Ford Thunderbird MOT Pass Rate
Overall pass rate across all manufacture years, based on 2,058 real MOT test results. Failure rate: 20.1%.
Data from official DVSA MOT testing records
Ford Thunderbird MOT Reliability Overview
The Ford Thunderbird is a niche vehicle in the UK, with 2,058 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 18 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 79.9% and a failure rate of 20.1%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
Based on this data, the Ford Thunderbird earns a "Excellent" reliability rating. The average Ford Thunderbird presents for MOT with approximately 54,026 miles on the clock. Manufacture year matters: 1963 models achieve the highest pass rate at 89.4%, while 2003 models have the lowest at 64.8%. This 24.6 percentage point difference suggests notable variation in build quality or component durability across production years.
The most common MOT failure for the Ford Thunderbird is Suspension, affecting 26.2% 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 Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment at 18.2%. Brakes rounds out the top three at 17.5%. 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 | Suspension | 30.7% | 632 |
| 2 | Lamps, Reflectors And Electrical Equipment | 30.2% | 620 |
| 3 | Brakes | 22.4% | 460 |
| 4 | Steering | 9.9% | 204 |
| 5 | Driver's View Of The Road | 5.4% | 112 |
| 6 | Tyres | 4.6% | 95 |
| 7 | Exhaust, Fuel And Emissions | 3.3% | 67 |
| 8 | Body, Chassis, Structure | 1.9% | 40 |
| 9 | Body, Structure And General Items | 1.9% | 39 |
| 10 | Visibility | 1.6% | 33 |
| 11 | Registration Plates And Vin | 0.8% | 17 |
| 12 | Noise, Emissions And Leaks | 0.8% | 16 |
| 13 | Seat Belts And Supplementary Restraint Systems | 0.6% | 12 |
| 14 | Non-component Advisories | 0.5% | 10 |
Failures per 10,000 Miles
avg. 54,026 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.
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| Category | Rate / 10K mi | Raw % | Count |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 5.68 | 30.7% | 632 |
| Lamps & Electrical | 5.57 | 30.2% | 620 |
| Brakes | 4.14 | 22.4% | 460 |
| Steering | 1.83 | 9.9% | 204 |
| Visibility | 1.31 | 7.0% | 145 |
| Tyres | 0.85 | 4.6% | 95 |
| Body & Structure | 0.71 | 3.8% | 79 |
| Emissions & Exhaust | 0.60 | 3.3% | 67 |
| Registration Plates and VIN | 0.15 | 0.8% | 17 |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 0.14 | 0.8% | 16 |
| Seat Belts | 0.11 | 0.6% | 12 |
| Non-component advisories | 0.09 | 0.5% | 10 |
🚗 Similar Cars to Consider
Mileage at MOT
The average Ford Thunderbird has 54,026 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 Thunderbird has a mileage-adjusted failure rate of 3.72% per 10,000 miles driven. The average across all makes is 5.38%, so this model is better than average.
About Ford Thunderbird MOT Data
The Ford Thunderbird is a niche vehicle in the UK, with 2,058 MOT test results recorded in our database spanning 18 manufacture years. It has an overall MOT pass rate of 79.9% and a failure rate of 20.1%, which is well above the UK average of approximately 37%.
For Ford Thunderbird owners, these results suggest a reliable vehicle that generally passes its MOT without major issues. Focus your pre-MOT checks on suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment 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 Thunderbird is likely to perform.
Suspension — 26.2% of failures
Suspension issues account for 26.2% of MOT failures on the Ford Thunderbird. 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.
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment — 18.2% of failures
Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment issues account for 18.2% of MOT failures on the Ford Thunderbird. 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.
Brakes — 17.5% of failures
Brakes issues account for 17.5% of MOT failures on the Ford Thunderbird. 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).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Ford Thunderbird?
Based on 2,058 MOT tests in our database, the Ford Thunderbird has an overall pass rate of 79.9% (20.1% fail rate).
What are the most common MOT failures on a Ford Thunderbird?
The top 3 reasons a Ford Thunderbird fails its MOT are: 1. Suspension (26.2%), 2. Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (18.2%), 3. Brakes (17.5%). Check these areas before booking your MOT.
Is the Ford Thunderbird reliable?
With a 20.1% MOT failure rate, the Thunderbird is more reliable than average compared to the UK average of ~40%.
What should I check before an MOT on my Ford Thunderbird?
Based on failure data, focus on: Suspension (26.2%); Lamps, Reflectors and Electrical Equipment (18.2%); Brakes (17.5%). 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.