The Ford Fiesta wins this one, but not by the landslide the pub argument expects.
Across the 2024 public UK MOT record, the Fiesta logged 2,488,311 tests and passed 72.32% first time. The Vauxhall Corsa logged 1,531,302 tests and passed 70.79% first time. That makes the Fiesta
That is a real lead. It is also a narrow one.
The useful question is not “which badge is tougher?” It is “which used example is less likely to turn up with the same tired, predictable MOT failures?” On that test, the Fiesta still edges it, but the Corsa has a few places where the story gets uncomfortable for Ford buyers.
The Headline Result
The Fiesta’s 72.32% pass rate comes from a huge sample:
The Fiesta’s lead is small enough that condition matters more than badge. A neglected Fiesta will still be a worse buy than a properly maintained Corsa. But when you average the whole 2024 record, the Ford is the cleaner bet.
There is one immediate caveat. The Fiesta arrived at test with higher average mileage: 73,803 miles versus 71,203 for the Corsa. That means the Fiesta is not winning because it is being tested younger or lighter-used. It is passing slightly more often despite carrying about 2,600 extra miles at test.
That is the strongest point in Ford’s favour.
What Fails On The Fiesta
The Fiesta’s top failures read like a small hatchback that has done school runs, kerb knocks, winter potholes and cheap maintenance for years.
The top five recorded failure reasons are:
- Worn suspension bushes: 79,622
- Stop-lamp out: 64,398
- Tyre tread under the limit: 51,324
- Worn steering ball joint: 48,181
- Torn suspension dust cover: 43,969
This is not an exotic-fault list. It is age, mileage and deferred maintenance.
The Fiesta’s weak spot is the front-end wear pattern. Suspension pins, bushes, joints and steering ball joints all sit high in the failure table. A cheap Fiesta that clonks over speed bumps is not “just an old Ford noise”. It is exactly the kind of car that the 2024 record says gets failed.
The stop-lamp count is also worth taking seriously because it is so avoidable. A rear bulb or lamp fault can be fixed cheaply before the test. The fact it appears second says many owners are presenting cars without doing even a five-minute walkaround.
That matters when buying. A Fiesta with an MOT history full of lamps, tyres and suspension advisories is telling you the previous owner used the test as a maintenance plan. Walk away unless the price reflects a proper catch-up.
What Fails On The Corsa
The Corsa’s top failures are different enough to matter.
The top five recorded failure reasons are:
- Torn steering gaiter or ball-joint dust cover: 79,467
- Broken or weak spring: 58,145
- Number-plate lamp out: 56,677
- Missing steering gaiter: 35,116
- Tyre tread under the limit: 28,436
The Corsa’s steering-gaiter pattern is the buyer warning. The top recorded failure is a damaged or deteriorated steering rack gaiter or ball-joint dust cover. Fourth is the same area when the cover is missing or no longer keeping dirt out.
That is not glamorous, but it matters. Once a gaiter has split, dirt and water can get into the joint. Leave it long enough and a cheap rubber part becomes a steering or suspension repair.
The second big Corsa signal is springs. A fractured or seriously weakened spring appears much higher on the Corsa than on the Fiesta’s all-age list. If you are looking at an older Corsa, check the ride height, listen for twangs over bumps, and read the previous advisories for spring corrosion or fracture.
The Corsa also has a big number-plate-lamp count. Like the Fiesta’s stop-lamp issue, that says a chunk of failures are boring and preventable. But boring failures still cost you a retest, a wasted day, and leverage for the seller if you only notice after buying.
The Cohort Split Changes The Argument
The all-age number is useful, but it blends very old cars with newer ones. The by-year-band split shows what happens when you separate pre-2018 cars, 2018-2020 cars and 2021-on cars.
For pre-2018 cars, the Fiesta passes 70.65% first time from 2,236,442 tests. The Corsa passes 69.73% from 1,406,909 tests. That is a narrow Ford win in the age band most used buyers are actually shopping.
For 2018-2020 cars, the gap opens. The Fiesta passes 87.15% from 245,203 tests. The Corsa passes 82.69% from 124,156 tests. That is the most convincing part of the Fiesta case. Same broad age window, similar average mileage, much stronger Ford pass rate.
For 2021-on cars, the Corsa shows 88.61% against the Fiesta’s 88.04%. Do not overread that. The Corsa sample in this model bucket is only 237 tests, while the Fiesta has 6,666. The Corsa number is interesting, but it is not enough to overturn the larger result.
