Ford S-Max MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Ford S-Max MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Ford S-Max passed on its first attempt in 70.7%, and its overall record sits −4.2 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Ford S-Max in the 2023–2025 data: 276,065 tests across 18 model years (2006–2023). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Ford S-Max MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Ford S-Max, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Ford S-Max's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Ford S-Max DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Ford S-Max, each with how many of the model's 276,065 tests it was noted on.

• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 21,239 Ford S-Max tests, 7.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 10,511 Ford S-Max tests, 3.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn" (Major) — noted on about 6,238 Ford S-Max tests, 2.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 5,679 Ford S-Max tests, 2.1% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 4,829 Ford S-Max tests, 1.7% of the model's MOT record.
• "Position lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning" (Minor) — noted on about 4,689 Ford S-Max tests, 1.7% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Ford S-Max Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Ford S-Max model year on record is 2023 (92.2% across 51 tests), and the weakest is 2006 (68.1%). The gap between them is 24.1 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Ford S-Max reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.1 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Ford S-Max Owners

These checks follow this Ford S-Max's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Ford S-Max.

• the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the suspension joints — “pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn”

  With the car parked on level ground, rock the top of each front wheel in and out while someone watches the suspension arm. Clunks, or rubber boots split and greasy, are what testers record here.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Ford S-Max. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Where the Ford S-Max is most common

Across every S-Max model year on record (2006–2023): 109,406 Ford S-Max cars tested in a recordable postcode area, across 276,049 tests. Birmingham (B) has the most, with 3,556 cars tested there. Cars are counted by the postcode area of the MOT station, so this is where they were tested, not necessarily where their owners live.

The twenty areas with the most Ford S-Max cars in the record, sorted by car count — sort the columns for a different question. Cars tested at a station whose postcode area could not be resolved are counted in the model's total but in no area, so the shares add up to slightly under 100% even across every area, and an area's cars are a subset of the model's. Pass rate is blank below 30 tests in an area, where a percentage is noise rather than a finding. How this model's pass rate varies by postcode →

Frequently Asked Questions: Ford S-Max MOT & Reliability