The Fiesta versus Corsa argument has been settled in pub car parks and driving school forecourts for two decades, and now that the Fiesta is out of production, the used market is where this fight actually matters. We looked at 19,444,720 MOT tests covering both cars across their shared 2010-2019 production years to see which supermini genuinely holds up better once it's out of warranty and into real ownership.
This isn't a spec sheet comparison. Both cars were built to do the same job for the same buyers: first cars, second cars, small family runabouts, driving instructor fleets. The MOT data tells you what actually happened to them, not what the brochure promised.
The short version: The Ford Fiesta beats the Vauxhall Corsa on reliability across every shared model year from 2010 to 2019, with a 77-point score gap and a 2.6 percentage point higher pass rate. The Corsa isn't a bad car, but the Fiesta is the more dependable used buy on this evidence.
The Data Verdict
The Ford Fiesta is the more reliable car, by 76 points
Like-for-like comparison across the years both cars were on sale (2010-2019), from 19,444,720 real DVSA MOT tests. Scores out of 1000, higher is better.
Head-to-Head: The Numbers (2010-2019)
| Metric | Ford Fiesta | Vauxhall Corsa |
|---|---|---|
| Reliability score (/1000) | 468 | 391 |
| MOT pass rate | 78.7% | 76.0% |
| First MOT pass rate (age 3) | 86.4% | 82.5% |
| Average defects per test | 1.75 | 1.76 |
| Typical annual mileage | 6,145 mi | 6,006 mi |
| MOT tests analysed | 11,447,816 | 7,996,904 |
| Vehicles tracked | 1,070,593 | 719,101 |
Pass Rate and Score, Year by Year
| Year | Ford Fiesta pass (score) | Vauxhall Corsa pass (score) | Stronger |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 74.8% (491) | 72.4% (399) | Ford Fiesta |
| 2011 | 76.7% (511) | 74.1% (421) | Ford Fiesta |
| 2012 | 77.2% (490) | 74.4% (407) | Ford Fiesta |
| 2013 | 77.8% (477) | 74.2% (363) | Ford Fiesta |
| 2014 | 78.6% (454) | 74.8% (332) | Ford Fiesta |
| 2015 | 78.9% (407) | 78.8% (411) | Even |
| 2016 | 79.0% (369) | 80.4% (418) | Vauxhall Corsa |
| 2017 | 84.4% (465) | 82.0% (387) | Ford Fiesta |
| 2018 | 87.6% (542) | 82.4% (370) | Ford Fiesta |
| 2019 | 88.1% (522) | 83.7% (374) | Ford Fiesta |
Shared years only. Ford Fiesta data also covers 2020-2023; Vauxhall Corsa data also covers 2020-2022, covered in the full year-by-year guides below.
What Actually Fails on Each
Recorded defects and advisories per 100 MOT tests by DVSA inspection category, 2010-2019. A test can record more than one defect.
Ford Fiesta
- Tyres, wheels and suspension: 77.6 per 100 tests typically around 55,000 miles
- Brakes: 23.5 per 100 tests typically around 55,000 miles
- Lights and electrics: 22.6 per 100 tests typically around 58,500 miles
- Other: 14.0 per 100 tests typically around 58,000 miles
- Visibility (wipers, washers, windscreen): 7.9 per 100 tests typically around 58,500 miles
Vauxhall Corsa
- Tyres, wheels and suspension: 65.0 per 100 tests typically around 53,000 miles
- Brakes: 26.5 per 100 tests typically around 53,000 miles
- Lights and electrics: 22.3 per 100 tests typically around 56,500 miles
- Other: 12.8 per 100 tests typically around 54,500 miles
- Visibility (wipers, washers, windscreen): 11.6 per 100 tests typically around 53,500 miles
The Best Year to Buy Each
Reliability scores are age-adjusted: each year is judged against other cars of the same age. So when an older year out-scores a newer one, it means it holds up unusually well for its age, not that it will need less work than a much newer car. How our scores work.
Why Does the Fiesta Beat the Corsa?
The Fiesta's lead isn't a one-year blip. It holds up across the whole decade we looked at. Put any given model year side by side and the Fiesta comes out ahead on pass rate almost every time, and the gap doesn't close as both cars age. That points to something structural rather than a lucky batch of cars.
Part of it comes down to the Fiesta's first MOT pass rate, which sits well clear of the Corsa's. A car that passes its first test cleanly tends to have been built with tighter tolerances and fewer early-life gremlins, and that head start seems to carry through. The Fiesta was also the UK's best-selling car for years running, which gave Ford a mountain of data and dealer feedback to fix issues across facelifts. The Corsa sold in huge numbers too, but never quite matched that scale, or the EcoBoost-era engineering investment Ford poured into the Fiesta from the early 2010s onward.
