At a Glance
The Ford Kuga has 13 identified common problems across 3 generations, with the Mk2 (2013-2019) being the most affected generation and tyres & wheels the most common problem category. Based on 1.8M MOT tests from DVSA data.
Problems are patterns in the DVSA data that occur significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average — confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read our DVSA MOT data methodology →
Below: generation-by-generation comparison of Ford Kuga common problems, MOT failure types, and pass-rate data drawn from DVSA records. Click any generation to see fuel- and engine-specific fault patterns, mileage-banded repair guidance, and the most common MOT failures testers record.
MOT Tests & Failures by Generation
Ford Kuga generations by MOT tests, failures, and identified problems from DVSA data
Hover over each bar for a full breakdown. Tap any bar to view that generation's problems.
Showing total MOT tests, failures, and known problems per make. Hover over each bar for a full breakdown.
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Browse Ford Kuga Generations
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Most Common Ford Kuga MOT Failures
Every reason Ford Kuga vehicles fail their MOT, ranked by frequency. Select an individual year to see only that year’s failures, or stay on ‘All time’ for the combined picture across our 20 years of DVSA data. Scroll inside the table for the full list.
| # | Failure | % of failures |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyre tread depth below limit | 12.18% |
| 2 | Tyre condition | 10.83% |
| 3 | Brake pads or linings worn | 10.77% |
| 4 | Wiper blades deteriorated | 9.34% |
| 5 | Position lamp not working | 7.88% |
| 6 | Number plate lamp not working | 6.62% |
| 7 | Windscreen washer not working | 6.12% |
| 8 | Stop lamp not working | 3.27% |
| 9 | Headlamp fault | 3.09% |
| 10 | Suspension joint or bush worn | 2.65% |
| 11 | Coil spring broken or corroded | 2.18% |
| 12 | Brake disc or drum worn | 1.76% |
| 13 | Brake performance below minimum | 1.65% |
| 14 | Parking brake performance below minimum | 1.51% |
| 15 | Windscreen damage affecting view | 1.51% |
| 16 | Driveshaft fault | 1.45% |
| 17 | Exhaust system fault | 1.43% |
| 18 | Shock absorber worn or leaking | 1.16% |
| 19 | Indicator fault | 1.16% |
| 20 | Headlamp aim defect | 1.14% |
| 21 | Ball joint dust cover split | 1.10% |
| 22 | Front lamp not working | 1.02% |
| 23 | Spark ignition emissions above threshold | 0.97% |
| 24 | Track rod end worn | 0.72% |
| 25 | Rear fog lamp not working | 0.71% |
| 26 | Compression ignition emissions above threshold | 0.66% |
| 27 | Seat belt condition | 0.60% |
| 28 | ABS fault | 0.59% |
| 29 | Wheel bearing worn | 0.53% |
| 30 | Airbag warning light on | 0.40% |
| 31 | Mirror damaged or missing | 0.35% |
| 32 | Electronic stability control fault | 0.32% |
| 33 | Tyre pressure monitoring system fault | 0.26% |
| 34 | Brake pedal fault | 0.21% |
| 35 | Reversing lamp not working | 0.18% |
| 36 | Tyre size or type not matched | 0.18% |
| 37 | Fog lamp not working | 0.18% |
| 38 | Brake lever fault | 0.16% |
| 39 | Tyre valve stem damaged | 0.15% |
| 40 | Brake cable, rod, lever or linkage fault | 0.14% |
| 41 | Brake fluid level low or contaminated | 0.13% |
| 42 | Headlamp washer not working | 0.13% |
| 43 | Steering rack fault | 0.13% |
| 44 | Flexible brake hose damaged | 0.12% |
| 45 | Horn not working | 0.11% |
| 46 | Engine oil leak | 0.11% |
| 47 | Rear reflector damaged or missing | 0.10% |
| 48 | Brake caliper fault | 0.10% |
