Used car guide

2019 Ford Mondeo diesel: common problems and MOT failures

What MOT testers find on the diesel Ford Mondeo first registered in 2019 (diesel cars only): we looked at the 8,941 MOTs these cars had during 2023–2025. Plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

8,941MOTs of 2019 diesel cars, done in 2023–2025
83%pass first time (all 2019 cars: 85%)
11,800typical miles a year
3.3×the usual rate for number plate lights

What goes wrong more than usual on a 2019 Ford Mondeo diesel?

Parts flagged at MOT more often on the 2019 Ford Mondeo diesel than on all cars registered in 2019.

  • Number plate lights3.3× usual
    Ford Mondeo
    3.6% All 2019 cars
    1.1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1%, against 0.4% of all 2019 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £5–£40 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check the number plate lights work and the plates are clean and legal.

  • Number plates1.9× usual
    Ford Mondeo
    2.1% All 2019 cars
    1.1%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.1%, against 0.2% of all 2019 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £5–£40 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check the number plate lights work and the plates are clean and legal.

Common 2019 Ford Mondeo diesel MOT failures and advisories

The share of 2019 Ford Mondeo diesel MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    28% 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
    18% 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
    8% of testsRough price £10–£80

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

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    6% 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.

  • Seats and seatbelts
    2% of testsRough price £80–£250

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

Known faults on the 2019 Ford Mondeo diesel

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.

  • Oil pump belt that runs in oil (2.0 EcoBlue diesel)

    2.0 EcoBlue diesel (most Ford 2.0 diesels from about 2018)

    The 2.0 EcoBlue diesel drives its oil pump with a belt that runs in the engine oil. As it wears it can shed rubber and cut oil pressure, which can wreck the engine. Ford has shortened the change interval on the Transit to 6 years or 100,000 miles.

    At the viewing: Ask when the oil pump belt was last changed, and watch for an oil-pressure warning light.

    Source: Parkers: everything you need to know about the Ford wet belt

Questions to ask the seller before buying a 2019 Ford Mondeo diesel

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

  1. Has the oil pump belt been changed, and is there a full service history?
  2. Any recent work on the number plate lights? (Flagged at MOT 3.3× as often on the 2019 Ford Mondeo diesel as on other cars the same age.)
  3. Any recent work on the number plates? (Flagged at MOT 1.9× as often on the 2019 Ford Mondeo diesel as on other cars the same age.)
  4. Can I see the service history and receipts for any big jobs?

Looking at a Ford Mondeo?

Check the actual car: its own MOT history, mileage and what to ask the seller. Free, no sign-up.

Other years

Every year of the Ford Mondeo compared

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2026–Too new for MOT data
2022605Tyres 21%
20212,395Tyres 26%
20206,827Tyres 28%
201821,164Tyres 29%
201732,762Tyres 30%
201648,422Tyres 31%
201552,157Tyres 32%
201434,760Tyres 36%
201337,828Suspension 39%
201247,082Suspension 44%
201139,456Suspension 44%
201046,859Suspension 49%
200945,665Suspension 52%
200843,196Suspension 55%
200733,806Suspension 53%
200621,318Brakes 53%
200517,865Brakes 53%
200411,499Brakes 54%
20036,833Brakes 53%
20025,289Brakes 51%
20014,545Brakes 50%
20002,082Suspension 48%
19991,200Suspension 50%
1998727Suspension 51%
1997525Suspension 45%
1996534Suspension 44%
1995347Suspension 51%
1994252Suspension 54%
1993225Suspension 48%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test done in Great Britain during 2023–2025, counting the MOTs of Ford Mondeo cars first registered in 2019. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score