MOT reliability
Ford Thunderbird
707 vehicles · 3,504 completed MOT tests analysed
82%
MOT pass rate
Based on 707 Ford Thunderbird vehicles and 3,504 completed MOT tests, the Ford Thunderbird has an overall 82% pass rate, with an average recorded mileage of 66,912 miles.
707
Vehicles
3,504
MOT tests
1,317
Avg miles / year
1.5
Faults per test
1%
Dangerous-fault share
Ford Thunderbird problem areas
Where faults occur most across all Ford Thunderbird MOT tests:
-
Other83%
-
Tyres, wheels & suspension11%
-
Brakes6%
-
Steering5%
-
Emissions & nuisance4%
-
Lamps & electrical3%
-
Seatbelts & equipment3%
-
Visibility1%
Ford Thunderbird pass rate by age
How the Ford Thunderbird's MOT pass rate changes as it ages (buckets with 20+ tests).
| Age (years) | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 88 | 80% |
| 2 | 74 | 88% |
| 3 | 84 | 89% |
| 4 | 91 | 85% |
| 5 | 81 | 89% |
| 6 | 76 | 89% |
| 7 | 77 | 79% |
| 8 | 75 | 87% |
| 9 | 64 | 89% |
| 10 | 78 | 78% |
| 11 | 79 | 82% |
| 12 | 95 | 82% |
| 13 | 96 | 80% |
| 14 | 108 | 78% |
| 15 | 131 | 79% |
| 16 | 127 | 83% |
| 17 | 133 | 79% |
| 18 | 127 | 79% |
| 19 | 142 | 78% |
| 20 | 128 | 81% |
Fuel types: Petrol (703), Other (1), Diesel (1), Gas Bi-Fuel (1), LPG (1)
Most common Ford Thunderbird MOT faults
These are the faults and advisories recorded most often across Ford Thunderbird MOT tests:
- Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7) (85 times)
- Oil leak (66 times)
- Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3) (60 times)
- Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b) (35 times)
- Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1a) (35 times)
- Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b) (32 times)
- Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b) (29 times)
- Nearside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c) (28 times)
- Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i)) (27 times)
- Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1) (27 times)
- Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.C.1b) (26 times)
- Nearside rear parking brake recording little or no effort (3.7.B.6a) (25 times)
- Offside Front wheel bearing has slight play (2.5.A.3c) (25 times)
- Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1) (25 times)
- Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1) (23 times)
Ford Thunderbird pass rate by registration year
| Year | Vehicles | Tests | Pass rate | Avg mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3 | 3 | 100% | 27,862 |
| 2020 | 2 | 5 | 80% | 51,888 |
| 2019 | 9 | 22 | 86% | 52,815 |
| 2018 | 10 | 19 | 79% | 51,955 |
| 2017 | 15 | 47 | 74% | 46,505 |
| 2016 | 20 | 58 | 76% | 52,943 |
| 2015 | 17 | 80 | 81% | 46,811 |
| 2014 | 13 | 45 | 89% | 46,537 |
| 2013 | 8 | 32 | 78% | 64,890 |
| 2012 | 8 | 34 | 88% | 44,873 |
| 2011 | 3 | 13 | 77% | 68,103 |
| 2010 | 5 | 42 | 83% | 62,482 |
| 2009 | 4 | 11 | 82% | 41,961 |
| 2008 | 4 | 29 | 86% | 24,875 |
| 2007 | 7 | 35 | 83% | 56,947 |
| 2006 | 5 | 44 | 73% | 41,541 |
| 2005 | 20 | 190 | 81% | 44,219 |
| 2004 | 21 | 198 | 87% | 34,451 |
| 2003 | 15 | 168 | 76% | 49,981 |
| 2002 | 27 | 350 | 82% | 59,274 |
| 2001 | 3 | 22 | 95% | 26,635 |
| 2000 | 2 | 30 | 97% | 93,192 |
| 1999 | 1 | 11 | 82% | 45,950 |
| 1998 | 4 | 36 | 83% | 55,950 |
| 1997 | 10 | 99 | 79% | 63,893 |
| 1996 | 6 | 46 | 65% | 81,563 |
| 1995 | 19 | 145 | 84% | 100,306 |
| 1994 | 10 | 84 | 82% | 84,610 |
| 1993 | 9 | 62 | 82% | 150,583 |
| 1992 | 9 | 62 | 79% | 95,096 |
| 1991 | 22 | 168 | 82% | 124,058 |
| 1990 | 38 | 215 | 81% | 99,780 |
| 1989 | 20 | 164 | 81% | 146,186 |
| 1988 | 10 | 86 | 91% | 82,120 |
| 1987 | 6 | 40 | 72% | 94,960 |
| 1986 | 4 | 23 | 70% | 80,907 |
| 1985 | 6 | 22 | 82% | 85,212 |
| 1984 | 3 | 6 | 83% | 24,331 |
| 1983 | 4 | 18 | 78% | 70,437 |
| 1982 | 1 | 12 | 92% | 46,870 |
| 1980 | 4 | 26 | 85% | 79,678 |
| 1979 | 5 | 39 | 92% | 48,446 |
| 1978 | 4 | 42 | 81% | 71,713 |
| 1977 | 1 | 4 | 50% | 36,961 |
| 1976 | 4 | 22 | 82% | 66,374 |
| 1974 | 1 | 3 | 33% | — |
| 1973 | 3 | 8 | 88% | 63,385 |
| 1972 | 3 | 19 | 63% | 79,901 |
| 1971 | 3 | 14 | 71% | 63,232 |
| 1970 | 2 | 8 | 88% | 24,740 |
| 1969 | 4 | 14 | 86% | 27,621 |
| 1968 | 5 | 38 | 79% | 40,468 |
| 1967 | 3 | 19 | 95% | 66,416 |
| 1966 | 9 | 51 | 78% | 61,536 |
| 1965 | 18 | 89 | 85% | 55,987 |
| 1964 | 13 | 93 | 95% | 48,936 |
| 1963 | 6 | 22 | 86% | 28,407 |
| 1962 | 14 | 65 | 80% | 50,227 |
| 1961 | 7 | 43 | 81% | 49,672 |
| 1960 | 6 | 21 | 95% | 58,895 |
| 1959 | 2 | 3 | 100% | 63,342 |
| 1957 | 12 | 47 | 87% | 44,511 |
| 1956 | 12 | 25 | 84% | 42,129 |
| 1955 | 2 | 12 | 92% | 42,907 |
Ford Thunderbird reliability FAQ
Across 707 Ford Thunderbird vehicles in our MOT data,
82% pass the MOT (a 18% failure rate), with about
1.5 faults or advisories recorded per test.
The most frequently recorded Ford Thunderbird MOT issues are:
Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7); Oil leak; Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3).
The typical Ford Thunderbird in our data has covered around
66,912 miles.
Compare the Ford Thunderbird
See how the Ford Thunderbird stacks up against other Ford models on MOT reliability:
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