What year Ford Escort Popular is most reliable?

Based on MOT first-test pass rates, the 1988 Ford Escort Popular has the highest pass rate at 100.0%, out of 33,821 vehicles tested.

What are the most common Ford Escort Popular MOT failures?

The most common Ford Escort Popular MOT failures vary by year. Check the individual year pages for detailed defect breakdowns — links in the table above.

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Ford Escort Popular — Reliability by Year

168,563 vehicles · MOT data 1980–1993 · first-test pass rates

This page shows MOT first-test pass rates for each year the Ford Escort Popular was manufactured — click any year to explore that cohort in detail. Trying to decide which year to buy? See the full buying guide →

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Best pass rate year

1988

100.0% pass rate · 33,821 vehicles

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Lowest pass rate year

1991

50.0% pass rate · 10,637 vehicles

Year	Pass rate	Avg mileage	Vehicles
1993	—	—	226
1992	—	—	634
1991	50.0%	0 mi	10,637
1990	83.3%	84,738 mi	8,144
1989	66.7%	76,465 mi	17,260
1988	100.0%	82,584 mi	33,821
1987	—	—	38,845
1986	—	—	28,317
1985	—	—	18,702
1984	—	—	7,987
1980	83.3%	64,849 mi	3,990

Which year Ford Escort Popular is most reliable?

MOT pass rate by year of manufacture — averaged across each vehicle's lifetime of tests. Green = noticeably above average for this model; red = noticeably below average.

Tests range from an average of 64,849 miles (newest year) to 84,738 miles (oldest year). Older years naturally accumulate more tests at higher mileages — see the mileage-normalised breakdown →

Trying to decide which year to buy?

We've done the full analysis — which years to look for, which to avoid, and where to find the best value for reliability on a Ford Escort Popular.

See the buying guide →

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