| 49 | Headlamp levelling device fault | 0.10% |
| 50 | Handbrake lever fault | 0.10% |
| 51 | King pin or swivel pin worn | 0.09% |
| 52 | Undertray damaged or missing | 0.07% |
| 53 | Suspension linkage fault | 0.07% |
| 54 | Subframe corrosion or damage | 0.07% |
| 55 | Front suspension fault | 0.06% |
| 56 | Fuel pipe corroded or damaged | 0.06% |
| 57 | Brake fluid reservoir fault | 0.06% |
| 58 | Suspension arm worn or corroded | 0.06% |
| 59 | Battery loose or leaking | 0.05% |
| 60 | Rear lamp not working | 0.05% |
| 61 | Brake hydraulic component worn | 0.05% |
| 62 | Bonnet catch or hinge fault | 0.05% |
| 63 | Drag link end worn | 0.05% |
| 64 | Propshaft fault | 0.04% |
| 65 | Bumper damaged or insecure | 0.04% |
| 66 | Front passenger door fault | 0.04% |
| 67 | Electrical wiring fault | 0.04% |
| 68 | Driver seat fault | 0.04% |
| 69 | Suspension mounting corroded | 0.04% |
| 70 | Rigid brake pipe corroded or damaged | 0.04% |
| 71 | Parking brake condition | 0.03% |
| 72 | Exhaust leak | 0.03% |
| 73 | Engine mounting worn or broken | 0.03% |
| 74 | Electrical switch fault | 0.03% |
| 75 | Front fog lamp not working | 0.03% |
| 76 | Fuel tank corroded or leaking | 0.02% |
| 77 | Rear suspension fault | 0.02% |
| 78 | Body corrosion or damage | 0.02% |
| 79 | Fuel hose damaged or leaking | 0.02% |
| 80 | Electronic parking brake fault | 0.02% |
| 81 | Steering arm worn | 0.02% |
| 82 | Steering lock fault | 0.02% |
| 83 | MacPherson strut worn | 0.02% |
| 84 | Dashboard warning lamp fault | 0.02% |
| 85 | Electric power steering fault | 0.01% |
| 86 | Rear fog lamp warning light fault | 0.01% |
| 87 | Fuel cap damaged or missing | 0.01% |
| 88 | Hydraulic brake cylinder fault | 0.01% |
| 89 | Window damaged or won't operate | 0.01% |
| 90 | Front suspension joint worn | 0.01% |
| 91 | Driver airbag fault | 0.01% |
| 92 | Electronic braking system fault | 0.01% |
| 93 | Power steering pipe or hose leaking | 0.01% |
| 94 | Brake pedal movement restricted | <0.01% |
| 95 | Power steering ram fault | <0.01% |
| 96 | Towbar fault | <0.01% |
| 97 | Anti-roll bar worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 98 | Exhaust heat shield or sound insulation damaged | <0.01% |
| 99 | Outline marker lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 100 | Daytime running lamp not working | <0.01% |
| 101 | Handbrake cable fault | <0.01% |
| 102 | Driver door fault | <0.01% |
| 103 | Passenger seat fault | <0.01% |
| 104 | Brake master cylinder fault | <0.01% |
| 105 | Mirror or camera fault | <0.01% |
| 106 | Brake fluid leak | <0.01% |
| 107 | Dip switch fault | <0.01% |
| 108 | Seat belt or padding damaged | <0.01% |
| 109 | Hydraulic fluid leak | <0.01% |
| 110 | Indicator warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 111 | Steering free play excessive | <0.01% |
| 112 | Catalytic converter efficiency low | <0.01% |
| 113 | Load sensing valve fault | <0.01% |
| 114 | Steering column fault | <0.01% |
| 115 | Suspension unit fault | <0.01% |
| 116 | Brake valve fault | <0.01% |
| 117 | Main beam warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 118 | Transmission oil leak | <0.01% |
| 119 | Trailing arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 120 | Brake fluid warning light on | <0.01% |
| 121 | Hazard warning light fault | <0.01% |
| 122 | Steering operation fault | <0.01% |
| 123 | Steering wheel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 124 | Body security fault | <0.01% |
| 125 | Seat belt anchorage fault | <0.01% |
| 126 | Reversing lamp switch fault | <0.01% |
