MOT fail rates by first-use year

2010 Ford S-Max MOT fail rate and common faults

How Ford S-Max cars first used in 2010 did at their MOTs from 2022 to 2025, against all cars of the same age. From 36,319 DVSA MOT tests of these cars. First use is usually the date the car was first registered.

MOT data updated 28 September 2026

At 15 years, tested in 2025

MOT fail rate at age 15 (n=7,858)41.7%

All cars at 15 years (n=5,591,675)41.6%

Difference+0.1 pts

MOT tests of 2010 cars, 2022 to 202536,319

What stands out

In 2025, at 15 years old, Ford S-Max cars first used in 2010 failed 41.7% of MOTs (7,858 tests), about the same as the 41.6% for all cars that age.
From 2022 to 2025, as these cars went from 12 to 15 years old, the fail rate moved from 38.0% to 41.7%.
Ford S-Max cars first used a year earlier, in 2009, failed 45.6% at the same age of 15 years (5,886 tests, in 2024).
The most common fail item that is not a wear item, for the Ford S-Max at 15 years, is suspension arm bush worn, at 3.9 per 100 MOTs (all cars: 2.1).

MOT fail rate by test year

Ford S-Max cars first used in 2010: share of MOT tests that failed, by test year, against all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.
Test year	Age	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars	Difference
2022	12 years	38.0%	10,078	36.0%	+2.0 pts
2023	13 years	39.7%	9,581	38.3%	+1.5 pts
2024	14 years	40.8%	8,802	40.3%	+0.5 pts
2025	15 years	41.7%	7,858	41.6%	+0.1 pts

Most common faults at 15 years

These figures cover all Ford S-Max MOTs at 15 years: cars first used 2007 to 2010, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=26,396). The list uses every first-use year so it has enough tests. Wear items (tyres, brake pads, wipers, bulbs) say more about upkeep than about the design.

MOT fail items

Fail item	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Side/position light not working Wear	7.1	5.8
Brake light not working Wear	5.6	3.7
Tyre tread below 1.6 mm Wear	4.4	3.1
Brake pads under 1.5 mm Wear	3.9	2.0
Suspension arm bush worn	3.9	2.1
Exhaust system: has a major leak of exhaust gases	3.6	1.6
Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt	3.5	1.7
Tyre with cords exposed Wear	3.2	1.8
Suspension arm: corroded and seriously weakened	3.0	0.3
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Wear	2.5	2.0

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=26,396). A test with two items counts once for each.

Advisories

Advisory	Per 100 MOTs	All cars
Tyre tread close to the legal limit or worn on the edge Wear	26.4	18.4
Suspension pin or bush worn, without excessive movement	14.7	8.5
Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened	14.5	11.1
Brake pads wearing thin Wear	14.1	6.9
Coil spring: corroded	13.9	7.0
Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive	11.0	9.8
Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened	10.3	2.6
Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources Wear	9.0	5.9
Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened	8.3	5.0
Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Wear	7.4	4.2

Per 100 of the MOTs above (n=26,396). A test with two items counts once for each.

Fuel type at 15 years

These figures cover all Ford S-Max MOTs at 15 years: cars first used 2007 to 2010, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=26,396). Each fuel is set against all cars of the same fuel and age. Fuels with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Fuel	Share of tests	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars, same fuel	Median mileage
Diesel	90.3%	44.8%	23,836	42.0%	133,420 miles
Petrol	9.7%	41.1%	2,559	41.5%	109,206 miles

Fail rate by mileage at 15 years

These figures cover all Ford S-Max MOTs at 15 years: cars first used 2007 to 2010, tested 2022 to 2025 (n=26,396). At 15 years, Ford S-Max cars at over 150,000 miles failed more often (47.3%, n=7,653) than those at 60,000 to 90,000 miles (36.5%, n=2,203). Bands with fewer than 1,000 tests are not shown.

Mileage at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
60,000 to 90,000 miles	36.5%	2,203	40.5%
90,000 to 120,000 miles	43.1%	6,965	45.1%
120,000 to 150,000 miles	46.3%	8,876	45.9%
Over 150,000 miles	47.3%	7,653	45.3%

Car tax rules for a 2010 car

Cars first registered from 1 March 2001 to 31 March 2017 are taxed by CO2 emissions band, from band A (the lowest emissions) to band M. The band is set by the CO2 figure on the V5C logbook.

These are the rules, not the amount for a specific car. Car tax check

ULEZ and clean air zones

Petrol cars first registered from 2006 usually meet Euro 4, the petrol standard for the London ULEZ, so they usually do not pay the daily charge.
Diesel cars first registered before September 2015 usually do not meet Euro 6, so a 2010 diesel usually pays the ULEZ daily charge. A few models met Euro 6 early.
The clean air zones in Birmingham and Bristol use the same Euro 4 petrol and Euro 6 diesel standards. The low emission zones in Scotland use them too, but enforce them with fines, not a daily charge.

The Euro standard of the car decides, not the year alone. ULEZ checker

Other years of the Ford S-Max

2009 Ford S-Max 2011 Ford S-Max

Other Ford models first used in 2010

Model	Age at test	MOT fail rate	Tests (n)	All cars
Ford Fiesta (2010)	15 years in 2025	44.3%	81,653	41.6%
Ford Focus (2010)	15 years in 2025	43.0%	49,786	41.6%
Ford Ka (2010)	15 years in 2025	43.4%	16,950	41.6%
Ford Mondeo (2010)	15 years in 2025	41.5%	13,318	41.6%
Ford Kuga (2010)	15 years in 2025	41.1%	8,617	41.6%
Ford C-Max (2010)	15 years in 2025	43.9%	5,459	41.6%
Ford Fusion (2010)	15 years in 2025	38.5%	5,452	41.6%
Ford Galaxy (2010)	15 years in 2025	44.1%	3,817	41.6%

More on the Ford S-Max

Read this with care. A fail rate is not a measure of build quality. How far cars are driven, how they are used and how well owners maintain them all change it, and wear items such as tyres and brake pads are common fails. Compare a model only with cars of the same age. Methodology and limits.

Found one you might buy? Vet the specific car.

These figures describe 2010 Ford S-Max cars as a group, not any one car. The VetTheCar Buying Report looks at the car you are buying: its MOT history, what similar cars did next, and what to ask the seller.

See an example Buying Report All car tools

Source

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources

Car tax and clean air zone rules are summarised from GOV.UK and Transport for London guidance. They are general rules and are not drawn from the MOT data.