2016 Ford S-Max MOT pass rate: 82.0% (20,367 tests)

2016-registered Ford S-Maxs passed 82.0% of 20,367 MOT tests in 2023–2025 — broadly in line with same-age cars (81.3%). This is one of the strongest S-Max years in the age-adjusted MOT ranking, although the individual car still matters more.

82.0%Pass rate, 2016 cars

100.6Age-adjusted index (100 = average)

20,367Tests analysed

68,399 miMedian mileage at test

83.5% / 81.8%Petrol vs diesel pass rate

Is the 2016 S-Max getting worse?

Pass rate of 2016-registered cars across recent test years:

Test year	Pass rate
2023	83.5% +0.3 vs same-age
2024	82.4% +1.2 vs same-age
2025	80.0% +0.4 vs same-age

The raw rate normally falls as cars age. The “vs same-age” figure compares this cohort with all UK cars registered in the same year, so normal ageing is not mistaken for a bad model year.

What fails on a 2016 S-Max

#	System	Defects recorded	Share
1	Tyres	2,690	40.8%
2	Brakes	1,656	25.1%
3	Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment	818	12.4%
4	Visibility	633	9.6%
5	Suspension	267	4.1%
6	Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems	138	2.1%

All S-Max years compared

Registration year	Tests	Pass rate	Vs same-age	Median mileage
2006	4,378	57.4%	-7.0 pts	136,318
2007	13,501	59.9%	-5.2 pts	139,194
2008	13,325	62.6%	-2.6 pts	137,868
2009	17,253	63.4%	-3.0 pts	130,552
2010	25,849	66.2%	-1.2 pts	121,865
2011	18,961	68.2%	-1.0 pts	116,041
2012	20,648	67.2%	-4.0 pts	106,774
2013	18,462	67.7%	-5.6 pts	96,990
2014	19,320	69.8%	-6.1 pts	88,437
2015	9,767	76.7%	-2.0 pts	76,666
2016 (this page)	20,367	82.0%	+0.6 pts	68,399
2017	15,666	83.2%	-0.8 pts	61,882
2018	7,103	84.4%	-2.0 pts	49,013
2019	6,864	81.8%	-6.6 pts	42,383
2020	3,447	85.4%	-4.5 pts	32,792

Weighing up which year to buy? See the full ranking: Ford S-Max years to avoid.

Buying a 2016 S-Max? Two checks first

Free MOT history checkThe exact car’s failures, advisories and mileage trail — sellers can’t edit it
Topdon OBD2 scannersTopdon diagnostic scanners with full-system readouts
XTOOL diagnostic toolsXTOOL code readers for petrol and diesel cars
Autel UK testersAutel professional-grade diagnostic testers

FAQs

Is a 2016 Ford S-Max reliable?

2016-registered examples passed 82.0% of their MOT tests (20,367 tests, 2023–2025), +0.6 points versus all UK cars registered in the same year. At roughly 10 years old with a median 68,399 miles, condition now varies car by car — always check the individual MOT history.

What mileage is too high for a 2016 S-Max?

The median tested example shows 68,399 miles. Anything far beyond that isn't automatically bad — a motorway-mile car with consistent service records often beats a low-mileage school-run car — but price accordingly and scrutinise the mileage trail for gaps or drops.

Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023–2025 extracts (96 million Class 4 initial tests; retests excluded). Only vehicles old enough for a routine first MOT are included. Age-adjusted figures compare the model-year cohort with all vehicles of the same registration year tested in the same calendar year. Contains public sector information licensed under OGL v3.0.