CarVerify

Free Car Check

E181 MVH

1988 Ford Escort

White Diesel 1608cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires27 May 2027
Tests29 (21 pass, 8 fail)
Pass rate72.4%

Mileage

97,887 mi
Last recorded97,887 miles
Recorded on27 May 2026
Typical for 1988 Ford Escort53,561 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

4 checks still locked for this Ford
Stolen
Finance
Write-off
Keepers
Unlock full report — £4.99
Instant £30k guarantee
or single check £9.99

Not all car check providers offer a guarantee. Don't risk buying from services that can't back their data. CarVerify reports include a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

Vehicle Details

RegistrationE181 MVH
MakeFord
ModelEscort
Year1988
ColourWhite
Fuel typeDiesel
Engine1,608cc

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

21 pass 8 fail
Pass 27 May 2026 97,887 miles
Pass 22 May 2025 97,525 miles
Fail 14 May 2025 97,525 miles

Central Rear Lower Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases Big hole, (6.1.2 (a))

Pass 15 May 2024 96,830 miles

Centre exhaust has slight blow

Centre exhaust has slight blow

Clutch release bearing noisy

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

Fail 15 May 2024 96,830 miles

Nearside Drive shaft joint constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (6.1.7 (g) (ii))

Nearside Steering rack gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint excessively worn (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Steering rack gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.1.3 (g) (ii))

Centre exhaust has slight blow

Centre exhaust has slight blow

Clutch release bearing noisy

Nearside Windscreen wiper blade defective (3.4 (b) (i))

Pass 17 May 2023 96,088 miles
Fail 17 May 2023 96,088 miles

Offside Rear Position lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp Earth (4.2.3 (c))

Pass 11 May 2022 95,443 miles

Central Rear Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases silencer corroded slightly (6.1.2 (a))

Offside Rear Lower Position lamp slightly affected by the operation of another lamp indicator / light side / stop (4.2.3 (c))

Pass 11 May 2021 94,643 miles
Pass 19 May 2020 93,859 miles

Offside Front Lower oil leak, crankshaft oil seal,

Pass 21 May 2019 92,872 miles

Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Fail 14 May 2019 92,872 miles

Brake pedal not releasing correctly and functionality of brakes affected Pedal going very hard, (1.1.2 (b) (ii))

Front Brakes imbalanced across an axle Axle 1 (1.2.1 (b) (i))

Nearside Front Service brake excessively binding hard to turn, (1.2.1 (f))

Nearside Rear Inner Tyre has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure 155/80/13 (5.2.3 (d) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Rear Exhaust emits excessive smoke or vapour likely to obscure the vision of other road users Blowing smoke on exhilaration, (8.2.2.2 (c)) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing worn on edges , rounding, (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Offside Front Tyre slightly damaged/cracking or perishing Tyre rounding, on both edges, (5.2.3 (d) (ii))

Wheel bearing has slight play (5.1.3 (a) (i))

Pass 3 May 2018 91,725 miles
Fail 2 May 2018 91,725 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases rear silencer small hole (7.1.2)

Pass 2 May 2017 90,595 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Nearside Rear tyre down to 2.5 - 3mm

Pass 28 May 2016 89,359 miles
Fail 23 May 2016 89,349 miles

Nearside Front Steering pivot point has excessive play (2.2.B.1g) DANGEROUS

Pass 11 May 2015 87,944 miles
Pass 16 May 2014 86,356 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Nearside Rear position lamp(s) slightly affected by the operation of another lamp (1.1.A.3f)

Pass 22 May 2013 84,463 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Fail 22 May 2013 84,463 miles

Offside Rear Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Pass 30 Apr 2012 82,913 miles

Front brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (3.5.1i)

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a slightly reduced damping effect (2.7.5)

O/S/R tyre has a very slight lump/ twist in the tread.

Pass 12 May 2011 82,017 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Front brake disc's are slightly pitted with rust spots.

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a slightly reduced damping effect (2.7.5)

Pass 14 May 2010 81,077 miles

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Fail 14 May 2010 81,077 miles

Nearside Rear Suspension spring mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Front Shock absorber has a light misting of oil (2.7.3)

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Pass 12 May 2009 79,449 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Nearside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Nearside Rear Coil spring mounting corroded but not seriously weakened (2.4.C.3c)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front brake disc slightly pitted (3.5.1h)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

n/s/r and o/s/r brake back plates corroded.

Pass 13 May 2008 78,708 miles

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Front Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Offside Rear Tyre worn close to the legal limit (4.1.E.1)

Pass 4 May 2007 77,175 miles
Pass 17 May 2006 76,609 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

Don't risk it. Know before you buy.

Not all vehicle check providers are the same. Some don't offer a data guarantee, which means if their information is wrong, you're on your own. Every CarVerify report is backed by a £30,000 finance data guarantee.

£30k guarantee Instant results Cancel anytime

E181 MVH is a 1988 Ford Escort in White with a 1,608cc diesel engine. This vehicle has been through 29 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 72.4%.

Across all 1988 Ford Escort models, the average MOT pass rate is 66.8% with a typical mileage of 53,561 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 E181 MVH, 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 38 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 E181 MVH?

You can check the full history of E181 MVH by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was E181 MVH registered?

E181 MVH is a 1988 Ford Escort, first registered on 17 June 1988.

Is E181 MVH safe to buy?

The MOT history for E181 MVH shows 29 tests with a 72.4% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does E181 MVH 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 E181 MVH. 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.