Ford KA
Registered from 1997 to 2019.
About this model
The Ford Ka is a small car which was manufactured by Ford Motor Company from 1996 to 2021 over three generations. It entered its second generation in 2008, produced by Fiat in Tychy, Poland. A third generation was introduced in 2014. The first two generations have been described as city cars, whilst the third generation has been called a subcompact car.
From the Wikipedia article Ford Ka, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
What fails its inspection
Great Britain's MOT record for the 2010 1.2 petrol. 6,181 of 23,809 tests failed, 26%.
Better than 34% of 2010 cars. The typical one fails 24%, across 955 models with enough tests behind them to say.
| Where | Share of failures | Failed tests |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 56% | 3,435 |
| Brakes | 40% | 2,452 |
| Lights and electrics | 25% | 1,574 |
| Tyres and wheels | 20% | 1,237 |
| Visibility | 14% | 868 |
| Body and structure | 14% | 852 |
The defects inspectors cite
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
- Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
- A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
- A shock absorber bush excessively worn
- Exhaust system leaking or insecure
- Parking brake inoperative on one side
Before you buy one
Built from what this car fails on, not from general knowledge of the model.
- Suspension — 56% of its failures
- A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
- A shock absorber damaged to the extent that it does not function or showing signs of severe leakage
- A shock absorber bush excessively worn
- Brakes — 40% of its failures
- Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement
- Parking brake inoperative on one side
- Tyres and wheels — 20% of its failures
- Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
- Lights and electrics — 25% of its failures
- Visibility — 14% of its failures
- Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
- Body and structure — 14% of its failures
When it starts failing
At 160–180k miles this one fails 35% of its inspections, against the 28% an ordinary car of the same age fails.
| Odometer | Failure rate | Rate | Its age | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0–20k miles | 11% | 12% | 496 | |
| 20–40k miles | 18% | 15% | 2,357 | |
| 40–60k miles | 23% | 19% | 5,501 | |
| 60–80k miles | 27% | 22% | 7,325 | |
| 80–100k miles | 30% | 25% | 5,198 | |
| 100–120k miles | 31% | 27% | 2,068 | |
| 120–140k miles | 33% | 28% | 628 | |
| 140–160k miles | 31% | 28% | 168 | |
| 160–180k miles | 35% | 28% | 37 |
23,778 British inspections, grouped by the odometer reading recorded at the test.
Half of these have more than 60k miles on them. That is how far people drive this car, not how long it lasts.
Specification
| Year | Measured |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 1.2 petrol · 1140 kg · 2490 mm wheelbase · 5.5 L/100km (WLTP) |
| 2018 | 1.2 petrol · 84 hp · 1076 kg · 2489 mm wheelbase · 4.8 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2017 | 1.2 petrol · 70 hp · 1017 kg · 2310 mm wheelbase · 4.8 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2015 | 1.2 petrol · 80 hp · 942 kg · 2300 mm wheelbase · 4.8 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2014 | 1.2 petrol · 68 hp · 940 kg · 2288 mm wheelbase · 4.8 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2013 | 1.2 petrol · 68 hp · 963 kg · 2300 mm wheelbase · 4.8 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2012 | 1.2 petrol · 987 kg · 2304 mm wheelbase · 4.8 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2011 | 1.2 petrol · 994 kg · 2300 mm wheelbase · 4.9 L/100km (NEDC) |
| 2010 | 1.2 petrol · 971 kg · 2288 mm wheelbase · 5.0 L/100km (NEDC) |