| 127 | Suspension rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 128 | Boot lid damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 129 | Chassis condition | <0.01% |
| 130 | Suspension linkage attachment bracket or mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 131 | Brake servo fault | <0.01% |
| 132 | Universal joint worn | <0.01% |
| 133 | Passenger airbag fault | <0.01% |
| 134 | Air suspension levelling valve fault | <0.01% |
| 135 | Speedometer fault | <0.01% |
| 136 | Additional braking device fault | <0.01% |
| 137 | Passenger compartment corrosion | <0.01% |
| 138 | Vehicle structure corrosion | <0.01% |
| 139 | Steering box fault | <0.01% |
| 140 | Leaf spring broken or corroded | <0.01% |
| 141 | Seat belt pre-tensioner fault | <0.01% |
| 142 | Steering coupling worn | <0.01% |
| 143 | Axle corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 144 | Brake air or vacuum system fault | <0.01% |
| 145 | Power steering pump fault | <0.01% |
| 146 | Spare wheel fault | <0.01% |
| 147 | Step damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 148 | Tailgate damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 149 | Tie bar or rod worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 150 | Body strengthening plate corroded | <0.01% |
| 151 | Brake back plate corroded or damaged | <0.01% |
| 152 | Full power hydraulic brake fault | <0.01% |
| 153 | Halfshaft fault | <0.01% |
| 154 | Steering intermediate drop arm worn | <0.01% |
| 155 | Steering shaft fault | <0.01% |
| 156 | Suspension retaining or locking device fault | <0.01% |
| 157 | Transmission drive belt fault | <0.01% |
| 158 | Vehicle floor corroded | <0.01% |
| 159 | Wheel hub fault | <0.01% |
| 160 | Access panel damaged or insecure | <0.01% |
| 161 | Hand-operated brake valve condition | <0.01% |
| 162 | Radius arm worn or corroded | <0.01% |
| 163 | Semaphore indicator fault | <0.01% |
| 164 | Bonded suspension condition | <0.01% |
| 165 | Brake pressure or vacuum buildup insufficient | <0.01% |
| 166 | Steering damper fault | <0.01% |
| 167 | Steering drive system fault | <0.01% |
| 168 | Subframe mounting corroded | <0.01% |
| 169 | Suspension air bellows damaged | <0.01% |
| 170 | Speed limiter fault | <0.01% |
Showing all 170 reasons — scroll inside the table for the full list.
Ford Kuga MOT Failures by Category
Total MOT failure occurrences for the Ford Kuga, grouped by category. Same data as the failures table above — just sliced by category instead of fault title. Hover a slice for the top failures in each category.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common Ford Kuga problems?
Based on analysis of 1.8M Ford Kuga MOT tests from DVSA data, we have 13 identified common problems across 3 generations. The most frequently flagged issue is "Coil spring broken or corroded". Tyres & Wheels is the most common problem category.
Which Ford Kuga generation has the most problems?
The Ford Kuga Mk2 (2013-2019) (2013–2019) has the highest number of identified common problems (9). Click the generation card above for the full breakdown.
How is this data calculated?
We analyse anonymised DVSA MOT test records under the Open Government Licence. An issue is classified as a "Common Problem" when it occurs significantly more often on a specific model than the UK average, confirmed at 99% statistical confidence. Read the full methodology page for details.
Can I report a problem with my Ford Kuga?
Yes — use the "Tell Us About Your Problem" form on this page. Your report helps other Ford Kuga owners spot problems early. All submissions are reviewed before being added to the public database.
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