All generations and engines together · 14,317 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 36k
Worse than most coupés and convertibles for its age, and about average per mile driven. Watch brakes and suspension. A used buy worth some caution. Check the MOT history for repeating brakes advisories before you go.
Split by first-registration year. Cars registered in a changeover year can belong to either generation.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
A rear driveshaft/differential pinion shaft on rear-wheel-drive Mach-Es can fatigue and fracture, which can cause a sudden loss of drive or unexpected movement. Ford has recalled roughly 42,000-43,000 cars (2021-2023 model years, RWD only) over this, with the powertrain control module reflashed to limit torque until the part is replaced. Watch for any clunk from the back axle on full-throttle pulls or reversing.
Some early Mustang Mach-E owners found the car's conventional 12V battery drained flat after the main traction battery had finished charging, leaving the car unable to wake up or start next time. Ford addressed it with a software fix rather than a hardware recall. Worth asking a seller of an early (2020/2021) car whether they've had any "won't start" incidents and whether any update was applied.
Separately from the differential issue, Ford recalled around 2021-model Mach-E AWD cars for a functional-safety software bug that could fail to catch its own errors and cause unintended acceleration, deceleration or a total loss of drive power. It was fixed with an over-the-air or dealer software update, not a parts replacement, so check the service history shows the update was done.
Owner reports collated by Honest John describe an instrument cluster going completely blank, a rear camera failing, and in one case an electrical fire on a low-mileage V8 GT. These read as isolated rather than a pattern Ford has acknowledged, but they're worth flagging: test every screen, camera and warning light on a viewing rather than assuming it's fine because the engine runs sweetly.
Because most Mustang and Mach-E body panels and trim are shipped from North America rather than stocked in the UK, bodywork repairs after even a minor shunt have been reported taking ten weeks or more, sometimes longer for less common parts. This isn't a mechanical fault but it hits buyers in insurance write-off decisions and courtesy-car costs, so it's worth checking a car's panel gaps and paint match for any past repair.
Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.
Saveable checklistThe physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 7,276 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Same segment (Coupés, convertibles & GT), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.