Ford Sierra MOT failures and reliability

In 2023 the Ford Sierra took 2,866 MOT tests in Britain and passed 85% of them first time, above the national average of 71% for all cars. The figures below come from the DVSA's record of every test, so they show what testers actually found on these cars rather than what owners report.

MOT tests in 2023: 2,866
First-time pass rate: 85%
All cars: 71%

What the Sierra fails on

Share of tests with at least one failure in each area, against the figure for all cars.

Lights and electrics6.2% (all cars 11.3%)
Exhaust and emissions4.3% (all cars 3.1%)
Suspension4.2% (all cars 9.0%)
Body and structure4.0% (all cars 3.5%)
Brakes3.3% (all cars 6.8%)
Visibility2.4% (all cars 4.8%)
Steering1.4% (all cars 1.8%)
Tyres1.2% (all cars 6.4%)

Most common failure items

Share of tests on which each item was recorded.

Non catalyst emissions: emissions carbon monoxide content excessive 2.3%
Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength 1.5%
Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt 1.1%
Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively 1.0%
Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases 0.9%
Headlamp: not working on dipped beam 0.9%
Prescribed areas: prescribed area strength or continuity significantly reduced 0.9%
Service brake performance: excessively binding 0.8%

Most common advisories

Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive 7.9%
Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material 4.6%
Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge 3.9%
Tyres, condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing 3.4%
Exhaust system: has a minor leak of exhaust gases 2.5%
Suspension arms, pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement 1.9%
Coil spring: corroded 1.9%
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened 1.9%

Pass rate by year of registration

Older cars fail more often whatever the model, so compare a car with others of the same age.

First registered	Tests	Pass rate
1987	359	88%
1989	447	85%
1990	419	85%
1991	360	86%
1992	374	79%

Check a particular Sierra

Model figures tell you what to look out for. To see one car's own MOT history, mileage and tax, enter its registration.

Other Ford models

Source: Department for Transport, Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023, cars and light vans, normal tests only. Pass rates are first-time passes; a pass after repair at the test station counts as a fail. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.