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ESU 118

1981 Ford Fiesta

Blue Petrol 1298cc
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MOT Status

Valid
Expires22 Oct 2026
Tests18 (12 pass, 6 fail)
Pass rate66.7%

Mileage

76,746 mi
Last recorded76,746 miles
Recorded on23 Oct 2025
Typical for 1981 Ford Fiesta51,935 mi

Significantly above average — investigate

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

RegistrationESU 118
MakeFord
ModelFiesta
Year1981
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,298cc

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

12 pass 6 fail
Pass 23 Oct 2025 76,746 miles
Pass 1 Oct 2024 76,739 miles
Fail 25 Sep 2024 76,735 miles

Offside Rear Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

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

Service brake efficiency below requirements (1.2.2 (a) (i))

Windscreen washer not working (3.5 (a))

Pass 15 Sep 2023 76,231 miles
Pass 19 Apr 2018 75,833 miles
Pass 14 Mar 2017 75,831 miles
Pass 15 Apr 2016 75,828 miles
Pass 15 May 2014 75,823 miles
Fail 14 May 2014 75,823 miles

Nearside Track rod end ball joint has excessive play (2.2.B.1f)

Pass 14 May 2013 75,746 miles

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

Fail 1 May 2013 75,745 miles

Nearside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Offside Front Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

Offside Registration plate lamp not working (1.1.C.1d)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Exhaust noisy (7.1.4)

Fuel pipe/s corroded

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

Pass 22 Feb 2012 75,765 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside and offside rear suspension bushes slightly worn

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Front constant velocity joint gaiter deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.5.C.1a)

offside front tyre split

offside rear brake slightly bineding

Fail 13 Feb 2012 75,765 miles

Nearside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Nearside Rear Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded (3.6.B.4e)

Nearside Rear rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Offside Front Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded (2.4.A.3)

Offside Front front brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Offside Front position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Offside Rear Brake hose ferrule excessively corroded (3.6.B.4e)

Offside Rear position lamp(s) not working (1.1.A.3b)

Offside Rear wheel bearing has excessive play (2.6.2)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Rear Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Nearside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Front Brake pipe slightly corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Offside Front constant velocity joint gaiter deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt (2.5.C.1a)

offside front tyre split

offside rear brake slightly bineding

Pass 19 Nov 2008 75,765 miles
Fail 27 Oct 2008 75,765 miles

Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Front Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.1.E.1)

Nearside Rear wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.6.1)

Offside Obligatory mirror missing (8.1.1)

Offside Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Offside Stop lamp not working (1.2.1b)

Rear Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Windscreen washer provides insufficient washer liquid (8.2.3)

Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b) DANGEROUS

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7) DANGEROUS

Pass 19 Jul 2007 75,765 miles
Fail 30 Jun 2007 75,765 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe excessively corroded (3.6.B.2c)

Nearside Rear rear brake binding (3.7.B.1)

Offside Rear Direction indicator not working (1.4.A.2c)

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

Offside Rear position lamp(s) incorrect colour (1.1.A.3e)

Nearside Front Radius arm has slight play in a pin bearing (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)

Offside Front Radius arm has slight play in a pin bearing (2.4.G.2)

Offside Steering system has slight free play detected at steering wheel (2.2.A.1b)

Pass 31 May 2006 74,838 miles

How Reliable is the Ford Fiesta?

Based on 33,753,820 MOT tests across 2,828,392 vehicles.

72.8%
Pass Rate
5,238
Miles/Year
34
Year Lifespan
2,828,392
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 959,538
Brake pipe excessively corroded 870,463
Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded 634,942
Windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively 563,353
Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded 507,195
Full Ford Fiesta reliability report

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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.

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ESU 118 is a 1981 Ford Fiesta in Blue with a 1,298cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 18 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 66.7%.

Across all 1981 Ford Fiesta models, the average MOT pass rate is 71.3% with a typical mileage of 51,935 miles. This particular vehicle has a lower pass rate than the average for its year, which may indicate maintenance issues worth investigating.

The most common reason a Ford Fiesta fails its MOT is tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, accounting for 959,538 recorded failures. If you're considering buying ESU 118, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Ford Fiesta typically stays on UK roads for around 34 years. At 45 years old, this Ford Fiesta is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of ESU 118?

You can check the full history of ESU 118 by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was ESU 118 registered?

ESU 118 is a 1981 Ford Fiesta, first registered on 1 August 1981.

Is ESU 118 safe to buy?

The MOT history for ESU 118 shows 18 tests with a 66.7% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does ESU 118 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 ESU 118. 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.