Ford Kuga Reliability: MOT Pass Rate by Year & Engine

Verdict

The Ford Kuga passes its MOT first time on 80.0% of tests, against 77.1% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. It beats 69% of cars on UK roads: better than average. The VW Tiguan, Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Škoda Karoq do better; the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Nissan Qashqai and Peugeot 3008 do worse.

It stays ahead as it ages: about 2–3 percentage points better than a typical car of the same age and mileage at 3–5 years old, and about 3–4 points better from 7 years on.

The best years are 2013–2017, which beat about eight in ten cars, and cars from 2022 on do even better, beating nearly nine in ten; the 2.5 hybrid beats more than eight in ten. 2008–2012 cars sit a little above the middle, let down mainly by coil springs, which fail on about 1 in 11 tests.

2019 and 2020 are the weakest recent years, beating just over half: on 2019 cars indicator side repeaters fail on about 1 in 59 tests, nearly 9 times the typical rate. Better than average on suspension and body.

Watch these weak spots

Sidelights1.6×as often as a typical car

Tyre pressure warning (TPMS)1.7×as often as a typical car

Indicator side repeaters1.7×as often as a typical car

MOT pass rate by age

First-time pass rate at each MOT by the car’s age in years.

Ford KugaTypical car, same age & mileage

Best and worst years

By year of first registration, ranked against all cars on UK roads after adjusting for age and mileage. Green = better than half of cars.

Beats 70%

Beats 62%

Beats 54%

Beats 53%

Beats 54%

Beats 81%

Beats 77%

Beats 76%

Beats 77%

Beats 81%

Beats 69%

Beats 55%

Beats 54%

Beats 65%

Beats 89%

Beats 91%

Engines

All years, most common first. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.

Engine	Years	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	2008–2022	1,452,199	77.8%	Beats 71%	B
1.5 Petrol	2014–2023	308,105	85.9%	Beats 63%	B
1.5 Diesel	2016–2022	201,804	84.6%	Beats 60%	C
2.5 Hybrid	2020–2023	60,225	90.2%	Beats 85%	A
1.6 Petrol	2013–2014	15,692	80.0%	Beats 79%	B
2.5 Petrol	2010–2012	4,734	65.6%	Beats 54%	C

Where it fails

Each area compared with a typical car of the same age and mileage, in points of pass rate. Tap or hover an area to see what to check.

Better than typicalTypicalWorse than typical

Exhaust: 1.6% of tests fail on emissions & leaks, against 1.9% for a typical car of the same age and mileage. Listen for a blowing exhaust at start-up and look underneath for oil or fluid leaks.

Every MOT area

Share of tests failing on each area, against a typical car of the same age and mileage (black line).

Lights & electrics

7.2% vs 7.8%

Tyres

5.6% vs 6.2%

Brakes

4.2% vs 4.7%

Visibility

3.9% vs 4.0%

Suspension

3.1% vs 5.6%

Emissions & leaks

1.6% vs 1.9%

Body & structure

1.1% vs 1.8%

Steering

0.8% vs 1.1%

Seat belts & airbags

0.3% vs 0.5%

Wheels

0.2% vs 0.3%

Buying one or MOT due? Check these

Brake pads
With tyre damage, the Kuga's most common MOT fail, on about 1 in 37 tests (1.3 times the typical rate). Look through the wheels at the pad thickness and listen for grinding.
Coil springs
On 2008–2012 cars they fail on about 1 in 11 tests, 2.2 times the typical rate. Look behind each wheel for a snapped coil and listen for clunks over bumps.
Sidelights
Fail about 1.6 times as often as on a typical car. Walk around with all the lights on.
Indicator side repeaters
Fail about twice as often as on a typical car on 2013–2019 cars and nearly 9 times on 2019 cars. Put the indicators on and check the small repeaters on both sides.
Tyre pressure warning (TPMS)
Fails about 1.7 times as often as on a typical car, and nearly 5 times on cars from 2020 on. Make sure no tyre-pressure warning stays on after start-up.
Engine warning light
On cars from 2020 on it fails about 1.7 times as often as on a typical car. It should go out once the engine starts; if it stays on, get the fault codes read.

Pass rate by mileage

First-time pass rate by mileage at the test.

Ford KugaTypical car

Most common MOT failures

Item	This car	Typical	vs typical
Tyre damage & cracking	2.6%	3.5%	0.8×
Brake pads	2.6%	2.0%	1.3×
Sidelights	2.5%	1.6%	1.6×
Tyre tread depth	2.3%	2.4%	1.0×
Windscreen wipers	2.0%	2.1%	1.0×
Windscreen washers	1.8%	1.7%	1.1×
Headlight aim	1.8%	2.4%	0.7×
Coil springs	1.5%	1.8%	0.9×
Headlight bulbs & units	1.1%	1.4%	0.8×
Brake lights	0.9%	1.3%	0.7×

Specific defects found

Tester wording for the most frequent failure items, per 1,000 tests.

Defect	per 1,000
A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm	25.2
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements	23.4
A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning	22.8
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen	19.5
Windscreen washers not working or not providing sufficient fluid to clear the windscreen	17.9
The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements	17.7
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened	15.2
A tyre seriously damaged	14.8

Check another car

Pick a make and model to see its MOT pass rate, best and worst years and weak spots.

