What year Ford Fiesta Popular is most reliable?

Based on MOT first-test pass rates, the 1988 Ford Fiesta Popular has the highest pass rate at 100.0%, out of 41,793 vehicles tested.

What are the most common Ford Fiesta Popular MOT failures?

The most common Ford Fiesta 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 Fiesta Popular — Reliability by Year

364,667 vehicles · MOT data 1980–1993 · first-test pass rates

This page shows MOT first-test pass rates for each year the Ford Fiesta 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 · 41,793 vehicles

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Lowest pass rate year

1983

66.7% pass rate · 25,842 vehicles

Year	Pass rate	Avg mileage	Vehicles
1993	—	—	925
1992	—	—	1,511
1991	—	—	6,888
1990	—	—	13,924
1989	87.5%	46,626 mi	25,385
1988	100.0%	35,177 mi	41,793
1987	92.5%	44,945 mi	49,007
1986	—	—	53,553
1985	—	—	50,994
1984	66.7%	49,404 mi	58,642
1983	66.7%	48,148 mi	25,842
1982	100.0%	85,939 mi	17,800
1981	100.0%	26,794 mi	18,091
1980	—	—	312

Which year Ford Fiesta 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 26,794 miles (newest year) to 85,939 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 Fiesta Popular.

See the buying guide →

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