What are the most common problems with a Ford Freedom?

At MOT, seat belts and exhaust system are flagged more often than on other cars the same age.

What should I ask the seller before buying a used Ford Freedom?

Any recent work on the seat belts? (Flagged at MOT 11.6× as often on the Ford Freedom as on other cars the same age.) Any recent work on the exhaust system? (Flagged at MOT 4.4× as often on the Ford Freedom as on other cars the same age.) Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Used car guide · 2016–2021

Ford Freedom common problems and MOT failures

What goes wrong on a used Ford Freedom, year by year: known faults from UK buying guides, the parts flagged at MOT more than on other cars (from 4,260 MOTs done during 2023–2025), and what to check before you buy one.

4,260MOTs done in 2023–2025, all years of this model

1,322on the UK register

2016best year at its MOT

Pick the year

Most years have their own guide. The year is when the car was first registered (it’s on the logbook, or check the reg below).

2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

What usually goes wrong with a Ford Freedom?

We haven’t found widely reported faults for the Ford Freedom in the UK buying guides we use yet. That doesn’t mean it has none, so check the car carefully and look at the MOT weak spots below.

Common Ford Freedom MOT failures to check

Parts flagged at MOT well above the usual rate for cars the same age, in more than one year. From the DVSA’s results for every MOT done in Great Britain during 2023–2025.

Seat belts
up to 11.6× usual

Stands out on cars registered in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Rough price £80–£250 our estimate

At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock and retract smoothly.
Exhaust system
up to 4.4× usual

Stands out on cars registered in 2016 and 2017.

Rough price £100–£500 (pipe or section) ClickMechanic

At the viewing: Listen for blowing or rattling from underneath at idle, and look for black soot around joints.

Ford Freedom MOT pass rate by year

Of the years since 2005 with plenty of MOT tests, the 2016 Ford Freedom did best (79% passed first time, 2 points above all 2016 cars) and the 2018 did worst (79%, 4 points below all 2018 cars). Older cars fail more, so compare each year with all cars registered the same year.

Year	Pass first time	All cars that year	MOT tests
2021	76%	87% -11	173 (small sample)
2020	79%	87% -8	438 (small sample)
2019	78%	85% -7	264 (small sample)
2018	79%	83% -4	789
2017	80%	80% +0	1,574
2016	79%	77% +2	1,022

Questions to ask the seller before buying a Ford Freedom

Ask before you travel to see it. A seller who knows the car will have answers, and receipts.

Any recent work on the seat belts? (Flagged at MOT 11.6× as often on the Ford Freedom as on other cars the same age.)
Any recent work on the exhaust system? (Flagged at MOT 4.4× as often on the Ford Freedom as on other cars the same age.)
Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Ford Freedom?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, whether it already shows these weak spots and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Where this comes from: MOT figures are the DVSA’s anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, grouped by the year each car was first registered. How many are on the road is from the Department for Transport’s vehicle licensing statistics. Known faults are from UK buying guides, in our own words, with links. How we score