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By The Autoza Team. Updated .

Ford Fiesta vs Honda Jazz: which is the better used buy?

On DVSA MOT records the Honda Jazz does better at its MOT: measured against cars of the same age, it comes out 9.4 percentage points ahead of the Ford Fiesta on first-time MOT passes. That comparison covers 178,849 real tests across every generation on the road, not a survey. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure. The MOT checks safety and emissions items, not the engine, clutch or gearbox, so this is one measure of how each car holds up rather than a full reliability verdict; the common faults below cover the rest.

MOT first-time pass rate

Counted from DVSA’s anonymised MOT test records. “vs age-matched” compares each model against what the national fleet scores at the same age — the only fair better-or-worse number, because an older fleet fails more whatever its build quality.

Ford Fiesta
Pass rate72.3%
Age-matched national74.9%
Difference-2.6
Tests143,495
Honda Jazz
Pass rate80.5%
Age-matched national73.8%
Difference+6.8
Tests35,354

These figures count every generation still on the road, not only the one described below: mostly Ford Fiestas registered 2001–2022 and Honda Jazzes registered 2002–2022.

Source: DVSA MOT Anonymised Data 2025 (Open Government Licence v3.0). National first-time pass rate 77.3%. Class 4 tests in Great Britain, test type NT (a normal annual test), retests excluded. A pass, or a pass with rectification at the station, counts as a first-time pass; DVSA's own initial-test measure counts a rectified pass as a failure and so reports a lower figure. Testing in Northern Ireland is run separately by the DVA under its own rules. The difference is worked out before rounding, so it can be 0.1 away from the two rounded figures beside it.

Ford Fiesta

Mk8 (2017–2023) · A supermini / small hatchback and one of the UK's most common used cars, competing with the Vauxhall Corsa, VW Polo, SEAT Ibiza and Peugeot 208.

The Ford Fiesta Mk8 (2017–2023) is a generally dependable used supermini. The key check on a 1.0 EcoBoost is its timing system: early cars (launch into 2018/2019) have the original wet cam belt, which can shed debris and destroy the engine, while mild hybrids use a chain-driven camshaft. Confirm by engine code. Best buy: 2022–2023. Worst: 2017.

