Ford Mondeo vs Toyota Avensis: which is the better used buy?

On DVSA MOT records the Toyota Avensis is the more reliable used buy: measured against cars of the same age, it comes out 3.6 percentage points ahead of the Ford Mondeo on first-time MOT passes. That comparison covers 23,204 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.

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 Mondeo

Pass rate73.4%

Age-matched national72.7%

Difference+0.7

Tests17,644

Toyota Avensis

Pass rate74.1%

Age-matched national69.8%

Difference+4.3

Tests5,560

Model	Pass rate	Age-matched national	Difference	Tests
Ford Mondeo	73.4%	72.7%	+0.7	17,644
Toyota Avensis	74.1%	69.8%	+4.3	5,560

These figures count every generation still on the road, not only the one described below: mostly Ford Mondeos registered 2004–2020 and Toyota Avensis registered 2004–2017.

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 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 sale Full Mondeo fault guide Used Fords

Also compare:

Toyota Avensis

third generation 2009–2018 · large family saloon and estate

The Toyota Avensis passes the MOT first time 4.3 points more often than cars of the same age, and every registration year with enough tests is at or above the average for its year. Its biggest recalls: the accelerator pedal (R/2010/010), the fuel tank (R/2018/340, builds to April 2015), the rear suspension arm (R/2012/085) and, for 2015–2018 cars, the EGR cooler (R/2021/104). What Car? ranked it second among used executive cars in 2023. Toyota’s Service Activated Warranty can restart cover only on a car under 10 years old and 100,000 miles.

What goes wrong

Safety recall R/2010/010recall
Accelerator pedal may fail to return to idle
174,426 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 1 November 2008 and 31 December 2009
Large recall — 174,426 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
Safety recall R/2018/340recall
A potential crack could develop in the fuel evaporative emission control unit mounted in the fuel tank
85,909 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 28 January 2008 and 22 April 2015
Large recall — 85,909 vehicles. Check a car by registration on GOV.UK.
Cover — Toyota’s Service Activated Warranty has an age and mileage limitminor
Not a fault. Toyota UK says its Service Activated Warranty is applied each time a car has an eligible service at an authorised Toyota dealer and lasts until the next scheduled service, but eligible services are available only until the car turns 10 years old or reaches 100,000 miles, whichever comes first.
All; the age limit means the oldest cars can no longer be brought back into cover
Check: Work out whether the car is inside both limits (under 10 years old and under 100,000 miles) before counting on Toyota cover, and ask a Toyota dealer to confirm for the VIN.
Interior — scratchy plastics and ignition-slot marksminor
What Car? says the dashboard plastics can scratch, and that on T2 and TR models the area around the ignition slot can be marked by the key; push-button start on T4 and T Spirit models avoids that.
2009–2015 cars; check the trim level
Check: Look at the door-handle panels and the area around the ignition, and at every alloy wheel: if all four are marked, look for other signs of neglect.

Typical asking price:: not given as a fixed figure — the model guide shows the median and middle 80% of asking prices for the cars advertised on Autoza that day, when at least 10 qualify
Fuel economy:: What Car? gives official lab (NEDC) economy of 67.3 mpg for the 2015–2018 1.6 diesel, 62.8 mpg for the 2.0 diesel and 46.3 mpg for the 1.8 petrol (its March 2019 update); real-world economy will be lower, and we have no sourced real-world figure.
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:: 2013, 2014

Full Avensis fault guide Used Toyotas

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Which one suits you

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.

Toyota Avensis

Good for: Buyers who want a plain, quiet, reliable family saloon or estate and will check the age and the service record rather than chasing a particular year.

Less good for: Anyone who wants an automatic diesel (What Car? says the 2015–2018 diesels had no automatic option) or a car that is engaging to drive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is more reliable, the Ford Mondeo or the Toyota Avensis?

The Toyota Avensis. Measured against cars of the same age, it comes out 3.6 percentage points ahead of the Ford Mondeo on first-time MOT passes, across 23,204 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.

How do the MOT pass rates of the Ford Mondeo and the Toyota Avensis compare?

73.4% of Ford Mondeos pass their MOT first time (17,644 tests in DVSA's records) and 74.1% of Toyota Avensis pass their MOT first time (5,560 tests). The national first-time rate is 77.3%, but cars of the Ford Mondeo's age average 72.7% and cars of the Toyota Avensis's age 69.8% — so the Ford Mondeo runs 0.7 points better than its age group and the Toyota Avensis runs 4.3 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 Mondeo and Toyota Avensis should I 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). Toyota Avensis: No year is named: DVSA’s MOT table rates every Avensis registration year it can measure (2013 to 2017) level with or above all cars registered that year. The oldest cars carry the oldest recalls: those built 1 November 2008 to 31 December 2009 are in the accelerator-pedal recall R/2010/010 (DVSA gives one total of 174,426 vehicles for the whole recall, across seven Toyota models) and, to January 2011, the rear-suspension-arm recall R/2012/085. The table has no row for those years, so ask for the car’s record for both.

Is the Ford Mondeo or the Toyota Avensis cheaper to run?

On fuel it depends on the engine. 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. Toyota Avensis: What Car? gives official lab (NEDC) economy of 67.3 mpg for the 2015–2018 1.6 diesel, 62.8 mpg for the 2.0 diesel and 46.3 mpg for the 1.8 petrol (its March 2019 update); real-world economy will be lower, and we have no sourced real-world figure. 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 Mondeo or Toyota Avensis 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.