Model Reports 4 min read Updated 18 Oct 2026

Ford S-Max 2007: reliability & common MOT faults

In 2025, 51 in every 100 first MOTs on a 2007 Ford S-Max were passes. Most common reason for a fail: Suspension arm (rear).

Summary

The 2007 Ford S-Max follows the pattern of the model years either side.

At a glance

How 3,106 first tests went in 2025.

Passed first time
51 in every 100
Did not pass first time
49 in every 1001,513 failed first-attempt tests
The typical car
18 yearsabout 142,865 miles
First tests counted
3,106

What failed most often

  1. Suspension arm (rear)16 in every 100 failed tests
  2. Individual sidelight or tail light (front)12 in every 100 failed tests
  3. Brake light11 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.

Note:

These are patterns across 2007 Ford S-Max vehicles in 2025, not a prediction that any one car will have them. Faults are grouped by part of the car. They come from MOT defect codes, not manufacturer bulletins, recalls or a diagnosis of any one car.

Suspension

Four faults. The strongest is the suspension arm (rear): 21 times as often as on similar cars.

Figures below are measured across the 1,461 of 1,513 failed first attempts (96.6%) that recorded an odometer reading in 2025. Mileage is needed to compare like with like. 3.4% 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)

Failed on 240 first tests21 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

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 215 first tests, 4.9 times as often as on similar cars.

Suspension arm pins and bushes (rear)

Failed on 122 first tests6.7 times as often as similar carsStrong evidence

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 191 first tests, 4.2 times as often as on similar cars.

Anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover (front)

Failed on 61 first tests2.2 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

A missing anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover is Major, and so is one that no longer prevents the ingress of dirt. A cover that is only severely deteriorated is Minor. DVSA uses one wording for the dust cover on any suspension joint.

Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover (front)

Failed on 143 first tests2.1 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

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.

Seat belts and restraints

One fault: seat belt condition (rear), 2.6 times as often as on similar cars.

Seat belt condition (rear)

Failed on 40 first tests2.6 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

Any sign of overstretching is a deficiency, and so is a cut anywhere on a child seat belt. On other belts the size of a cut decides it, with a stricter limit at the webbing edge than away from it. Webbing significantly stretched or weakened has rows in both Major and Dangerous grades.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 26 first tests, 2.9 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.

Body and structure

One fault: exhaust system (rear), 2.2 times as often as on similar cars.

Exhaust system (rear)

Failed on 92 first tests2.2 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

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.

Lamps and electrical

One fault: brake light, 2.0 times as often as on similar cars.

Brake light

Failed on 164 first tests2.0 times as often as similar carsPossible evidence

What it means

All stop lamps missing or not working is graded Dangerous, and so is a stop lamp that stays on when the brakes are released. A stop lamp that is missing or not working is Major. On some vehicles with LED rear lamps, part of the stop lamp can go out when the rear fog lamp is lit, which is not regarded as a defect.

Also noted as an advisory

Testers also noted it as an advisory, worn but not yet failing, on 40 first tests, 2.9 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 pads (rear)

Noted on 179 first tests2.9 times as often as similar carsWear pattern

Anti-roll bar (rear)

Noted on 23 first tests2.3 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Coil spring (rear)

Noted on 275 first tests2.3 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

Suspension sub-frame (rear)

Noted on 230 first tests2.1 times as often as similar carsElevated evidence

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
51in 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
41in every 100
Did not pass, and were not fixed at the test station.

First-attempt pass 51.3% of 3,106 first tests (2025): only cars that passed first time count. Official-style pass 59.0%: cars fixed at the test station also count as a pass. The 8 fixed and the 41 not fixed make the 49 in every 100 that did not pass first time.

Petrol and diesel

First testsTypical mileagePassed first time, as tested
Diesel2,622147,572 miles50
Petrol483118,652 miles55

Figures are in every 100 first tests.

Same model, other years

Passed first time in every 100, all tested in 2025.

