Ford S-Max years to avoid — 214,911 MOT tests ranked

Inspect most carefully: 2006, 2014, 2019. Strongest in the data: 2016 or 2017. The ranking uses 214,911 MOT tests across 15 registration years (2023–2025) and compares each year with all UK cars of the same age. Fuel-type signal: diesels show an average 3.1-point pass-rate deficit on this model. That may reflect mileage and use as well as the car itself, so inspect DPF and emissions history rather than treating fuel type as a verdict.

Every S-Max year, ranked

The age-adjusted MOT index sets 100 as the pass rate of all UK cars registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Higher is better. This prevents an old car being labelled a “bad year” simply because it is old.

Rank	Year	Index	Vs same-age	Pass rate	Tests
1	2016 Strong	100.6	+0.6 pts	82.0%	20,367
2	2017 Strong	99.2	-0.8 pts	83.2%	15,666
3	2011	99.0	-1.0 pts	68.2%	18,961
4	2010	98.8	-1.2 pts	66.2%	25,849
5	2015	98.0	-2.0 pts	76.7%	9,767
6	2018	98.0	-2.0 pts	84.4%	7,103
7	2008	97.4	-2.6 pts	62.6%	13,325
8	2009	97.0	-3.0 pts	63.4%	17,253
9	2012	96.0	-4.0 pts	67.2%	20,648
10	2020	95.5	-4.5 pts	85.4%	3,447
11	2007	94.8	-5.2 pts	59.9%	13,501
12	2013	94.4	-5.6 pts	67.7%	18,462
13	2014 Inspect	93.9	-6.1 pts	69.8%	19,320
14	2019 Inspect	93.4	-6.6 pts	81.8%	6,864
15	2006 Inspect	93.0	-7.0 pts	57.4%	4,378

Why 2006 and 2014 and 2019 rank lower

The 2014 cohort passes 69.8% of tests (-6.1 points versus same-age cars) at a median 88,437 miles, with tyres the leading failure system. The 2019 cohort passes 81.8% of tests (-6.6 points versus same-age cars) at a median 42,383 miles, with tyres the leading failure system. The 2006 cohort passes 57.4% of tests (-7.0 points versus same-age cars) at a median 136,318 miles, with suspension the leading failure system. This is population-level evidence, not a known-fault list: service history, engine version and the individual MOT record can outweigh the registration-year average.

How to use this before buying

Rankings describe the cohort, not the car. A cherished 2006 example beats a neglected 2016 one — always run the specific reg through the free MOT history check.
Read the advisories. Repeated notes for the same component across years mean the owner has been ignoring it. Decode them in our advisory library.
Fuel matters on this model. The diesel deficit (3.1 points) usually traces to DPF and emissions kit on low-mileage use — check for P2463-type soot codes on the test drive.
Scan before you pay. A 2-minute OBD scan reveals stored faults the dashboard hides — see our scanner guide.

FAQs

Which S-Max years should I avoid?

Based on 214,911 MOT tests adjusted against cars of the same age, 2006, 2014, 2019 are the lower-scoring outliers. That is a prompt for closer inspection, not proof that every car from those years is bad.

What is the best S-Max year to buy used?

2016 and 2017 lead the age-adjusted MOT ranking. The score compares each registration year with all UK cars of the same age; the specific car's history and condition still take priority.

Is the S-Max reliable overall?

Across 214,911 tests, the median age-adjusted index is 97.0 (100 equals the pass rate of all cars registered in the same year). Use the spread between years as one signal, then check the individual registration.

Methodology: index = 100 + the model-year cohort’s MOT pass-rate difference versus all UK vehicles registered in the same year and tested in the same calendar year. Class 4 initial tests only; retests excluded; at least 1,500 tests per page. “Inspect” years are below both the same-age baseline and the model’s median index by at least 2 points. Association is not proof of a model-year defect. DVSA anonymised data 2023–2025, OGL v3.0.