What goes wrong

  • Safety recall R/2025/084recall
    Puma Fiesta Courier – Fuel line chafing
    26,004 vehicles of this model (DVSA’s figures added up) · built between 22 December 2021 and 11 July 2023
    Large recall — 26,004 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Engine — 1.0 EcoBoost wet timing beltcritical
    Engine rattle or knocking noise, sudden loss of power, warning lights, or complete engine failure if the belt sheds material into the oil system and blocks oil galleries or the pickup strainer; metallic debris can also show up in the oil at a routine service.
    Broadly 2017 into 2018/2019: 1.0-litre EcoBoost non-hybrid Fiestas from this window most commonly have the original wet cam timing belt. Ford introduced a revised, chain-driven camshaft design during 2018–2019, which every 1.0 EcoBoost mild-hybrid (mHEV, 2020 on) version uses; these still have a separate, smaller wet belt driving the oil pump. The cut-over wasn't a clean model-year change, so confirm by engine code/VIN rather than assuming from year alone. Does not affect the naturally aspirated 1.1 Ti-VCT petrol. · For cars confirmed to have the original wet cam belt: Ford's original quoted interval was 10 years/150,000 miles (later tightened industry-wide to nearer 6 years/100,000 miles); independent specialists recommend replacement nearer 60,000–80,000 miles given how often belts have failed well inside those figures. · Roughly £600–£1,650 for a preventative belt replacement at an independent EcoBoost specialist (commonly £950–£1,200+VAT; significantly more at a main dealer); if the belt fails, a replacement or reconditioned engine typically runs £2,000–£4,000+, more in severe cases.
    Check: Confirm the engine variant by engine code or VIN check rather than assuming from registration year alone. For any car confirmed to have the original wet-belt engine, ask for a dated invoice proving wet-belt replacement (not just a general service stamp), and budget for the job immediately if there's no such record, regardless of the odometer reading. Even on revised chain-cam/mHEV cars, ask about the condition of the separate oil-pump belt.
  • Body sealing — door seals, boot and rear footwellsminor
    Damp carpets, a musty smell, water pooling in the boot floor or spare-wheel well, wet rear footwells, and — if left unresolved for a long time — electrical faults or corrosion from water sitting inside the car.
    2017–2023, reported across the generation · Not mileage-related; can appear on low-mileage cars if a seal, grommet or drain point has failed · Resealing a door seal, boot seal or roof-rail drain point is typically £50–£150 in parts and labour if caught early; ignoring it can lead to far costlier electrical or interior repairs
    Check: Lift the boot floor and spare-wheel cover and pull back the edges of the rear carpet to feel for damp or staining, sniff for a musty smell, and check the roof lining above the doors and around the rear pillars for water marks.
  • 1.5 TDCi diesel particulate filter (DPF)major
    Engine management light, limp mode or reduced power, poor fuel economy, black smoke under hard acceleration, and DPF-related MOT failures.
    2017–2023, 1.5 TDCi diesel variants only · Can occur well inside 60,000–80,000 miles on cars used mainly for short, low-speed journeys that never let the filter fully regenerate · A forced regeneration or DPF clean is roughly £100–£300; a full DPF replacement can run to £1,000–£1,500+
    Check: Ask how the car is normally driven (motorway runs vs. short urban trips), check the MOT history for DPF-related advisories or failures, and where possible take it on a drive long enough to let a regeneration complete during the test.
Typical asking price:
£5,485–£12,921, median £7,495 (middle 80% and median, cars on Autoza on 11 November 2026)
Fuel economy:
1.1 Ti-VCT: 47–52 mpg real-world. 1.0 EcoBoost 100/125: 45–50 mpg. 1.0 EcoBoost mHEV: 48–54 mpg. 1.5 EcoBoost ST: 34–39 mpg.
Vehicle tax:
£200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025. A car registered from April 2017 with a list price over £40,000 when new adds the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 (£640 in all). Cars registered 2001–2017 pay a CO2 band, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates).
Best years:
2022, 2023
Years to avoid:
2017
Used Ford Fiestas for saleFull Fiesta fault guideUsed Fords

Also compare:

Honda Jazz

GD, GE, GK and the 2020-on hybrid · small MPV-style hatchback

The Jazz has a deserved reliability reputation and the things owners do report are mostly transmission rather than engine. Every Jazz engine sold in the UK uses a timing CHAIN — no Honda UK service schedule for the car contains a cambelt item at all — so there is no belt change to budget for. What is worth checking is the gearbox: the CVT and the earlier i-SHIFT automated manual are the two most reported items, and Honda publishes a CVT fluid interval that gets skipped. Several older DVSA recalls exist, including two separate window-switch fire campaigns.

What goes wrong

  • Safety recall R/2016/045recall
    Drivers airbag inflator may rupture if deployed
    252,174 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 2 March 2004 and 20 May 2015
    Large recall — 252,174 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Safety recall R/2015/104recall
    Passenger side airbag may fail to deploy correctly
    242,653 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 25 December 2003 and 29 December 2008
    Large recall — 242,653 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Transmission — CVT start-clutch juddermajor
    A shudder pulling away from rest, most obvious from cold or on an incline.
    CVT automatics · £150 for a fluid service, far more if it has been left
    Check: Do several standing starts from cold, including on a slope. Then ask when the CVT fluid was last changed — Honda publishes an interval and it is one of the most commonly skipped items on the car.
  • Transmission — i-SHIFT clutch actuatormajor
    Hesitation, jerky changes, or a failure to select a gear on the automated manual.
    i-SHIFT-equipped cars · £400–£1,200
    Check: Drive it in traffic. The i-SHIFT is an automated manual, not a conventional automatic, and does not behave like one even when healthy — which makes it hard to tell a normal one from a failing one without driving a few.
Typical asking price:
£1,695–£10,750, median £5,995 (middle 80% and median, cars on Autoza on 11 November 2026)
Fuel economy:
45–55 mpg real-world for the 1.3 and 1.4 petrols; more for the 2020-on hybrid
Vehicle tax:
£200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025. A car registered from April 2017 with a list price over £40,000 when new adds the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 (£640 in all). Cars registered 2001–2017 pay a CO2 band, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates).
Best years:
2016, 2017, 2018
Years to avoid:
2009, 2010
Used Honda Jazzes for saleFull Jazz fault guideUsed Hondas

