2020 Ford Fiesta St-Line Turbo — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 21,896 MOT tests analysed for the 2020 Ford Fiesta St-Line Turbo, the most common recorded failure areas were lighting & signalling, tyres and brakes. Its pass rate of 90.7% was in line with the average for cars of a similar age (90.6%). Higher-mileage examples failed more often — 14.8% in the 90-120k group versus 7.0% in the 0-30k group.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 6.1% | 1,341 |
| 2 | Tyres | 5.0% | 1,100 |
| 3 | Brakes | 1.9% | 428 |
| 4 | Visibility | 1.8% | 389 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 1.1% | 252 |
| 6 | Seat belts & restraints | 0.6% | 133 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Headlamp aim | 1,769 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 735 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 358 |
| 4 | Washers | 331 |
| 5 | Catalyst emissions | 193 |
| 6 | Malfunction indicator lamp | 147 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 24.5% | 5,357 |
| 2 | Brakes | 13.7% | 3,002 |
| 3 | Other defects | 4.8% | 1,044 |
| 4 | Road wheels | 2.0% | 446 |
| 5 | Visibility | 1.3% | 286 |
| 6 | Suspension | 1.2% | 259 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 12,661 | 7.0% |
| 30-60k | 8,481 | 12.0% |
| 60-90k | 669 | 17.0% |
| 90-120k | 61 | 14.8% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 274 | 6.6% |
| 2023 | 7,397 | 8.9% |
| 2024 | 7,023 | 9.0% |
| 2025 | 7,200 | 10.2% |
What to check before buying a 2020 Fiesta St-Line Turbo
Before buying a 2020 Ford Fiesta St-Line Turbo, focus on the areas it most often fails on. Lighting & signalling accounted for 6.1% of tests for this year.
- Lighting & signalling (6.1% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (5.0% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
- Brakes (1.9% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2020 Ford Fiesta St-Line Turbos pass their MOT?
90.7% of the 21,896 2020 Ford Fiesta St-Line Turbo MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 9.3% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2020 Ford Fiesta St-Line Turbo?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 6.1% of tests, followed by tyres (5.0%).
Does the 2020 Fiesta St-Line Turbo get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 7.0% in the 0-30k band to 14.8% in the 90-120k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 21,896 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-01. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.