Car
Ford S-Max
76.8%
pass rate across 276,065 tests
70.7% first-time pass rate
Ford S-Max vs Vauxhall Zafira
The two cars compared on 1,040,975 real MOT tests: pass rates, first-time passes, the failures each is known for, repair costs and how both have moved year by year.
Car
Vauxhall Zafira
75.7%
pass rate across 764,910 tests
69.0% first-time pass rate
The short answer
Ford S-Max edges the MOT comparison
Across 1,040,975 tests, the Ford S-Max has the stronger first-time record: 70.7% against 69.0%, a 1.7-point gap. On all MOTs the Ford S-Max is ahead at 76.8% versus 75.7%. A typical repair bill is similar: £32–£90 for the Ford S-Max and £29–£77 for the Vauxhall Zafira; at their pass rates that is roughly £741–£2,083 versus £693–£1,866 per 100 tests. The costliest common failure on the Vauxhall Zafira is Engine oil leaking excessively at 17.0% of tests, up to £700 to fix.
- First-time pass: 70.7% vs 69.0%.
- All MOTs: 76.8% vs 75.7%.
- Like-for-like: −1.8 vs −2.0 points.
- Typical repair bill: £32–£90 vs £29–£77.
- At 90,000–120,000 miles: 75.1% vs 72.7%.
| Measure | S-Max | Zafira |
|---|---|---|
| MOT tests on record | 276,065 | 764,910 |
| Pass rate, all MOTs | 76.8% stronger figure | 75.7% |
| First-time pass rate | 70.7% stronger figure | 69.0% |
| Against the UK average | −4.2 pts stronger figure | −5.3 pts |
| Like-for-like, age and mileage adjusted | −1.8 pts stronger figure | −2.0 pts |
| Average mileage at test | 86,055 mi | 99,517 mi |
| Model years on record | 2006–2023 (18) | 2000–2018 (19) |
| Best model year | 2023 · 92.2% | 2018 · 85.8% |
| Worst model year | 2006 · 68.1% | 2000 · 68.2% |
| Typical repair bill | £32–£90 | £29–£77 stronger figure |
| Expected repair spend per 100 tests | £741–£2,083 | £693–£1,866 stronger figure |
| Main fuel | Diesel 91% | Petrol 66% |
| Variants recorded | 3 | 2 |
A ✓ marks the stronger figure in each row. It is a comparison between the two cars, not a judgement against the national average.
What goes wrong most often
The most common priced failures on each model, as a share of all its tests. Repair costs are estimates from UK parts data, not quotes.
S-Max
- Coil spring corroded 9.3% £25–£65
- Registration plate lamp inoperative (multiple lamps) 7.7% £5–£20
- Suspension arm corroded 6.8% £35–£85
- Child seat fitted, preventing full inspection 6.2% £20–£80
Zafira
- Engine oil leaking excessively 17.0% £200–£700
- Exhaust system leaking 10.0% £45–£120
- Coil spring corroded 7.8% £25–£65
- Coil spring fractured or broken 4.3% £25–£65
Year by year
The newest 8 years with published results. A model's headline rate hides a wide spread between its best and worst years.
| Model year | S-Max | Zafira |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 84.6% · 23,905 tests | 82.3% · 42,342 tests |
| 2017 | 85.5% · 18,214 tests | 83.8% · 41,983 tests |
| 2018 | 86.4% · 8,145 tests | 85.8% · 16,645 tests |
| 2019 | 84.4% · 8,008 tests | — |
| 2020 | 87.1% · 3,881 tests | — |
| 2021 | 86.4% · 1,696 tests | — |
| 2022 | 87.7% · 828 tests | — |
| 2023 | 92.2% · 51 tests | — |
Does the pass rate hold at higher mileage?
Pass rate by the mileage recorded at test, pooled across every published year. A car that stays strong past 90,000 miles is doing something right.
| Mileage | S-Max | Zafira |
|---|---|---|
| 0–30,000 mi | 90.4% · 7,500 tests | 90.0% · 16,722 tests |
| 30,000–60,000 mi | 85.0% · 36,876 tests | 83.7% · 119,040 tests |
| 60,000–90,000 mi | 79.6% · 64,395 tests | 77.3% · 227,809 tests |
| 90,000–120,000 mi | 75.1% · 71,123 tests | 72.7% · 227,110 tests |
| 120k+ | 72.2% · 95,073 tests | 70.7% · 170,678 tests |
What to check before you buy
Ford S-Max
- Coil spring corroded — 9.3% of tests, £25–£65 to put right.
- Registration plate lamp inoperative (multiple lamps) — 7.7% of tests, £5–£20 to put right.
- The weakest year on record is 2006 at 68.1%; check that generation's MOT history closely.
Vauxhall Zafira
- Engine oil leaking excessively — 17.0% of tests, £200–£700 to put right.
- Exhaust system leaking — 10.0% of tests, £45–£120 to put right.
- The weakest year on record is 2000 at 68.2%; check that generation's MOT history closely.
Both columns cover every published year for the model. Pass rates are test-weighted, so a model with more recent tests is not dragged down by its oldest ones. Repair figures are estimates from UK parts data; a garage quote is the only number that matters for a specific car. The same car can be tested in more than one year, so these are test outcomes, not a count of individual vehicles.
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