(No.1 best-seller)
(2024 registrations)
2021 Puma (same gen)
or 60,000 miles
The Puma was the UK’s best-selling new car of 2024 with 48,340 registrations, finishing just 1,177 cars ahead of the Kia Sportage. It was also the year Ford updated it, adding a 12-inch SYNC 4 touchscreen and a 12.8-inch digital instrument cluster. Fleets and businesses registered a record number of new cars in 2024, so many of the 2024 Pumas now for sale are ex-lease or ex-company — and none of them needs an MOT until 2027. This page is built on what can actually be checked today.
Registration figures are SMMT new car data. Recall references are DVSA vehicle safety recall numbers (in the form R/year/number), with build dates cross-checked against manufacturer and European recall notices where they were published. MOT figures for earlier registrations are derived from the DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results dataset, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Recall records change. Before you buy, check the specific car by registration on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.
A UK car does not need its first MOT until it is three years old, so a 2024 registration reaches its first test during 2027. Until enough of them have been tested there is no reliable pass rate for this registration year — and we do not publish an estimate as if it were one.
For the Puma that means no 2024 pass rate exists yet. The nearest evidence is the same-generation 2020 and 2021 cars, which have now been through their first test and are covered below.
This page is built on what can be checked today: recall records, warranty terms, faults reported on the same generation, and the MOT record of earlier registrations of the same car.
What to expect at the first MOT
The 2024 update was about screens, styling and driver assistance. The platform, suspension and 1.0 EcoBoost mild hybrid engine carried over, which makes the 2020 and 2021 Pumas — the first of this generation to reach an MOT — a fair guide to how a 2024 car will do at its first test.
What is most likely to come up first
- Tyres. On 17 to 19-inch wheels, a 2024 Puma will often need its first set at around the first MOT. Check the tread on all four, including the inner edges.
- Brake pads and discs. Pads wear at the normal rate, and discs on low-mileage cars that stand around corrode before they wear out.
- Lights. Check every lamp, including the number plate light. LED units are replaced as assemblies, not bulbs, so a failure costs more than it used to.
- Wipers and screen. Cheap items, but a smearing blade or a chip in the driver’s line of sight is an outright fail.
Recalls to check on a 2024 Puma
Two recalls published in 2025 reach into 2024 production. Neither is obvious from the driver’s seat and both are free — but recall work is easily left outstanding on a car that has passed through a lease company and a trade auction.
A model page describes the model. Enter the registration to see this car’s own record — any MOT history, its mileage timeline and any finance, theft or write-off markers.
The 2024 update, and the wet belt question
Two things separate a 2024 Puma from the cars before it: the cabin technology Ford added during the year, and the question every EcoBoost buyer asks. Here is what changed, and what did not.
- A 12-inch SYNC 4 touchscreen replaced the 8-inch unit, with a 12.8-inch digital instrument cluster and wireless charging standard across the range.
- Climate and heated-seat controls moved to touch-sensitive soft keys under the screen — reviewers liked the display, less so the loss of physical buttons.
- SYNC 4 supports over-the-air updates, so many software complaints can be fixed without a dealer visit.
- The manual Puma ST was dropped. The update arrived during the year, so a 2024 registration can be either version — the 12-inch screen is the giveaway.
- The camshafts are chain-driven, which removes the failure mode that gave older Fiesta and Focus EcoBoost engines their reputation.
- The oil pump is still driven by a belt that runs in engine oil. If it degrades, debris can block the oil pickup and starve the engine.
- The defence has not changed: the correct-specification oil, changed on time, with invoices to prove it.
- On a car this young the record is only one or two services long, so there is no excuse for any of it to be missing.
How much warranty is left on a 2024 Puma
Ford’s new car warranty runs for three years or 60,000 miles, whichever comes first, from the date of first registration. On a 2024 car it ends during 2027 — at around the same time as the first MOT.
| Cover | Term | What it means for a 2024 car |
|---|---|---|
| Ford new car warranty | 3 years / 60,000 miles | Ends during 2027. A high-mileage ex-fleet car may already be past 60,000 miles. |
| Ford extended warranty | Up to 5 years / 100,000 miles | An option the first owner could buy. Ask whether it was taken, and confirm by VIN with a Ford dealer. |
| Recall work | Free, with no time limit | Recall repairs are carried out free whatever the car’s age or warranty status. |
Known faults to look for
These are the issues reported on this generation of the Puma. Costs are indicative UK independent-specialist ranges, not quotes — and on a car this young, many will still be a warranty matter.
Pre-purchase checklist
Work through this in order. The first few cost nothing and rule out most bad cars.
- Run the registration through the DVSA recall checker and confirm R/2025/196 (hybrid software) and R/2025/084 (fuel line shield) are not outstanding.
- Ask for the service invoices showing the oil grade. On any EcoBoost this is the document that matters most.
- Check which version you are buying. A 12-inch central touchscreen means the updated 2024 car.
- Confirm the warranty end date and the mileage. Cover ends during 2027, and an ex-fleet car may already be past 60,000 miles.
- If the car already has an MOT, ask why. A 2024 car tested early has usually been a taxi, private hire or fleet vehicle.
- Check that stop-start and the hybrid assist work. If they do not, the BECM recall may be outstanding.
- On a Powershift automatic, test drive from cold in traffic and feel for hesitation pulling away.
- Verify finance and write-off status. Young cars are far more likely to carry outstanding finance.
Ford Puma (2024) FAQs
Is the 2024 Ford Puma reliable?
There is no MOT pass rate for 2024 cars yet, because they do not reach their first MOT until 2027. The nearest evidence is strong: 2021 Pumas of the same generation passed their first MOT at 90.7% and 2020 cars at 90.0%. The 2024 update changed the screens and styling rather than the engine or suspension, so those results are a fair guide.
When does a 2024 Ford Puma need its first MOT?
Three years after it was first registered, so at some point during 2027. The date of first registration is on the V5C logbook. A 2024 Puma that already has an MOT history was tested early, which usually means taxi, private hire or fleet use.
Does the 2024 Ford Puma have a wet belt?
Partly. The camshafts are driven by a timing chain, but the oil pump is still driven by a belt that runs in engine oil. That makes the correct oil grade, changed on schedule, the most important thing in the service history.
What recalls affect the 2024 Ford Puma?
Two 2025 recalls reach 2024 production: R/2025/196, a software update for the hybrid system's Battery Energy Control Module, and R/2025/084, a replacement fuel line support shield to stop the line chafing. Both are free. Check the specific car by registration on the GOV.UK recall checker.
What changed on the 2024 Ford Puma?
Ford added a 12-inch SYNC 4 touchscreen, a 12.8-inch digital instrument cluster and wireless charging as standard, moved the climate controls onto touch-sensitive keys and updated the driver assistance systems. The manual Puma ST was dropped, and the 1.0 EcoBoost mild hybrid engines carried over.
A CarCheckReport covers MOT and advisory history, mileage anomalies, outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, import and scrapped status — using DVLA, DVSA and Experian data.