MOT cost .
Ford Puma
MOT 2024

Photo: Sunnychan, CC BY-SA 2.0

Ford

Puma

5,377 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where Pumas pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 6.7 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.

Pass

70.8%

Pass-after-fix

3.2%

Fail

25.0%

Avg miles

69,951

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

Trim variants

ST Line X Mhev 92.7% 24,478 ST Line Mhev 93.1% 21,407 Titanium Mhev 91.7% 11,330 ST 93.5% 4,640 Titanium 93.2% 3,096 ST Line Vignale Mhev 93.0% 2,849 ST Line X First ED Mhev 92.0% 2,795 Titanium First ED Mhev 93.3% 2,714 ST Line X Auto 93.1% 2,703 Titanium Auto 92.6% 2,232 ST Line 89.8% 2,122 ST Line Auto 93.3% 1,736 ST Line Design Mhev 93.5% 1,389 ST Line Vignale Auto 94.3% 1,361

Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 5,377 tests

Pass rate climbs 22.7 points across the cohorts — newer Puma examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 4,465

Pass

67.0%

Fail

28.6%

PRS

3.3%

Avg mileage at test

79,603 mi

2018–2020 cohort 417

Pass

88.7%

Fail

10.6%

PRS

0.2%

Avg mileage at test

26,310 mi

2021+ cohort 495

Pass

89.7%

Fail

4.7%

PRS

5.7%

Avg mileage at test

20,106 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

The picture

Puma: a below-average pass rate worth digging into

Across 3,288 MOT tests, the Puma returns 67.6% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is the strength or continuity of the load bearing. The strength or continuity of the load bearing and a split CV-joint boot round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 78,341, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 15–23

Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

15–23

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

  1. 01

    The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any sub-frame, spring or suspension component mounting (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired

    490 occurrences · 9.1% of tests

  2. 02

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

    260 occurrences · 4.8% of tests

  3. 03

    The strength or continuity of the load bearing structure within 30cm of any seat belt anchorage (a 'prescribed area') is significantly reduced or inadequately repaired

    239 occurrences · 4.4% of tests

  4. 04

    Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective

    200 occurrences · 3.7% of tests

  5. 05

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

    145 occurrences · 2.7% of tests

  6. 06

    Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded

    126 occurrences · 2.3% of tests

  7. 07

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    103 occurrences · 1.9% of tests

  8. 08

    Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement

    98 occurrences · 1.8% of tests

  9. 09

    Vehicle structure corroded to the extent that the rigidity of the assembly is seriously reduced

    97 occurrences · 1.8% of tests

  10. 10

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    94 occurrences · 1.7% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 2 failures

£70–£260

If every one of this Puma's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 22.7-point gap between bands means the year you buy Ford Puma has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

89.7%

2021+ registration

the 2021-on band climbs to 89.7% — a 22.7-point improvement. Tests in this band average 20,106 miles — roughly 59K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.5 mm thick, has a cut in excess of the… — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. Post-2020 examples are early in their MOT life and generally show the cleanest records.

Band to be cautious about

67.0%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 67.0% pass rate against a fleet average of 89.7% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength, constant velocity boot severely deteriorated, and prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced. Average mileage on test for this band is 79,603 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2021+ (89.7% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (67.0% pass). That's a 22.7-point spread across 4,465 older tests and 495 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

Headlight restoration kit

Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Summit ADRG-18 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

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Summit ADRG-18 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£8.79

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Summit ADRG-10 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

Summit

Summit ADRG-10 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

£9.89

View at My Motor World →

Summit ADRG-47 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

Summit

Summit ADRG-47 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£9.89

View at My Motor World →

Summit ADRG-85 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

Summit

Summit ADRG-85 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

£9.89

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

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Recall history

18 UK recalls on record.

The Puma has 18 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Puma?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a Puma and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.