Every year and engine

Tap a year to see its engines. Grades compare each car with cars of the same age and mileage (A = best 20% of cars on UK roads, E = worst 20%), so an older or higher-mileage car can grade above one with a higher pass rate.

2023 Ford Kuga2 engines91.6% passA

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.5 Hybrid	6,928	91.5%	Beats 92%	A
1.5 Petrol	3,520	91.8%	Beats 87%	A

2022 Ford Kuga4 engines91.5% passA

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.5 Hybrid	22,588	92.2%	Beats 96%	A
1.5 Diesel	9,635	89.6%	Beats 71%	B
1.5 Petrol	9,475	91.9%	Beats 86%	A
2.0 Diesel	5,885	91.0%	Beats 81%	A

2021 Ford Kuga4 engines88.2% passB

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.5 Hybrid	20,452	88.4%	Beats 73%	B
1.5 Diesel	19,606	86.9%	Beats 50%	C
2.0 Diesel	11,012	88.3%	Beats 63%	B
1.5 Petrol	8,931	90.3%	Beats 77%	B

2020 Ford Kuga4 engines87.0% passC

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	18,484	87.4%	Beats 60%	B
1.5 Diesel	17,882	85.9%	Beats 41%	C
1.5 Petrol	12,379	87.0%	Beats 46%	C
2.5 Hybrid	10,257	88.2%	Beats 69%	B

2019 Ford Kuga3 engines85.6% passC

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	89,202	86.6%	Beats 69%	B
1.5 Petrol	87,088	85.6%	Beats 42%	C
1.5 Diesel	21,786	82.2%	Beats 27%	D

2018 Ford Kuga3 engines85.8% passB

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	94,192	87.0%	Beats 83%	A
1.5 Petrol	69,778	86.1%	Beats 61%	B
1.5 Diesel	63,643	83.9%	Beats 58%	C

2017 Ford Kuga3 engines85.8% passA

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	140,401	86.5%	Beats 89%	A
1.5 Diesel	67,280	84.3%	Beats 71%	B
1.5 Petrol	45,921	85.9%	Beats 68%	B

2016 Ford Kuga3 engines83.2% passB

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	220,488	82.9%	Beats 77%	B
1.5 Petrol	40,200	84.8%	Beats 75%	B
1.5 Diesel	1,972	81.9%	Beats 65%	B

2015 Ford Kuga2 engines81.3% passB

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	243,055	81.0%	Beats 76%	B
1.5 Petrol	29,100	84.0%	Beats 80%	A

2014 Ford Kuga3 engines78.3% passB

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	187,290	78.1%	Beats 76%	B
1.6 Petrol	10,657	81.0%	Beats 79%	B
1.5 Petrol	1,713	81.6%	Beats 81%	A

2013 Ford Kuga2 engines76.1% passA

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	107,825	76.0%	Beats 81%	A
1.6 Petrol	5,035	77.9%	Beats 79%	B

2012 Ford Kuga2 engines66.7% passC

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	80,707	66.7%	Beats 54%	C
2.5 Petrol	1,240	70.3%	Beats 59%	C

2011 Ford Kuga2 engines63.6% passC

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	77,907	63.6%	Beats 53%	C
2.5 Petrol	1,224	66.3%	Beats 52%	C

2010 Ford Kuga2 engines60.6% passC

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	82,014	60.5%	Beats 54%	C
2.5 Petrol	2,270	62.6%	Beats 53%	C

2009 Ford Kuga1 engine60.4% passB

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	68,614	60.4%	Beats 62%	B

2008 Ford Kuga1 engine61.8% passB

Engine	Tests	Pass rate	Rank	Grade
2.0 Diesel	25,123	61.8%	Beats 70%	B

FAQ

What is the Ford Kuga MOT pass rate?

80.0% of Ford Kuga MOT tests were passed first time, from 2.0 million tests. A typical car of the same age and mileage passes 77.1%.

Is the Ford Kuga reliable?

On MOT results it is better than average: it beats 69% of cars on UK roads and passes more often than a typical car of the same age and mileage at every MOT. MOT results cover safety and emissions items, not every kind of breakdown.

Which Ford Kuga years are best?

2013–2017 cars beat about eight in ten cars on UK roads once age and mileage are taken into account, and cars from 2022 on do even better, beating nearly nine in ten.

Which Ford Kuga years should I avoid?

No year does badly, but 2010–2012 cars sit around the middle, beating about half of cars, mainly because of broken coil springs. 2019 and 2020 are the weakest recent years.

Which Ford Kuga engine is best?

The 2.5 hybrid (2020 on) beats more than eight in ten cars. The 2.0 diesel, the most common engine, beats seven in ten overall and about eight in ten in 2013–2019 cars; the 1.5 petrol and 1.5 diesel do a little less well, beating about six in ten.

What are the most common MOT failures on the Ford Kuga?

Brake pads and tyre damage (each about 1 in 37–38 tests), sidelights and tyre tread depth.

How we calculate this. We use official MOT results for cars tested in Great Britain from 2018 to 2026. Each car is compared with typical cars of the same age and mileage, so old and new cars are judged fairly; “pts” are percentage points above or below them. Differences also reflect how cars are used and maintained, not only how they are built.

Ford Kuga reliability

Verdict

Watch these weak spots

MOT pass rate by age

Best and worst years

Engines

Where it fails

Every MOT area

Buying one or MOT due? Check these

Pass rate by mileage

Most common MOT failures

Specific defects found

Every year and engine

FAQ