At a glance
How 2,440 first tests went in 2025.
- Passed first time
- 53 in every 100
- Did not pass first time
- 47 in every 1001,146 failed first-attempt tests
- The typical car
- 18 yearsabout 147,873 miles
- First tests counted
- 2,440
What failed most often
- Individual sidelight or tail light (front)17 in every 100 failed tests
- Suspension arm (rear)17 in every 100 failed tests
- Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover (front)10 in every 100 failed tests
How we count this. Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Only Class 4 cars on their first MOT of the year are counted. A car that fails and is fixed at the test station still counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate. These are raw results, not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix. The MOT does not test engine or gearbox internals.
These are patterns across 2007 Ford Galaxy vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. A wear pattern follows age and use more than the way the car was built. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.
Suspension
Three faults. The strongest is the suspension arm (rear): 21 times as often as on similar cars.
Figures below are measured across the 1,118 of 1,146 failed first attempts (97.6%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025. Mileage is needed to compare like with like. 2.4% of failures are excluded because no mileage was recorded, so treat these shares as indicative for this model year.
We only list faults with at least 20 failures and a rate of about 2.0 times that of similar cars, which keeps one-off results out of the list.
Suspension arm (rear)
What it means
A missing bump stop rubber is not a reason to fail a suspension arm. A component that is fractured, missing or likely to fail is graded Dangerous, and one excessively damaged or corroded is Major. On some vehicles, some highly stressed parts are thin pressed steel, and many of those have hollow box sections or up-facing areas that can collect road dirt and salt, so they get special attention.
Also noted as an advisory
Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 175 first tests, 5.2 times as often as on similar cars.
Suspension arm pins and bushes (rear)
What it means
Pins and bushes on suspension arms fail as Major when they are excessively worn. They are graded Dangerous when likely to become detached. DVSA uses the same wording for a suspension joint.
Also noted as an advisory
Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 136 first tests, 3.8 times as often as on similar cars.
Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover (front)
What it means
A suspension joint dust cover that is severely deteriorated is Minor. It becomes Major once it is missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt, so what matters is whether it still keeps dirt out. DVSA words this for any suspension joint dust cover, and files it here under anti-roll bars.
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.
Noise, emissions and leaks
Two faults. The strongest is the diesel emissions not tested: 3.7 times as often as on similar cars.
Diesel emissions not tested
What it means
An emissions test on a diesel that is unable to be completed is graded Major. The failure wording 'not tested' carries the same Major grade.
Diesel emissions test (pre-reg turbo rules before 01/07/2008)
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.
Steering
One fault: steering rack (front), 3.4 times as often as on similar cars.
Steering rack (front)
What it means
Steering gear casing retaining devices dangerously loose, or visible relative movement to the chassis or bodywork, is graded Dangerous. A casing not properly attached, or fractured, is Major, but a fracture that affects the stability or attachment of the casing is Dangerous. A gaiter damaged but still keeping dirt out is Minor, and Major once missing or no longer doing so.
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.
Brakes
One wear pattern: brake pads (rear), 2.2 times as often as on similar cars.
Brake pads (rear)
What it means
A pad worn down to its wear indicator, or contaminated with oil or grease, is Major. A pad worn below the set thickness limit, missing or incorrectly mounted is Dangerous. The manual treats an illuminated brake wear indicator as no reason for failure, although DVSA also lists an illuminated indicator as a Major row.
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.
Body and structure
One fault: exhaust system (rear), 2.2 times as often as on similar cars.
Exhaust system (rear)
What it means
Exhaust fumes causing a danger to health of persons on board are graded Dangerous, and so is a silencer likely to become detached. Fumes entering the cabin are Major. One or more missing or defective mountings does not necessarily make the exhaust insecure, since testers assess the overall security of the system.
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage.
Seat belts and restraints
One fault: seat belt condition (rear), 2.2 times as often as on similar cars.
Seat belt condition (rear)
Also noted as an advisory
Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 21 first tests, 3.0 times as often as on similar cars.
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Compared with cars of the same age and mileage. Advisories count notes recorded on failed first tests only.
Advisories
Other things testers noted as worn or close to failing, more often than on similar cars.
An advisory is a note from the tester about something that has not failed yet. It is an early warning, not a fail. Advisories for the faults above are shown with those faults.
