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J15 ESO

1997 Ford Escort

Blue Petrol 1796cc
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MOT Status

Expired
Expires24 Jul 2026
Tests25 (15 pass, 10 fail)
Pass rate60%

Mileage

82,844 mi
Last recorded82,844 miles
Recorded on25 Jul 2025
Typical for 1997 Ford Escort62,516 mi

Above average mileage for this year

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

RegistrationJ15 ESO
MakeFord
ModelEscort
Year1997
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine1,796cc

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

15 pass 10 fail
Pass 25 Jul 2025 82,844 miles
Fail 20 Jun 2025 82,815 miles

Nearside Front Windscreen washer not working washer jet has no water supply (3.5 (a))

Nearside Rear Position lamp not working (4.2.1 (a) (ii))

Offside Front Lower Anti-roll bar ball joint excessively worn drop link has excessive movement (5.3.4 (a) (i))

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

Parking brake lever has excessive movement indicating incorrect adjustment (1.1.6 (c))

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

Parking brake efficiency less than 50% of the required value (1.4.2 (a) (ii)) DANGEROUS

Rear low service brake effort across rear axle indicates possibly wheel cylinders are not working correcty

Pass 23 May 2024 79,079 miles
Fail 23 May 2024 79,079 miles

Nearside Stop lamp(s) not working (4.3.1 (a) (ii))

Pass 22 May 2023 74,668 miles
Pass 4 Mar 2022 70,102 miles
Pass 2 Feb 2021 66,552 miles
Pass 8 Jul 2016 66,489 miles

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

Offside Rear Brake pipe slightly corroded fed to flexi (3.6.B.2c)

Steering column top bearing slightly worn (2.1.2c)

Pass 14 May 2015 66,407 miles
Fail 12 May 2015 66,401 miles

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Nearside Front Upper Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Offside Front Upper Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Pass 13 Jun 2014 66,135 miles

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

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

slight movement top column mount

Fail 8 May 2014 66,103 miles

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust emissions carbon monoxide content at idle excessive (7.3.D.4)

Exhaust emissions hydrocarbon content after 2nd fast idle excessive (7.3.D.3)

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front constant velocity joint gaiter insecure to the extent that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc (2.5.C.1a)

Offside Front Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover excessively deteriorated so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

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

Offside Front Track rod end ball joint has slight play (2.2.B.1f)

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

centre rear veiw mirror lo0se

Pass 10 May 2013 63,696 miles

Exhaust emits blue smoke during acceleration (7.3.A.2c)

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Fail 10 May 2013 63,696 miles

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

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

Exhaust emits blue smoke during acceleration (7.3.A.2c)

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing has slight play (2.6.2)

Rear Service brake: service brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Pass 2 May 2012 50,624 miles

Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

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

Fail 20 Apr 2012 50,400 miles

Exhaust emissions Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (7.3.D.3)

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

Nearside Front Suspension arm ball joint dust cover excessively damaged so that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Front constant velocity joint gaiter damaged to the extent that it no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc (2.5.C.1a)

Nearside Headlamp aim too low (1.8)

Offside Rear Brake hose excessively deteriorated (3.6.B.4d)

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

Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Rear Exhaust system not adequately supported (7.1.1)

Rear fog lamp not working (1.3.2b)

Body has slight corrosion (6.1.B.2)

Front Brake pad(s) wearing thin (3.5.1g)

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

Nearside Front Suspension arm has slight play in a ball joint (2.4.G.2)

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

Pass 21 Apr 2011 39,115 miles

OUTER DOOR SILLS CORRODED

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

SLIGHT BUCKLE IN N/S/R WHEEL

Fail 20 Apr 2011 39,115 miles

Nearside Front Seat belt anchorage prescribed area is excessively corroded (5.2.6)

OUTER DOOR SILLS CORRODED

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

SLIGHT BUCKLE IN N/S/R WHEEL

Pass 24 Jul 2009 36,173 miles

Nearside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

pos start of bearing noise near side rear wheel

strong advise on wear off side front tyre inner wall and edge

Fail 22 Jul 2009 36,121 miles

Offside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

Nearside Rear Braking system leaking (3.6.A.1) DANGEROUS

Nearside Front Suspension arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement (2.4.G.2)

pos start of bearing noise near side rear wheel

strong advise on wear off side front tyre inner wall and edge

Pass 23 Jul 2008 27,743 miles
Fail 22 Jul 2008 27,743 miles

Offside Front Braking system leaking (3.6.A.1)

Rear Parking brake lever has no reserve travel (3.1.6b)

Rear Parking brake: parking brake efficiency only just met. It would appear that the braking system requires adjustment or repair. (3.7.B.7)

Pass 8 Jun 2007 21,880 miles
Pass 14 Jun 2006 16,397 miles
Fail 13 Jun 2006 16,397 miles

Offside Rear Shock absorber has a serious fluid leak (2.7.3)

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

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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J15 ESO is a 1997 Ford Escort in Blue with a 1,796cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 25 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 60%.

Across all 1997 Ford Escort models, the average MOT pass rate is 62.1% with a typical mileage of 62,516 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 Escort fails its MOT is suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded, accounting for 465,333 recorded failures. If you're considering buying J15 ESO, 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 29 years old, this Ford Escort is well into its expected lifespan but still has years ahead.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of J15 ESO?

You can check the full history of J15 ESO by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was J15 ESO registered?

J15 ESO is a 1997 Ford Escort, first registered on 14 May 1997.

Is J15 ESO safe to buy?

The MOT history for J15 ESO shows 25 tests with a 60% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does J15 ESO 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 J15 ESO. 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.