Also compare:

Which one suits you

Ford Fiesta

Good for: First-time buyers and anyone prioritising low running costs — cheap parts, low insurance groups and a huge independent-garage network. The 2020+ mild-hybrid EcoBoost is the safer pick for the wet-belt risk.

Less good for: Buyers wanting maximum rear legroom or boot space — this is a genuinely small car. A pre-2019 1.0 EcoBoost with no documented wet-belt history, given how expensive getting that wrong can be.

Honda Jazz

Good for: Buyers who want space out of proportion to the footprint and low running costs, and who will check the gearbox rather than the engine.

Less good for: Anyone buying an automatic without driving it from cold, or wanting an engaging drive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is more reliable, the Ford Fiesta or the Honda Jazz?
On the MOT measure, the Honda Jazz: measured against cars of the same age, it comes out 9.4 percentage points ahead of the Ford Fiesta on first-time MOT passes, across 178,849 DVSA-recorded tests covering every generation on the road. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure. The MOT checks safety and emissions items, not the engine, clutch or gearbox, so this is one measure of how each car holds up rather than a full reliability verdict.
How do the MOT pass rates of the Ford Fiesta and the Honda Jazz compare?
72.3% of Ford Fiestas pass their MOT first time (143,495 tests in DVSA's records) and 80.5% of Honda Jazzes pass their MOT first time (35,354 tests). The national first-time rate is 77.3%, but cars of the Ford Fiesta's age average 74.9% and cars of the Honda Jazz's age 73.8% — so the Ford Fiesta runs 2.6 points worse than its age group and the Honda Jazz runs 6.8 points better than its own. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.
Which years of the Ford Fiesta and Honda Jazz should I avoid?
Ford Fiesta: Launch-era 2017–2018 cars are now the oldest Fiesta Mk8s on the used market and the most likely to still carry the original wet cam timing belt rather than Ford's later revised chain-driven design, so they're most likely to be nearing or past the belt's safe replacement point without full documented history. This window is also most associated with the early cracking-noise driveshaft complaint, and these cars are furthest removed from the 2022 facelift's refinements. The DVSA MOT table on this page rates 2018 registrations above all cars registered that year, so it is not named as a year to avoid. Honda Jazz: Old enough that the i-SHIFT gearbox is a live risk, and inside several airbag recalls (R/2015/143, R/2017/017, R/2018/029 and R/2018/342 among them). The window-switch and headlight campaigns are not the reason: R/2010/007, R/2013/076 and R/2010/228 cover Jazz built 2001 to 31 July 2008 only, not 2009 or 2010.
Is the Ford Fiesta or the Honda Jazz cheaper to run?
On fuel it depends on the engine. Ford Fiesta: 1.1 Ti-VCT: 47–52 mpg real-world. 1.0 EcoBoost 100/125: 45–50 mpg. 1.0 EcoBoost mHEV: 48–54 mpg. 1.5 EcoBoost ST: 34–39 mpg. Honda Jazz: 45–55 mpg real-world for the 1.3 and 1.4 petrols; more for the 2020-on hybrid. For cars registered from April 2017, vehicle tax works the same way for both: the £200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included, plus the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 on a car that listed at over £40,000 new — the price when new, not what you pay for it used. Any Ford Fiesta or Honda Jazz registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017 pays a CO2 band instead, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates). Insurance differs mainly by driver and postcode rather than by model, so treat any model-level insurance figure with caution.

MOT figures are counted from DVSA records and are the only measured statistic here. Prices, economy and tax bands are indicative and vary by specification, condition and where the car has lived. Last reviewed: 2026-10-06 / 2026-10-06.