Used car guide · 2017–2023

Ford Fiesta Mk8: best and worst years, and what goes wrong

How every year of the Ford Fiesta Mk8 did at its MOT in 2025 compared with other cars the same age, the weak spots that keep coming up, and what to check before you buy one. From 284,046 MOT tests.

2018best year: 83% pass first time, 2 points above all 2018 cars
2020weakest year: 86% pass first time, 0 points above all 2020 cars
Wheelsthe weak spot that shows up in 3 different years

Year by year

First-time MOT pass rate for each year of the Ford Fiesta Mk8, against all cars registered the same year. Older cars fail more, so the comparison with cars the same age is what matters.

60%80%100%2017: 75% pass first time (all 2017 cars: 78%) 75% 2017*2018: 83% pass first time (all 2018 cars: 81%) 83% 20182019: 85% pass first time (all 2019 cars: 84%) 85% 20192020: 86% pass first time (all 2020 cars: 86%) 86% 20202022: 90% pass first time (all 2022 cars: 89%) 90% 2022
This model, first-time pass rate All cars registered that year · * changeover year: some cars are the previous or next generation
YearPass first timeAll cars that yearStands outMOT tests
2017*75%78% -3Steering swivel joints 19.3× usual89,566
201883%81% +2Nothing unusual92,914
201985%84% +1Wheels 2.8× usual73,694
202086%86% +0Shock absorbers 2× usual20,223
202290%89% +1Wheels 4.4× usual7,649

Weak spots across the Ford Fiesta Mk8

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year of this generation. Repeat findings like these are much less likely to be chance.

  • Wheelsup to 4.4× usual

    Stands out in 3 years: 2022, 2020, 2019.

    Rough price £70–£150 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

Known faults

From owners, mechanics and UK buying guides, in our own words. Not every car will have them.

  • Timing belt that runs in oil (1.0 EcoBoost)

    The 1.0 EcoBoost’s timing belt sits in the engine oil. If oil changes are missed or the wrong oil is used, the belt can break down and shed bits that block the oil pickup, which can wreck the engine.

    Check: Ask for a full service history with regular oil changes, and whether the timing belt has been changed when Ford says it’s due.

    If it needs doing: Timing belt (cambelt) change, about £300–£700 (often with the water pump). ClickMechanic

    Source: Bumper: Ford Fiesta reliability guide

  • PowerShift automatic gearbox

    Automatic Fiestas with the PowerShift gearbox can give jerky changes, hesitate, or in bad cases lose drive. Repairs can be expensive.

    Check: If it’s an automatic, pull away gently from a standstill several times and drive in slow traffic. Any judder, clunk or hesitation is a warning sign.

    Source: Bumper: Ford Fiesta reliability guide

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting each car's main test of the year (not retests). A weak spot needs at least 30 cars flagged and must stay 1.5× the usual rate even at the cautious end of a 95% confidence range. Generation years are approximate: cars registered in a changeover year (*) can be either generation. How we score

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