CarVerify

Free Car Check

S51 WTU

1998 Ford Cougar

Blue Petrol 2544cc
Search another vehicle

MOT Status

Valid
Expires20 Nov 2026
Tests31 (20 pass, 11 fail)
Pass rate64.5%

Mileage

143,520 mi
Last recorded143,520 miles
Recorded on13 Nov 2025
Typical for 1998 Ford Cougar87,878 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

RegistrationS51 WTU
MakeFord
ModelCougar
Year1998
ColourBlue
Fuel typePetrol
Engine2,544cc

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

20 pass 11 fail
Pass 13 Nov 2025 143,520 miles

Offside Front inner steering arm slight play

Rear suspension components corroded

under body corrosion

Pass 29 Oct 2024 142,229 miles

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

underbody corrosion

Fail 28 Oct 2024 142,222 miles

Exhaust Lambda reading after 2nd fast idle outside specified limits (8.2.1.2 (c))

Exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases center exhaust join (6.1.2 (a))

Offside Front Suspension arm ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

underbody corrosion

Pass 8 Nov 2023 139,450 miles

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

general underbody corrosion

Fail 7 Nov 2023 139,442 miles

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Front Wheel bearing rough when rotated (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Front Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint has slight play (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Nearside Front Wheel bearing slightly noisy (5.1.3 (b) (i))

Nearside Rear Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Offside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

general underbody corrosion

Pass 21 Nov 2022 136,165 miles

Front Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Nearside Front Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

Pass 15 Oct 2021 131,812 miles

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Outer Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Rear Anti-roll bar pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement both D-bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

under-body corrosion

Fail 14 Oct 2021 131,810 miles

Offside Rear Parking brake inoperative on one side (1.4.1 (a))

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Rear Service brake effort inadequate at a wheel nearside and offside (1.2.1 (a) (i))

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

Nearside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Nearside Rear Shock absorbers has light misting of oil (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material (1.1.11 (c))

Offside Rear Outer Tyre worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (5.2.3 (e))

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

Rear Anti-roll bar pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement both D-bushes (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

under-body corrosion

Pass 19 Nov 2020 129,465 miles
Fail 18 Nov 2020 129,461 miles

Parking brake efficiency below requirements (1.4.2 (a) (i))

Pass 25 Nov 2019 127,221 miles

Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened front and rear (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Front Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover severely deteriorated both sides (5.3.4 (b) (i))

Offside Front Vehicle structure is corroded but structural rigidity is not significantly reduced near engine mount, under bonnet (6.1.1 (c) (i))

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

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material all (1.1.11 (c))

Rear Inner sill corroded

Pass 23 Nov 2018 122,188 miles

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Marked yellow. (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Registration plate lamp insecure (4.7.1 (c) (i))

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

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material All. (1.1.11 (c))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view Chip in section B. (3.2 (a) (i))

Fail 22 Nov 2018 122,184 miles

Front Anti-roll bar pin or bush excessively worn both sides D-Bushes. (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Rear Shock absorbers has a serious fluid leak (5.3.2 (b))

Offside Front Suspension arm pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Marked yellow. (5.3.4 (a) (i))

Offside Registration plate lamp insecure (4.7.1 (c) (i))

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

Rear Brake pipe corroded, covered in grease or other material All. (1.1.11 (c))

Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view Chip in section B. (3.2 (a) (i))

Pass 13 Nov 2017 115,279 miles

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

rear under body corrosion.

Fail 13 Nov 2017 115,279 miles

rear under body corrosion.

Offside Headlamp not working on dipped beam (1.7.5a)

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

Pass 8 Nov 2016 109,017 miles

Oil leak ()

Rear suspension showing signs of corrosion.

Fail 7 Nov 2016 109,014 miles

Offside Rear Vehicle structure has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings outer sill (6.1.B.2)

Oil leak ()

Rear suspension showing signs of corrosion.

Pass 2 Nov 2015 105,044 miles

General under vehicle corrosion.

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

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

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

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

Windscreen has damage to an area less than a 10mm circle within zone 'A' (8.3.1a)

Fail 24 Nov 2014 101,035 miles

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

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

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

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

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

Rear Underbody Corrosion

Pass 24 Nov 2014 101,035 miles

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

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

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

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

Rear Underbody Corrosion

Pass 5 Nov 2013 97,284 miles
Pass 12 Nov 2012 93,670 miles
Pass 14 Nov 2011 87,014 miles
Fail 14 Nov 2011 87,014 miles

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

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

Pass 10 Nov 2010 80,360 miles

n/s/f tyre worn inner edge

Pass 4 Nov 2009 75,639 miles

Nearside Rear 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 14 Nov 2008 69,088 miles

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

Pass 23 Nov 2007 63,577 miles
Fail 22 Nov 2007 63,525 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)

Pass 27 Nov 2006 57,598 miles
Fail 20 Nov 2006 57,492 miles

Offside Rear Rear wheel bearing rough when rotated (2.6.1)

How Reliable is the Ford Cougar?

Based on 152,057 MOT tests across 13,390 vehicles.

66.3%
Pass Rate
5,383
Miles/Year
28
Year Lifespan
13,390
On UK Roads

Top MOT Failure Points

Parking brake: efficiency below requirements 11,699
Brake pipe excessively corroded 11,462
position lamp(s) not working 9,511
Tyre tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm 8,919
parking brake recording little or no effort 5,673
Full Ford Cougar 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

S51 WTU is a 1998 Ford Cougar in Blue with a 2,544cc petrol engine. This vehicle has been through 31 MOT tests with a personal pass rate of 64.5%.

Across all 1998 Ford Cougar models, the average MOT pass rate is 64.8% with a typical mileage of 87,878 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 Cougar fails its MOT is parking brake: efficiency below requirements, accounting for 11,699 recorded failures. If you're considering buying S51 WTU, it's worth having these areas checked by a mechanic before committing.

The Ford Cougar typically stays on UK roads for around 28 years. At 28 years old, this Ford Cougar is approaching the upper end of the typical lifespan for this model.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the history of S51 WTU?

You can check the full history of S51 WTU by running a full vehicle check. This shows you finance, stolen, write-off, MOT history, mileage records and more.

What year was S51 WTU registered?

S51 WTU is a 1998 Ford Cougar, first registered on 21 November 1998.

Is S51 WTU safe to buy?

The MOT history for S51 WTU shows 31 tests with a 64.5% pass rate. To check for outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies, run a full vehicle check.

Does S51 WTU 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 S51 WTU. 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.