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Ford Focus vs Ford Mondeo: which is the better used buy?

On DVSA MOT records the Ford Focus and the Ford Mondeo are too close to call — 0.8 percentage points apart on first-time MOT passes once you allow for the age of each fleet, which is inside what the choice of cars counted can move. A winner is named only at 2 points or more. A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure. Choose on the fault patterns and running costs below rather than on reliability.

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 Focus
Pass rate74.7%
Age-matched national74.8%
Difference-0.1
Tests93,066
Ford Mondeo
Pass rate73.4%
Age-matched national72.7%
Difference+0.7
Tests17,644

These figures count every generation still on the road, not only the one described below: mostly Ford Focus registered 2001–2022 and Ford Mondeos registered 2004–2020.

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 Focus

Mk4, 2018–2025 · compact family hatch

The Mk4 Ford Focus (2018–2025) drives brilliantly. The critical check is the 1.0 EcoBoost engine: early non-hybrid cars have a wet cam belt that owners report failing, while the 2020-on mild hybrid uses a chain-driven camshaft. Best-buy: 2021+ mild hybrid. Worst: early 2019.

What goes wrong

  • 1.0 EcoBoost wet-belt failurecritical
    Loss of compression; check engine; belt debris in oil; in worst case complete engine destruction
    Non-hybrid Mk4 1.0 EcoBoost with the original wet cam belt (2018 into 2019/2020). The mild hybrid (2020 on) uses a chain-driven camshaft; a smaller wet belt still drives the oil pump. The cut-over was not a clean model-year change, so confirm by engine code · On cars with the original wet cam belt, independent specialists advise changing it nearer 60,000 miles or 7 years than Ford's original interval · Belt + tensioner + labour: £700–£1,100 preventatively. Engine rebuild after failure: £4,500–£7,000.
    Check: Confirm the engine version by engine code. On an original wet-cam-belt car, ask for a dated invoice for the belt change; no record means budgeting for it now. On a mild hybrid, ask about the oil-pump belt. An oil-pan inspection at an independent garage is the best confirmation.
  • 1.5 EcoBlue diesel oil dilutionmajor
    Engine oil level rising between services; oil smells of diesel
    1.5 EcoBlue diesel, all years · Service interval reduction; in worst cases injector replacement £600–£1,200
    Check: Dipstick check pre-purchase: if oil level above max line, oil dilution is occurring.
  • Rear suspension bushing wearminor
    Knocking over rough surfaces; vague handling
    All Mk4 · 75,000+ miles · £250–£450
    Check: Rough-road portion of test drive.
  • SYNC 3 / SYNC 4 infotainment glitchesminor
    Screen freezes; CarPlay disconnects; reboot needed
    2018–2021 · Free at Ford dealer software update
    Check: Test infotainment fully during inspection.
Typical asking price:
£6,957–£12,995, median £9,295 (middle 80% and median, cars on Autoza on 8 October 2026)
Fuel economy:
44–51 mpg real-world for 1.0 EcoBoost 125PS
Vehicle tax:
£200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025 (2026/27 rates). A car registered from April 2017 that listed at over £40,000 new (options included) also pays the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 — it is the price when new that counts, not what you pay for it used.
Best years:
2021, 2022, 2023
Years to avoid:
early 2019
Used Ford Focus for saleFull Focus fault guideUsed Fords

Also compare:

Ford Mondeo

Mk4 2007–2014 and Mk5 2014–2022 · large family hatchback, saloon and estate

The Ford Mondeo is rated reliable by owners and has a long DVSA recall list. On a 2014–2015 2.0 diesel ask about R/2018/053, a software fix for overheating that could crack the oil sump; EcoBoost cars with the 6-speed manual have clutch-plate recalls (R/2018/082 and R/2018/351); the Takata air bag inflator recall covers builds 2007 to February 2017 (R/2020/013); R/2019/212 (battery terminal) covers 13 February 2014 to 11 February 2019. What Car? ranked the Mondeo the most reliable used executive car in 2023, and 2015–2017 registrations pass the MOT above the average for their year.

