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Ford S-MAX, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

62,032 Ford S-MAX cars are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 64.6% of initial MOT tests, 7.7 points below the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific S-MAX? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Ford S-MAX at the MOT

64.6% of 67,952 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the S-MAX 439th of 575 models. Ford S-MAX cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 77.8% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 11 years and over that fell to 58.3%.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Ford S-MAX64.6%
  • All Ford modelsThe S-MAX is 4.2 pts behind68.8%
  • All cars72.3%

Pass rate by age at test

Ford S-MAX tests in 2025.

  • 3 to 5 years3,537 tests77.8%
  • 6 to 10 years21,718 tests74.3%
  • 11 years and over42,026 tests58.3%

Where S-MAX cars fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Ford S-MAX tests in 2025.

  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment24.9%
  • Suspension18.6%
  • Tyres16.4%
  • Brakes12.7%
  • Body, chassis, structure8%

The items testers recorded most often were tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (5.9%), brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick (4.9%) and pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn (4.9%).

The MOT page lists every common S-MAX MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Ford S-MAX MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The S-MAX's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.24.9% of S-MAX failure items

  2. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.18.6% of S-MAX failure items

  3. Tyres

    Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear.16.4% of S-MAX failure items

Ford S-MAX cars in the UK

62,032 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 18% since the end of 2014, and 31% from its peak of 89,432 at the end of 2018.

Change since 2014
−18%from 75,776 licensed
Typical year of first use
2013half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2013 or earlier
First registered in 2025
29against 7,900 in 2016
Declared off the road
5,1837.7% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Ford S-MAX cars since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 201475,776
End of 201578,845
End of 201684,533
End of 201788,691
End of 201889,432
End of 201989,138
End of 202086,910
End of 202184,787
End of 202281,580
End of 202376,953
End of 202471,111
End of 202565,237
End of June 202662,032

How old they are

Licensed Ford S-MAX cars by year of first use.

  • Licensed at the end of 2025
  • First registered that year
Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025First registered that year
2023666729
2022710795
2021647736
20201,1161,213
20192,2452,471
20182,3682,614
20175,2356,059
20166,7847,900
20153,1933,925
20146,241
20135,856
20126,244
20115,499
20107,029
20094,216
20082,913
20072,603
2006729

3,193 S-MAX cars first used in 2015 were still licensed at the end of 2025, roughly 81% of the 3,925 first registered that year.

S-MAX engines and fuel

2.0 litre engines made up 80% of Ford S-MAX MOT tests in 2025, followed by 1.6 litre at 6.7%. Diesel accounts for 89% of licensed S-MAX cars and petrol for 8.6%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 67,942 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 2.0 litre79.7%
  • 1.6 litre6.7%
  • 2.2 litre6.4%
  • 1.8 litre3.1%
  • 1.5 litre2%

Fuel type, licensed S-MAX cars

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol5,3269%
Diesel55,50689%
Hybrid electric1,1992%
Gas1<0.1%

Ford S-MAX recalls

18 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Ford S-MAX. The 8 most recent are below. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every S-MAX is affected.

  1. May 2026 R/2026/181

    Multi Vehicle Line (MVL): Telecommunications Control Module (TCU) loss of Function Software Update

    S-MAX cars built Nov 2020 to Mar 2023 · 12,956 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Affected vehicles may experience a loss of emergency call system (eCall) functionality which impacts both automatic and manual eCall events.
    Remedy
    Update the Telematics Control Unit software to the latest level.

  2. Jul 2025 R/2025/243

    25S54 Kuga S-Max and Galaxy - Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Software Update

    S-MAX cars built Nov 2021 to Nov 2022 · 594 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Certain Kuga S-Max and Galaxy vehicles equipped with a 2.5L HEV/PHEV Engine may not have the remedy for Safety Recall 23S27 installed correctly but were recorded as having received the repair successfully. Because the correct software update may not have been installed on these vehicles the underlying condition specified in Safety Recall 23S27 potential under hood fire may still exist.
    Remedy
    Dealers are to update the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software.

  3. Dec 2024 R/2025/094

    X-Car Powertain Control Module (PCM) Software Update

    S-MAX cars built Jun 2018 to Sep 2022 · 155,855 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Affected vehicles may develop a crack in the Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF).
    Remedy
    Update software to prevent a cracked DPF. Test and replace DPFs that are already cracked.

  4. May 2024 R/2026/076

    Brake Hose Leak

    S-MAX cars built Dec 2014 to Oct 2018 · 35,821 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles there is the possibility of the front brake hoses leaking.
    Remedy
    Replace both front brake hoses and modify the hose routing and ride height sensor if necessary.

  5. Feb 2024 R/2023/175

    23S27 Kuga S-Max/Galaxy 2.5L HEV/PHEV Engine: Engine Compartment Issue

    S-MAX cars built Mar 2021 to Dec 2022

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Engine failure that may lead to a breach of the engine oil sump or engine block
    Remedy
    Software update

  6. Jul 2022 R/2022/239

    The eCall feature will stop functioning due to a malfunction

    S-MAX cars built May 2022 to Jul 2022 · 9,388 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    It may be possible that the eCall feature will stop functioning due to a malfunction.
    Remedy
    The Telecommunication Module will need to be replaced

  7. Jun 2022 R/2022/182

    A number of vehicles fitted with adaptive headlamps will not display a warning message

    S-MAX cars built Nov 2018 to Apr 2022 · 2,260 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Vehicles fitted with Adaptive Headlamps will not display a warning message should a failure of the module that controls the Adaptive Headlamps occur.
    Remedy
    Update the Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) software.

  8. Feb 2021 R/2021/005

    The rear suspension toe link could corrode over time leading to reduced material and load capacity and finally breakage of the bolt

    S-MAX cars built Jan 2015 to Feb 2020 · 39,441 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The Rear Suspension Toe Link bolt is exposed to corrosion growth which over time leads to reduced material and load capacity and finally to a breakage of the bolt.
    Remedy
    Replace the bolt utilising an alternative bolt supplier and update all affected vehicles.
How to check a specific S-MAX for recalls

S-MAX vs similar cars

Head-to-head comparisons on the same 2025 DVSA data.

Other Ford models

The most-tested Ford models in 2025, against the S-MAX's 64.6% MOT pass rate.

All 27 Ford models

Ford S-MAX FAQs

How many Ford S-MAX cars are there in the UK?

62,032 Ford S-MAX cars were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 5,183 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Ford S-MAX reliable?

MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 64.6% first-time pass rate for the Ford S-MAX across 67,952 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Ford S-MAX had any recalls?

18 DVSA safety recalls launched from 2010 to July 2026 name the Ford S-MAX. The most recent was published in May 2026. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

What should I check before buying a used Ford S-MAX?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment, suspension and tyres. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

How do I check a Ford S-MAX's history?

Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.

Already found an S-MAX?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,389 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Ford history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Ford VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to July 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.