4060801002007201020152020Newer cars
406080100200720102020Newer cars

Newer cars are younger, so look for a jump rather than the climb.

YearPassed first timeFirst tests
200650 in every 100900
2007 This car51 in every 1003,106
200853 in every 1003,354
200955 in every 1004,649
201057 in every 1007,489
201160 in every 1005,741
201260 in every 1006,343
201361 in every 1005,759
201464 in every 1006,014
201569 in every 1003,147
201676 in every 1006,601
201779 in every 1005,051
201880 in every 1002,300
201973 in every 1002,196
202080 in every 1001,088
202180 in every 100659
202281 in every 100715

If you are buying one

What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.

Mileage makes a modest difference on a 2007 S-Max.

Of 2007 S-Max vehicles with under 114,000 miles, 54 in every 100 passed their 2025 MOT first time. With 174,000 miles or more, 50 in every 100 did.

Under 114,000609 tests
54
114,000–134,000587 tests
52
134,000–153,000 Typical car623 tests
52
153,000–174,000597 tests
50
174,000 and over593 tests
50

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 114,000134,000–153,000174,000 and over
Suspension arm (rear)7.48.75.9
Individual sidelight or tail light (front)3.15.67.4
Brake light5.44.05.9
Anti-roll bar linkage ball joint dust cover (front)5.63.74.0
Headlight aim4.13.74.6

Faults per 100 first tests, by the car's mileage at the test.

When a car fails

20in every 100

of failed cars had one item to fix.

58in every 100

of failed cars had three or more items to fix.

14in every 100

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.

The 2007 Ford S-Max follows the pattern of the model years either side. Its main cause of failure was Suspension arm (rear), about 16 in every 100 failed tests. In 2025, 51.3% of 3,106 first MOTs on the 2007 Ford S-Max passed first time (PRS: items fixed at the station the same day, counted as a fail). The official-style rate including PRS is 59.0%. Among 1,513 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), Suspension arm (rear) appears more often than on similar cars (16.4% of those tests; 240 observed failures; about 21× more often than similar cars). There is no single reliability score here; this is a pre-purchase checklist built from DVSA open data, not a guarantee for any individual car.
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that most often failed a 2007 Ford S-Max at the first attempt were Suspension arm (rear) (16.4%), Individual sidelight or tail light (front) (12.0%) and Brake light (11.2%), each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong most often on the car. The common faults table shows a different measure: faults that are unusual compared with similar cars.
Among failed first-attempt tests we highlight patterns that appear more often than on similar cars. Top example: Suspension arm (rear) (16.4% of those tests; 240 observed failures; about 21× more often than similar cars). These are statistical signals, not a diagnosis of any individual car.
Suspension arm (rear) shows up more often than on similar cars (16.4% of those tests; 240 observed failures; about 21× more often than similar cars). That does not prove a design fault. Age, mileage, and how the car was used still matter. Treat it as a pre-purchase checkpoint, not a manufacturer service bulletin.
Common MOT problem areas for the 2007 Ford S-Max include Suspension arm (rear), Suspension arm pins and bushes (rear), Seat belt condition (rear). These are the faults that stand out compared with similar cars, not a complete list of what can go wrong on any individual car.
Advisories flag issues noted at the test and are not a fail rate. We show advisory patterns that appear more often than on similar cars among failed first-attempt tests, separate from common failure rows. Use them as early-warning checks, not as a pass/fail score.
This page highlights MOT failure patterns for the 2007 Ford S-Max (registration year) using UK DVSA open data for the selected test year. Patterns are compared with cars of a similar age and mileage. It is a buyer checklist from MOT defect statistics, not a full service history or manufacturer service-bulletin list.
No. MOT tests do not cover engine internals, gearboxes, or many electronic modules. Patterns here come from MOT defect statistics only and should not be read as engine or gearbox reliability scores.

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.

2024 2025

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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