2021 Ford Kuga St-Line — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 2,811 MOT tests analysed for the 2021 Ford Kuga St-Line, the most common recorded failure areas were tyres, visibility and brakes. Its pass rate of 93.3% was above the average for cars of a similar age (91.2%).
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 2.9% | 83 |
| 2 | Visibility | 2.2% | 62 |
| 3 | Brakes | 1.8% | 50 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 1.2% | 33 |
| 5 | Suspension | 0.8% | 23 |
| 6 | Other defects | 0.3% | 9 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 68 |
| 2 | Brake pads | 46 |
| 3 | Washers | 45 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 32 |
| 5 | Shock absorbers | 24 |
| 6 | Wipers | 22 |
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 | 18.5% | 520 |
| 2 | Brakes | 17.6% | 495 |
| 3 | Other defects | 7.1% | 201 |
| 4 | Suspension | 5.5% | 156 |
| 5 | Visibility | 1.1% | 31 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 0.7% | 20 |
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 | 1,826 | 5.2% |
| 30-60k | 959 | 9.3% |
Failure rate by age
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 82 | 4.9% |
| 2024 | 1,334 | 5.4% |
| 2025 | 1,395 | 8.1% |
What to check before buying a 2021 Kuga St-Line
Before buying a 2021 Ford Kuga St-Line, focus on the areas it most often fails on. Tyres accounted for 2.9% of tests for this year.
- Tyres (2.9% 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.
- Visibility (2.2% of tests): Wipers, washers, mirrors and screen damage — usually inexpensive, but check for chips in the driver's line of sight. Typical repair: £15–£150.
- Brakes (1.8% 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 2021 Ford Kuga St-Lines pass their MOT?
93.3% of the 2,811 2021 Ford Kuga St-Line MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 6.7% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2021 Ford Kuga St-Line?
Tyres, recorded in 2.9% of tests, followed by visibility (2.2%).
Does the 2021 Kuga St-Line get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 5.2% in the 0-30k band to 9.3% in the 30-60k band.
Methodology & source. Based on 2,811 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.