3,498 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Leaf spring (rear) appears more often than on sim…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2018 Ford Rangers most often at the first attempt were Coil spring (front) (30.1%), Malfunction indicator lamp (10.8%) and Brake pads (front) (9.1%) — 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-faults table answ…
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Leaf spring (rear) (2.9% of those tests; 103 observed failures; about 52× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Leaf spring (rear) shows up more often than on similar cars (2.9% of those tests; 103 observed failures; about 52× 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 2018 Ford Ranger include Leaf spring (rear), Anti-roll bars — Linkage (front), Service brake imbalance (rear). 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 2018 Ford Ranger (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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