Annual mileage is almost identical between the two, so this isn't a case of one car being driven more gently. These are both used the same way by similar owners, and the Fiesta just stands up to it better.
What Do the Defect Patterns Tell You?
Both cars fail MOTs for broadly the same reasons. Tyres, wheels and suspension dominate for each, followed by brakes and lights. But the Fiesta racks up more tyre, wheel and suspension defects per 100 tests than the Corsa, which is worth flagging to any buyer. On a car this age, that usually means checking bushes, springs and tracking before you commit. It's a fair trade against the Fiesta's better overall pass rate, not a reason to avoid it.
The Corsa, meanwhile, picks up more visibility defects (wipers, washers, screens) and is the only one of the two with emissions and leaks showing up as a notable category. That's a small but real signal that Corsa engines and their ancillaries can be more prone to age-related wear in that area. Neither car has a standout dangerous defect problem here, so this is about maintenance cost and MOT hassle rather than safety scares.
Total defects per test are almost a dead heat between the two cars, so neither is dramatically more fiddly than the other. The difference is in what breaks and how often it turns into an outright fail rather than an advisory.
Which Years Should You Buy or Avoid?
The Fiesta's strongest run in this shared window starts from 2017, where pass rates climb sharply as Ford refined the post-facelift range. Earlier Fiestas, particularly 2013-2016, show a real dip in score even though pass rates stayed reasonable, which suggests those years pick up more issues per test as they age rather than failing outright. If you're shopping used, a later Fiesta is the safer bet, though older cars from the range's stronger early years can still be decent value if you go in expecting an older car's usual wear.
The Corsa follows a similar shape, climbing steadily through the decade, but starts from a lower base and never quite catches the Fiesta at the same age. Its best year in this window, 2016, holds up unusually well for its age given the mid-cycle dip either side of it, so it's worth a closer look if you find a clean example. For the full year-by-year breakdown of both cars, including which specific model years to steer clear of, see
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Ford Fiesta more reliable than the Vauxhall Corsa?
Based on 19,444,720 MOT tests across shared production years (2010-2019), yes. The Fiesta has a higher pass rate and a 77-point higher reliability score than the Corsa, and the gap holds consistently across the decade rather than appearing in just one or two years.
What's the most common MOT failure on a Fiesta or Corsa?
Tyres, wheels and suspension top the list for both cars, followed by brakes and lights. The Fiesta sees more defects in this category per 100 tests than the Corsa, so it's worth having tyres, tracking and suspension bushes checked before buying an older one.
Does the Corsa have any advantage over the Fiesta?
Not on this data. The Fiesta beats it on pass rate and overall score in every shared year. The Corsa's issues are mostly around visibility items like wipers and screens, plus some emissions and leak-related wear, but nothing that outweighs the Fiesta's broader reliability edge.
Which model years of Fiesta and Corsa are the best used buys?
For the Fiesta, cars from 2017 onwards show the strongest pass rates in this window. For the Corsa, 2016 stands out as a particularly good year relative to the ones either side of it. Earlier examples of both can still be sound, but expect more wear-related issues to check for.
Our Verdict
On the numbers, the Fiesta wins this one clearly. A 77-point score gap and a 2.6 percentage point better pass rate isn't marginal, and it holds across ten years of shared production rather than showing up in one odd year. If you're choosing between the two purely on which one is less likely to let you down, buy the Fiesta.
That said, the Corsa's weaknesses here are manageable. Nobody's talking about a car riddled with dangerous defects or catastrophic engine failures. It's more visibility and emissions wear than anything alarming, and a well-maintained Corsa will still do the job perfectly well as a first car or runabout. The Fiesta's tyre and suspension defect rate is a genuine trade-off worth checking before you buy, not a footnote.
If you already own a Corsa, this data isn't a reason to panic sell it. If you're choosing between the two on a used forecourt with similar money and similar mileage, though, the evidence points one way.
A reliable model is only half the story. The exact Ford Fiesta or Vauxhall Corsa you are looking at could be clocked, on outstanding finance, or a past write-off. Check the specific car before you commit.
Numbers like these are only useful if you can check them against the actual car in front of you. Run a full MOT history check on any Fiesta or Corsa you're considering with PlateInsight before you hand over any money, it takes seconds and tells you exactly what that specific car has failed on, not just what the averages say.
You might also like
Check Any Vehicle's Full History
MOT results, mileage timeline, AI health score, and market valuations. New users get 5 free credits.