The buyer version is simple: if you are shopping pre-2018, inspect condition harder than badge. If you are shopping 2018-2020, the Fiesta has the clearer record.
Mileage And Use
The Fiesta’s average mileage at test is 73,803. The Corsa’s is 71,203.
That gap is not huge, but it cuts against the lazy reading that the Fiesta only wins because it is less used. It is actually arriving at test with slightly more miles on the clock.
The cohort mileages add more colour. Pre-2018 Fiestas average 78,109 miles at test; pre-2018 Corsas average 74,338. Again, the Ford is carrying more miles and still passes slightly more often. In the 2018-2020 group, they are almost level: 36,101 for Fiesta and 35,918 for Corsa. That makes the Fiesta’s 87.15% versus 82.69% pass rate harder to dismiss.
For 2021-on cars, the Corsa’s average is 24,704 miles and the Fiesta’s is 21,954. But the Corsa sample is tiny, so use that as a prompt to inspect, not as a firm model-wide verdict.
The mileage-adjusted read favours the Fiesta. It passes more often while carrying a little more wear.
That is why the headline winner is not just a statistical technicality.
Fuel Mix
Both cars are overwhelmingly petrol in the 2024 record, but the Corsa is even more petrol-heavy.
The Fiesta fuel mix is roughly:
- Petrol: 2,134,212 tests, about 85.8%
- Diesel: 353,989 tests, about 14.2%
- Everything else: 110 tests, effectively zero at this scale
The Corsa fuel mix is roughly:
- Petrol: 1,398,126 tests, about 91.3%
- Diesel: 133,068 tests, about 8.7%
- Everything else: 108 tests, effectively zero at this scale
This matters because a diesel-heavy model can look worse in MOT data as mileage climbs and emissions-related faults appear. That is not the main explanation here. The Fiesta has the higher diesel share and higher average mileage, yet still posts the better first-time pass rate.
The Corsa’s result is therefore not being unfairly dragged down by a diesel fleet. Its weak points are more about steering gaiters, springs, lamps, wipers and tyres.
For buyers, the fuel mix says this comparison mostly reflects petrol superminis. If you are looking at a diesel Fiesta or diesel Corsa, the general model result is still useful, but you should give emissions history, smoke, warning lights and service intervals extra attention.
Buyer Warning: Do Not Buy The Cheapest One Blind
The Fiesta is the data winner, but the worst Fiesta buys are obvious.
Avoid any Fiesta with repeated advisories for suspension bushes, steering ball joints, dust covers, springs or tyre wear on one edge. That pattern usually means the car has been maintained just enough to scrape through. A fresh MOT does not erase years of advisories.
The Corsa warning is different. Look for steering-rack gaiters, ball-joint dust covers, springs and wipers. If the same gaiter or spring advisory appears year after year, assume the owner has been ignoring small failures until they become MOT-stopping failures.
On both cars, tyres and lamps are the honesty test. One isolated tyre fail is normal. Repeated tyre tread, damaged tyre, stop-lamp and number-plate-lamp failures say the owner does not check the car. That is often a better predictor of future bills than the badge on the boot.
Which One Should You Buy?
Buy the Fiesta if you want the stronger 2024 MOT record and you are choosing between ordinary, comparable examples. The lead is only 1.53 percentage points across the full record, but the Fiesta also has higher average mileage and a much stronger 2018-2020 cohort. That combination is persuasive.
Buy the Corsa if the individual car is cleaner, cheaper, and has a better maintenance history. The Corsa is not miles behind. A good one beats a tired Fiesta every time. But you need to be strict on steering gaiters, springs and repeat advisories.
The 2018-2020 band is where the Fiesta looks most convincing. If your budget puts you in that age range, the Ford’s 87.15% pass rate against the Corsa’s 82.69% is the clearest split in the data.
For older cars, the choice gets tighter. Pre-2018 Fiesta: 70.65%. Pre-2018 Corsa: 69.73%. That is too close to buy on badge alone. Inspect the MOT history line by line, then inspect the underside.
Verdict
The winner is the Ford Fiesta.
It passes first time more often, does it across a bigger sample, and carries slightly higher average mileage while doing so. The Corsa fights back among the newest cars, but that cohort is too small in this model bucket to outweigh the four-million-test picture.
The sharp buyer take is this: choose the Fiesta on equal condition, especially for 2018-2020 cars. Choose the Corsa only when the individual example has cleaner history, fewer repeat advisories and no steering-gaiter or spring pattern.