Brake light
Seat belt condition (front)
Anti-roll bar (rear)
Suspension sub-frame (rear)
Suspension arm (front)
Data: UK MOT open data, 2025. Counts cover advisories recorded on failed first tests only, compared with cars of the same age and mileage.
MOT pass rates
How first tests ended, and how the pass rates are counted.
- Passed first time
- 53in every 100
- Passed on the first test.
- Fixed at the station
- 8in every 100
- Failed, then fixed at the test station the same day.
- Failed
- 39in every 100
- Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.
First-attempt pass 53.0% of 2,440 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 60.8%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 8 fixed and the 39 not fixed make the 47 in every 100 that did not pass first time.
Same model, other years
Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.
Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb. A year earlier (2024), when these cars were a year younger, 51 in every 100 passed first time.
| Year | Passed first time | First tests |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 55 in every 100 | 453 |
| 2004 | 48 in every 100 | 538 |
| 2005 | 50 in every 100 | 906 |
| 2006 | 50 in every 100 | 1,175 |
| 2007 This car | 53 in every 100 | 2,440 |
| 2008 | 54 in every 100 | 2,696 |
| 2009 | 54 in every 100 | 3,184 |
| 2010 | 55 in every 100 | 3,613 |
| 2011 | 54 in every 100 | 3,861 |
| 2012 | 57 in every 100 | 3,977 |
| 2013 | 57 in every 100 | 3,505 |
| 2014 | 56 in every 100 | 3,931 |
| 2015 | 62 in every 100 | 2,204 |
| 2016 | 77 in every 100 | 4,211 |
| 2017 | 78 in every 100 | 4,620 |
| 2018 | 79 in every 100 | 2,974 |
| 2019 | 77 in every 100 | 2,271 |
| 2020 | 81 in every 100 | 1,520 |
| 2021 | 75 in every 100 | 1,194 |
| 2022 | 82 in every 100 | 1,134 |
If you are buying one
What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.
Mileage makes little difference on a 2007 Galaxy.
Of 2007 Galaxy vehicles with under 116,000 miles, 57 in every 100 passed their 2025 MOT first time. With 181,000 miles or more, 56 in every 100 did.
What to check at your mileage
How often each fault turned up on a failed first test, by the car's mileage. Read it as: what is likely to need looking at on a car like the one in front of you.
| Under 116,000 | 138,000–158,000 | 181,000 and over | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual sidelight or tail light (front) | 6.0 | 8.4 | 8.3 |
| Suspension arm (rear) | 7.5 | 9.4 | 5.5 |
| Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover (front) | 5.4 | 5.0 | 3.8 |
| Brake light | 4.4 | 4.6 | 2.8 |
| Handbrake efficiency below minimum (roller test) | 2.9 | 5.6 | 3.8 |
Faults per 100 first tests, by the car's mileage at the test.
When a car fails
of failed cars had one item to fix.
of failed cars had three or more items to fix.
of all first tests had a defect the tester marked dangerous (unsafe to drive away).
Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this model line, for cars of this model year tested in 2025. Each mileage band holds a fifth of the tests. MOTs do not test engine or gearbox internals, so this is a pre-purchase checklist, not a full reliability score.
FAQs
Short answers about how to read this model-year guide.
About this data
How this page is built and what it can (and can't) say.
These figures come from UK MOT open data for this model year. We surface common failure patterns against similar cars, not a full reliability score, and not a pass/fail verdict on any individual vehicle.
What we include
UK Class 4 cars only. Normal MOT tests (not retests); first test per vehicle per calendar year; results pass, PRS, or fail.
Same-day repairs
PRS means the car failed items that were fixed at the test station and then passed the same day. We count PRS as a first-attempt fail in headline rates so same-day repairs do not hide problems.
How we compare
We compare this model year with other Class 4 cars of similar age and mileage in the same test year. This model family is left out of the peer group so the car is not measured against itself.
What this does not cover
- MOTs do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronics; this is not a full reliability score.
- Common faults come from MOT defect stats, not manufacturer TSBs or recalls.
- Age and mileage matching reduces, but does not remove, differences in how cars were used and maintained.
- If the data for a car is too thin to say anything useful, we say so rather than guess.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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