What goes wrong

  • Safety recall R/2020/013recall
    Takata air bag inflator may rupture on deployment
    219,738 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 6 February 2007 and 28 February 2017
    Large recall — 219,738 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Safety recall R/2018/082recall
    Clutch pressure plate may fracture
    122,199 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 1 August 2009 and 30 June 2016
    Large recall — 122,199 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
  • Suspension, electrical faults and diesel particulate filters (Mk5)moderate
    What Car? says owners of older Mk5 cars reported problems with suspension components and electrical faults such as non-working warning lights and infotainment glitches, and that diesels were noted for particulate-filter faults that some owners found costly to repair.
    2014–2022 Mk5; the filter faults are on diesels
    Check: Listen for knocks over bumps, work the infotainment and check every warning light, and ask diesel sellers for the particulate-filter history.
  • Mk4 — diesel cut-outs, keyless entry and interior trimmoderate
    What Car? says a few 2.0-litre diesel Mk4s cut out unexpectedly while being driven, which dealers can fix with an engine-computer software update; that the keyless entry and ignition on high-spec cars can stop working intermittently; and that many owners complain of rattling interior trim and collapsing seat bolsters.
    Mk4 2007–2014
    Check: Test the keyless entry and start several times, listen for dashboard and door-card rattles, and check the seat bolsters.
Typical asking price:
£1,690–£7,480, median £2,995 (middle 80% and median, cars on Autoza on 8 October 2026)
Fuel economy:
No sourced real-world figure for the Mondeo, so none is printed: the official lab figure depends on the engine and on the test cycle the car was approved under, so use the figure for the exact version you are looking at.
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
Used Ford Mondeos for saleFull Mondeo fault guideUsed Fords

Also compare:

Which one suits you

Ford Focus

Good for: Driver-focused family buyers; commuters wanting small petrol; buyers who can verify wet-belt change documentation.

Less good for: Anyone considering an early non-hybrid 1.0 EcoBoost without belt-change evidence.

Ford Mondeo

Good for: Buyers who want a roomy, comfortable, usually reliable family car and will ask for the dealer record on the recalls that match the engine and gearbox.

Less good for: Anyone buying a 2014–2015 2.0 diesel with no record of the overheating software update, or an EcoBoost manual with no record of the clutch software.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is more reliable, the Ford Focus or the Ford Mondeo?
Neither, on the evidence. Their first-time MOT pass rates sit 0.8 percentage points apart once each is compared against the national rate for cars of the same age, which is too close to call (we name a winner only at 2 points or more). A pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure. Pick on the specific faults each is prone to instead.
How do the MOT pass rates of the Ford Focus and the Ford Mondeo compare?
74.7% of Ford Focus pass their MOT first time (93,066 tests in DVSA's records) and 73.4% of Ford Mondeos pass their MOT first time (17,644 tests). The national first-time rate is 77.3%, but cars of the Ford Focus's age average 74.8% and cars of the Ford Mondeo's age 72.7% — so the Ford Focus runs 0.1 points worse than its age group and the Ford Mondeo runs 0.7 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 Focus and Ford Mondeo should I avoid?
Ford Focus: Early Mk4 1.0 EcoBoost wet-belt failures were catastrophic when they occurred — £4,000+ engine rebuild on a £15k car. 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. Ford Mondeo: No year is named: DVSA’s MOT table rates 2013 and 2014 registrations level with all cars registered those years and 2015 to 2017 above. The recalls that matter most depend on build date, engine and gearbox, not the registration year: every car built 6 February 2007 to 28 February 2017 is in the Takata air bag inflator recall R/2020/013 (DVSA gives one total of 219,738 vehicles for the whole campaign), 2.0 diesels built 19 September 2014 to 28 September 2015 are in R/2018/053 (overheating could crack the oil sump), EcoBoost manuals built to May 2018 are in the clutch-plate recalls, and every car built from 13 February 2014 to 11 February 2019 is in R/2019/212 (possible battery acid leakage around the negative terminal).
Is the Ford Focus or the Ford Mondeo cheaper to run?
On fuel it depends on the engine. Ford Focus: 44–51 mpg real-world for 1.0 EcoBoost 125PS. Ford Mondeo: No sourced real-world figure for the Mondeo, so none is printed: the official lab figure depends on the engine and on the test cycle the car was approved under, so use the figure for the exact version you are looking at. 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 Focus or Ford Mondeo 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.