Ford Ka reliability, MOT pass rate and rarity

Time Period & Model

Time period snapshot: Last 5 years

Manufacturer: Ford

Model: Ka

Model reliability rank

MOT-based rank from 1,206,905 selected-period tests.

View More models

Overall MOT pass rate

74.7%

Share of this model's 1,206,905 selected-period MOT tests that pass.

View manufacturers

Efficiency, emissions & tax

Average MPG

57.7 mpg

CO2 emission

115 g/km

Euro emissions

Euro 6

Tax cost

£35/yr

Average vehicle miles

61,587

Lower average mileage in the analysed fleet.

Life expectancy miles

65,969

Lower mature-fleet mileage expectation.

Average vehicle age

13.1

Comfortable mid-life age pattern.

Vehicles represented

154,908

154,908 valid MOT, 0 under 3 years.

Tests analysed

1,206,905

1,206,905 MOT tests in the selected period.

Rarity ranking

Based on Make & Model

Common

154,908On the road

Insight summary

Ford Ka is a common model in this snapshot, with 154,908 represented vehicles and 0.37% of the active UK pool tracked by AutoRank. For the last 5 years, it has a pass rate of 74.7% from 1,206,905 MOT tests, with a reliability score of 47. The current pool shows an average of 61,587 miles and an average age of 13.1 years, while mature-fleet mileage is estimated at 65,969 miles. Petrol leads the fuel split, followed by diesel, and the most frequent defect themes are parking brake, shock absorbers and windscreen damage. The practical read is that the Ford Ka looks like a solid used-car baseline rather than a rare find, with age, mileage and common wear items doing most of the explaining.

Fuel type breakdown (by model)

Fuel	Vehicles
PETROL	153,177
DIESEL	1,726
OTHER	5

Euro NCAP Safety

NCAP rating

3 / 5

Adult

73%

Children

61%

Pedestrian

57%

Safety systems

29%

Top 25 most common defects (by model)

Defect	Count
Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))	17,780
Nearside Front Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))	12,999
Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))	11,118
Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))	9,567
Nearside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))	9,417
Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e))	9,334
Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))	9,196
Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))	8,809
Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii))	8,599
Nearside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))	8,326
Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e))	8,298
Offside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))	8,259
Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))	7,992
Nearside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))	7,528
Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))	7,349
Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))	7,330
Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))	7,054
Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))	7,027
Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))	6,983
Offside Front Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))	6,953
Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.2.1.2 (h))	6,830
Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))	6,721
Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))	6,647
Offside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))	6,445
Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))	6,242

All 25 defects ranked by recorded countShowing 212,803 defects across this top 25 set

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

17,780

Nearside Front Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

12,999

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (3.5 (a))

11,118

Nearside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

9,567

Nearside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

9,417

Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e))

9,334

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

9,196

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view (3.2 (a) (i))

8,809

Front Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

8,599

Nearside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

8,326

Offside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.2.3 (e))

8,298

Offside Registration plate lamp inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources (4.7.1 (b) (i))

8,259

Offside Front Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

7,992

Nearside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

7,528

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

7,349

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

7,330

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

7,054

Nearside Front Suspension arm pin or bush excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

7,027

Nearside Rear Upper Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

6,983

Offside Front Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

6,953

Engine MIL inoperative or indicates a malfunction (8.2.1.2 (h))

6,830

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has an excessively worn bush (5.3.2 (c))

6,721

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

6,647

Offside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

6,445

Nearside Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively (3.4 (b) (ii))

6,242

Ford Ka reliability and MOT data