Used car guide

2021 Ford Focus: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2021 Ford Focuss, from 8,521 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

8,521MOT tests in 2025
87%pass first time (all 2021 cars: 87%)
8,800typical miles a year
2.1×the usual rate for brake pads

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2021 Ford Focuss than on all cars registered in 2021.

  • Brake pads2.1× usual
    Ford Focus
    14% All 2021 cars
    6.8%
    Rough price £80–£180

    At the viewing: Listen for squealing or grinding when braking, and look through the wheel at how much pad is left.

By area

The share of 2021 Ford Focus MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    27% of testsRough price £70–£150

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

  • Brakes
    19% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Lights and electrics
    4% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Seats and seatbelts
    3% of testsRough price £80–£250

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock, and retract cleanly.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    3% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Suspension
    2% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

Known faults

Reported by owners, mechanics and buying guides for this model and age. Check which engine the car has, as some apply to one engine only.

  • Timing belt that runs in oil (1.0 EcoBoost)
    1.0 EcoBoost petrol

    The 1.0 EcoBoost’s timing belt sits in the engine oil. Missed or wrong-spec oil changes can make it break down and block the oil pickup, which can wreck the engine.

    At the viewing: Ask for a full service history with regular oil changes, and whether the timing belt has been changed when due.

    Source: Bumper: Ford Fiesta reliability guide

Looking at a Ford Focus?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
202030,344Tyres 30%
201953,319Tyres 30%
201847,246Tyres 31%
201763,270Tyres 32%
201663,324Tyres 32%
201574,174Tyres 35%
201472,213Tyres 36%
201370,325Tyres 36%
201264,331Suspension 40%
201159,423Suspension 44%
201049,593Suspension 49%
200948,664Suspension 51%
200839,015Suspension 54%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2021 Ford Focuss registered in 2021. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score