Model Reports
8 min readUpdated 11 Sep 2026
DVSA open data · 6,601 tests analysed
Ford S-Max 2016: reliability & common MOT faults
1,609 first-attempt MOT failures were recorded on the 2016 Ford S-Max in 2025. The items recorded most often on them were Tyre pressure monitoring system and Brake pads (rear). Figures are among first-attempt failed MOT tests, not among all tests.
Petrol S-Max passed first time 2.0 pp more often than diesel ones (77.5% of 692 vs 75.4% of 5,909).
First-attempt pass
75.6%
of 6,601 first tests (2025)
First tests
6,601
test year 2025
Failed first attempts
1,609
failed first-attempt tests
Most common fail
26.1%
Tyre pressure monitoring system
MOT pass rates
First-attempt and official-style rates among class 4 first tests of the year.
First-attempt pass
75.6%
of 6,601 first tests (2025)
Official-style pass
79.8%
incl. same-day PRS fixes
First tests
6,601
class 4 · first MOT of the year
Typical age 9.0 yrs · median mileage 76,800 mi
vs 2024:
-2.6 pp first-attempt
Note:
Class 4 cars · first MOT of the year per vehicle · P/PRS/F outcomes (2025 data).
PRS (fixed at the station the same day) counts as a fail in the first-attempt rate.
Raw outcomes for this cohort — not adjusted for age, mileage, or peer mix.
MOT doesn't test engine or gearbox internals.
Wear patterns
Usage and mileage effects that often track road use rather than model design.
These patterns look like wear or usage effects rather than model-specific design faults.
Tyres, brake friction material, and alignment-related defects often track mileage and road use.
Note: Advisories are not a fail rate — they flag issues noted at the test, often before they become failures.
If you are buying one
What this year's MOT record means for the decision in front of you.
On this year, prefer the petrol. The diesel cars passed first time 2.0 pp less often, on 5,909 tests.
Other S-Max years worth knowing about
Newer cars always pass more often, so a plain "best year" list would just
rank by age. These are the years that beat or miss the trend their own
neighbouring years set — the only age-adjusted signal this data supports.
The items that failed 2016 S-Max most
often, as a share of the year's failed first attempts. This is what goes
wrong, not what is unusual — the table further up the page covers that.
Tyre pressure monitoring system — recorded on 26.1% of failed first attempts
Brake pads (rear) — recorded on 13.8% of failed first attempts
Tyres — Condition (rear) — recorded on 11.0% of failed first attempts
Tread depth (front) — recorded on 9.3% of failed first attempts
Every figure here is a first-attempt MOT rate from DVSA open data for this
model line. 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.
Petrol S-Max passed first time 2.0 pp more often than diesel ones (77.5% of 692 vs 75.4% of 5,909). In 2025, 75.6% of 6,601 first MOTs on the 2016 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 79.8%. Among 1,609 failed first-attempt MOT tests (test year 2025), we highlight MOT failure patterns that show up more often than on…
Ranked by how often they were actually recorded, the items that failed 2016 Ford S-Maxs most often at the first attempt were Tyre pressure monitoring system (26.1%), Brake pads (rear) (13.8%) and Tyres — Condition (rear) (11.0%) — each as a share of the year's failed first attempts. That is what goes wrong on the car. It is a different question from which patterns are unusual for the class, which the common-faults t…
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 2016 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.
20242025
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.
We never invent pass rates, star scores, or ranks when those data marts are missing.