MOT failure data · 2025

Ford S-MAX MOT problems

Across every Ford S-MAX that failed its 2025 MOT, the defect testers recorded most often was tread depth tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm, on 6.31% of failure items. The broadest problem area was suspension at 20.63%. These are recorded defects across the model, not a diagnosis of any one car.

Most common Ford S-MAX MOT failures

#	Recorded defect	Area	Share
1	Tread depth tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm	Tyres	6.31%
2	Pins and bushes pin or bush excessively worn	Suspension	5.42%
3	Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick	Brakes	5.36%
4	Condition has ply or cords exposed	Tyres	4.67%
5	Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	Body, chassis, structure	3.81%
6	Position lamp not working	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	3.75%
7	Linkage ball joint dust cover ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	Suspension	2.96%
8	Condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords	Tyres	2.86%
9	Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	2.59%
10	Suspension arm corroded and seriously weakened	Suspension	2.23%

Shares are of all recorded failure items for this model, so they sum to less than 100% — a single failed test often records several defects, and the long tail below the top 10 is not shown.

What this means if you are buying one

Use it as a viewing checklist. If you are looking at a Ford S-MAX, these are the areas worth inspecting and worth asking about — and worth reading the car's own MOT history for, since a defect that keeps reappearing as an advisory is a better signal than any model-wide average.

The MOT record also has hard limits: it does not check the engine, clutch or gearbox, and it says nothing about outstanding finance, insurance write-off history, stolen markers or whether the mileage is genuine. Our used Ford S-MAX buying guide covers what to check beyond the MOT.

Checking a specific Ford S-MAX?

Enter its registration for finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history.

Other Ford models

Ford S-MAX MOT FAQs

What does a Ford S-MAX most commonly fail its MOT on?

The single most recorded defect on Ford S-MAX cars failing their 2025 MOT was "tread depth tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm", appearing on 6.31% of failure items.

Does this mean my Ford S-MAX will fail?

No. This is what testers recorded across every Ford S-MAX that failed in 2025. It shows where this model tends to need attention, not the condition of any individual car. The Ford S-MAX passed 70.33% of its initial tests.

How do I see a specific Ford S-MAX's MOT history?

Enter its registration on our free MOT history check to see that car's own test results, advisories and recorded mileages.

Defect counts from the DVSA MOT Anonymised test-item data for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, failure items only — advisories and minor defects excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.