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B491 RBF

1985 Ford Escort

Red Petrol 1597cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires1 Apr 2026
Tests12 (9 pass, 3 fail)
Pass rate75%

Mileage

46,170 mi
Last recorded46,170 miles
Recorded on2 Apr 2025
Typical for 1985 Ford Escort52,350 mi

Below or average mileage for this year

4 checks still locked for this Ford
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
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Vehicle Details

RegistrationB491 RBF
MakeFord
ModelEscort
Year1985
ColourRed
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,597cc

All premium checks include

50+ data points
Finance Check (Experian) Insurance Write-off Salvage Auction Stolen Check Previous Owners Ex-Taxi, Police, NHS Mileage Anomaly Import / Export Scrapped Check Plate Changes

MOT History

9 pass 3 fail
Pass 2 Apr 2025 46,170 miles

Offside Front Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 5 Oct 2023 44,674 miles

Front Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 16 Sep 2022 44,634 miles

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Fail 14 Sep 2022 44,627 miles

Brake pedal has insufficient reserve travel (1.1.2 (a))

Oil leak, but not excessive (8.4.1 (a) (i))

Pass 8 Sep 2021 44,617 miles
Pass 16 Sep 2020 44,607 miles
Fail 11 Sep 2020 44,598 miles

Brake pedal has insufficient reserve travel (1.1.2 (a))

Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 2 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Front Brakes imbalanced across an axle by more than 50% Axle 1 (1.2.1 (b) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Service brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.2.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Pass 20 Aug 2019 44,588 miles
Fail 19 Aug 2019 44,588 miles

Headlamp not working on dipped beam (4.1.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Pass 5 Sep 2018 44,508 miles
Pass 25 Aug 2017 44,008 miles

All four coil springs corroded

Both front and rear shockers has corrosion to the casing

Offside Front Macpherson strut has slight movement at the upper attachment (2.5.A.1c)

Offside Rear Brakes imbalanced requirements only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.5b)

Rear wheel bearing has slight play Both rear wheel bearings (2.6.2)

Trailing arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement Both (2.4.G.2)

Pass 11 Jul 2005 43,824 miles

How Reliable is the Ford Escort?

Based on 4,961,191 MOT tests across 821,553 vehicles.

63.1%
Pass Rate
4,830
Miles/Year
38
Year Lifespan
821,553
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded 465,333
Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded 447,459
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 433,778
Brake pipe excessively corroded 419,450
constant velocity joint gaiter split 203,602
Full Ford Escort reliability report

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B491 RBF is a 1985 Ford Escort in Red with a 1,597cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 12 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 75%.

Across all 1985 Ford Escort models, the average MOT pass rate is 73.8% with a typical mileage of 52,350 miles. This particular vehicle has performed better than the average for its year.

The most common reason a Ford Escort fails its MOT is suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded, accounting for 465,333 recorded failures. If you're considering buying B491 RBF, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Ford Escort typically stays on UK roads for around 38 years. At 41 years old, this Ford Escort is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of B491 RBF?

You can check the full history of B491 RBF by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was B491 RBF registered?

B491 RBF is a 1985 Ford Escort, first registered on 7 June 1985.

Is B491 RBF safe to buy?

The MOT history for B491 RBF shows 12 tests with a 75% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does B491 RBF have outstanding finance?

Finance checks require a premium vehicle report. This checks against all major UK finance providers to see if there is any outstanding finance on B491 RBF. If you buy a car with outstanding finance, the finance company can repossess it.

No warranty or guarantee of accuracy is provided for any free data on this page. The data guarantee applies only to information obtained through the purchase of a full check.