What year Ford Sierra L is most reliable?

Based on MOT first-test pass rates, the 1988 Ford Sierra L has the highest pass rate at 100.0%, out of 37,219 vehicles tested.

What are the most common Ford Sierra L MOT failures?

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

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Ford Sierra L — Reliability by Year

285,778 vehicles · MOT data 1982–1990 · first-test pass rates

This page shows MOT first-test pass rates for each year the Ford Sierra L 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 · 37,219 vehicles

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Lowest pass rate year

1990

50.0% pass rate · 8,336 vehicles

Year	Pass rate	Avg mileage	Vehicles
1990	50.0%	76,759 mi	8,336
1989	80.0%	39,482 mi	38,357
1988	100.0%	58,192 mi	37,219
1987	58.3%	20,189 mi	34,456
1986	—	—	26,882
1985	100.0%	92,431 mi	19,712
1984	80.0%	8,515 mi	45,051
1983	—	—	68,803
1982	—	—	6,962

Which year Ford Sierra L 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 8,515 miles (newest year) to 92,431 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 Sierra L.

See the buying guide →

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Check any UK registration — free MOT history and risk insights.