Ford Escort Cl MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 858 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 73.4%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Ford Escort Cl MOT Reliability Overview
The Ford Escort Cl is a rare vehicle in the UK, with 858 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 2 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 26.6% and a failure rate of 73.4%, which is significantly below the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Ford Escort Cl earns a "Very Poor" reliability rating. The average Ford Escort Cl presents for MOT with approximately 57,386 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 1998 models achieve the highest pass rate at 26.8%, while 1997 models have the lowest at 25.2%. This 1.6 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Ford Escort Cl is Suspension, affecting 55.0% of all tests. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. The second most common issue is Brakes at 52.9%. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment rounds out the top three at 36.8%. Together, these top 3 failure categories account for a significant portion of all MOT failures for this model.
Top failures across all manufacture years combined. Individual year pages may show different top failures.
What Fails Most
Best Year to Buy
📈 How Each Vintage Ages
Pass Rate by Manufacture Year
* High Fail Rate badge indicates an MOT pass rate below 65% (failure rate above 35%).
What Fails on This Car?
Click a category to see specific failure items.
View as table
| Rank | Failure Category | Rate (%) | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brakes | 149.9% | 1,286 |
| 2 | Suspension | 142.7% | 1,224 |
| 3 | Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment | 64.3% | 552 |
| 4 | Body, Structure And General Items | 47.3% | 406 |
| 5 | Exhaust, Fuel And Emissions | 45.2% | 388 |
| 6 | Seat Belts And Supplementary Restraint Systems | 41.8% | 359 |
| 7 | Tyres | 41.7% | 358 |
| 8 | Driver's View Of The Road | 28.1% | 241 |
| 9 | Steering | 7.8% | 67 |
| 10 | Items Not Tested | 4.2% | 36 |
| 11 | Registration Plates And Vin | 1.7% | 15 |
| 12 | Road Wheels | 1.4% | 12 |
| 13 | Towbars | 0.3% | 3 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 57,386 miFor every 10,000 miles driven, this shows what percentage of MOT tests fail for each category. This accounts for how far cars are actually driven, not just raw pass/fail counts.
View as table
| Category | Rate / 10K mi | Raw % | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brakes | 26.12 | 149.9% | 1,286 |
| Suspension | 24.86 | 142.7% | 1,224 |
| Lamps & Electrical | 11.21 | 64.3% | 552 |
| Body & Structure | 8.25 | 47.3% | 406 |
| Emissions & Exhaust | 7.88 | 45.2% | 388 |
| Seat Belts | 7.29 | 41.8% | 359 |
| Tyres | 7.27 | 41.7% | 358 |
| Visibility | 4.89 | 28.1% | 241 |
| Steering | 1.36 | 7.8% | 67 |
| Items Not Tested | 0.73 | 4.2% | 36 |
| Registration Plates and VIN | 0.30 | 1.7% | 15 |
| Wheels | 0.24 | 1.4% | 12 |
| Towbars | 0.06 | 0.3% | 3 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Ford Escort Cl has 57,386 miles when tested for MOT.
📊 Mileage-Adjusted Failure Rate
How often this car fails MOT relative to how much it's driven — a fairer comparison than raw pass rate.
The Ford Escort Cl has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 12.79% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is worse than average.
About Ford Escort Cl MOT Data
The Ford Escort Cl is a rare vehicle in the UK, with 858 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 2 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 26.6% and a failure rate of 73.4%, which is significantly below the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Ford Escort Cl owners, these results suggest above-average failure risk — thorough pre-MOT checks are recommended. Focus your pre-MOT checks on suspension and brakes for the best chance of a first-time pass. Use our detailed year-by-year breakdown and failure analysis below to understand how your specific Escort Cl is likely to perform.
Suspension — 55.0% of failures
Suspension issues account for 55.0% of MOT failures on the Ford Escort Cl. Suspension failures typically involve worn bushes, leaking shock absorbers, broken coil springs, and damaged suspension arms. These affect ride quality, tyre wear, and road holding. Typical repair costs: £200–500. Pre-MOT check: Look for uneven tyre wear, listen for clunking over bumps, and check if the car pulls to one side. A bouncy ride suggests worn shock absorbers. Visually inspect coil springs for cracks.
Brakes — 52.9% of failures
Brakes issues account for 52.9% of MOT failures on the Ford Escort Cl. Brake-related failures include worn brake pads, corroded brake discs, leaking brake lines, and faulty brake servos. These are safety-critical components — any brake deficiency will result in an MOT fail. Typical repair costs: £150–400. Pre-MOT check: Listen for squealing or grinding noises. Check brake pedal feel — if it feels spongy or goes to the floor, have the system inspected immediately. Look at brake pad thickness through the wheel spokes (minimum 3mm).
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 36.8% of failures
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment issues account for 36.8% of MOT failures on the Ford Escort Cl. Lighting failures cover all external lights: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights, and reflectors. A single blown bulb will cause an MOT fail. This is one of the most preventable failure categories. Typical repair costs: £5–50. Pre-MOT check: Walk around the car and check every light — headlights (dipped and main beam), side lights, tail lights, brake lights, indicators, hazard lights, reverse light, rear fog light, and number plate lights. Replace any blown bulbs before the test.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Ford Escort Cl?
Based on 858 MOT tests in our database, the Ford Escort Cl has an overall pass rate of 26.6% (73.4% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Ford Escort Cl?
The top 3 reasons a Ford Escort Cl fails its MOT are: 1. Suspension (55.0%), 2. Brakes (52.9%), 3. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (36.8%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Ford Escort Cl reliable?
With a 73.4% MOT failure rate, the Escort Cl is less reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Ford Escort Cl?
Based on failure data, focus on: Suspension (55.0%); Brakes (52.9%); Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (36.8%). These are the areas most likely to cause a fail. Also check all lights, tyres (minimum 1.6mm tread), and windscreen condition — these are quick wins that apply to all cars.
Based on DVSA anonymised MOT test data (2005–2024). Crown copyright, Open Government Licence v3.0.