MOT Risk Index.co.uk

Where in Britain does the Ford S-MAX fail its MOT most?

Across Britain, 34.3% of 476,737 initial MOT tests (first attempts) of the Ford S-MAX failed in 2019–2024. It fails most in Exeter (EX): 47.0% against 34.2% elsewhere (+12.8 points). It does best in Ilford (IG), −10.0 points. Area rates are not age-adjusted.

Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · Ford S-MAX MOT statistics · check a Ford S-MAX by registration

Ford S-MAX in every postcode area with 100+ tests

From the largest excess over the rest of Britain to the largest shortfall.

Ford S-MAX: first-time MOT failure by postcode area against the rest of Britain (2019–2024, not age-adjusted)
AreaFailed here, %Rest of Britain, %Difference, points95% intervalTests
Exeter (EX)47.034.2+12.8+11.3 to +14.34,323
Plymouth (PL)44.634.2+10.4+8.9 to +11.84,520
Truro (TR)44.234.3+9.9+7.8 to +12.12,055
Torquay (TQ)43.934.3+9.6+7.4 to +11.91,917
Kirkcaldy (KY)43.434.3+9.1+6.7 to +11.41,716
Taunton (TA)42.134.3+7.9+6.1 to +9.63,179
Dorchester (DT)42.034.3+7.7+5.3 to +10.01,683
Salisbury (SP)41.734.3+7.5+5.8 to +9.13,586
Bath (BA)41.334.3+7.1+5.6 to +8.54,345
Cardiff (CF)41.234.2+7.0+5.7 to +8.35,684
Portsmouth (PO)41.034.2+6.8+5.7 to +7.97,811
Brighton (BN)41.034.2+6.8+5.6 to +8.06,842
Gloucester (GL)39.734.2+5.5+4.4 to +6.67,962
Bristol (BS)39.634.2+5.5+4.5 to +6.411,112
Dundee (DD)39.734.3+5.4+2.4 to +8.41,015
Newport (NP)39.534.3+5.2+3.5 to +7.03,013
Lincoln (LN)39.334.3+5.0+3.0 to +7.12,138
Bournemouth (BH)39.234.3+4.9+3.5 to +6.34,654
Aberdeen (AB)39.134.3+4.9+3.1 to +6.63,040
Harrogate (HG)38.534.3+4.2+1.1 to +7.3949
Hull (HU)38.434.3+4.1+2.2 to +6.12,446
Darlington (DL)38.434.3+4.1+1.9 to +6.41,799
Llandrindod Wells (LD)38.334.3+4.0−2.5 to +10.5214 (rough estimate)
Swansea (SA)38.234.3+3.9+2.3 to +5.53,704
Edinburgh (EH)37.934.3+3.7+2.1 to +5.23,824
Southampton (SO)37.834.3+3.5+2.5 to +4.68,172
Preston (PR)37.234.3+2.9+1.3 to +4.63,278
Northampton (NN)37.134.3+2.9+1.8 to +4.07,382
York (YO)37.034.3+2.7+1.1 to +4.33,477
Walsall (WS)37.034.3+2.7+0.9 to +4.52,850
Chester (CH)36.834.3+2.5+1.1 to +4.04,118
Guildford (GU)36.834.3+2.5+1.6 to +3.59,672
Swindon (SN)36.834.3+2.5+1.2 to +3.85,471
Falkirk (FK)36.634.3+2.3−0.6 to +5.21,064
Blackpool (FY)36.634.3+2.3−0.4 to +4.91,247
Bradford (BD)36.234.3+1.9+0.2 to +3.72,868
Oxford (OX)36.034.3+1.7+0.7 to +2.88,432
Stoke-on-Trent (ST)36.034.3+1.7+0.2 to +3.23,868
Watford (WD)36.034.3+1.6−0.4 to +3.72,211
Leeds (LS)35.834.3+1.5+0.2 to +2.85,019
Tonbridge (TN)35.734.3+1.4+0.4 to +2.57,758
Bolton (BL)35.634.3+1.3−0.7 to +3.42,136
Canterbury (CT)35.634.3+1.3−0.2 to +2.83,811
Ipswich (IP)35.534.3+1.2+0.2 to +2.37,627
Carlisle (CA)35.534.3+1.2−0.7 to +3.02,662
Worcester (WR)35.534.3+1.1−0.7 to +3.02,525
Lancaster (LA)35.434.3+1.1−1.2 to +3.41,649
Kilmarnock (KA)35.334.3+1.0−1.6 to +3.61,281
Sunderland (SR)35.234.3+0.9−2.5 to +4.2787
Telford (TF)35.134.3+0.7−1.5 to +3.01,703
Huddersfield (HD)35.034.3+0.7−2.2 to +3.61,051
Stockport (SK)34.934.3+0.6−0.9 to +2.04,135
Wigan (WN)34.834.3+0.5−2.1 to +3.11,336
Llandudno (LL)34.834.3+0.5−1.2 to +2.13,147
Hereford (HR)34.734.3+0.4−2.0 to +2.81,469
Perth (PH)34.634.3+0.3−3.5 to +4.0619
Warrington (WA)34.534.3+0.2−1.2 to +1.64,272
Paisley (PA)34.434.3+0.0−2.9 to +3.01,004
Cambridge (CB)34.434.3+0.0−1.2 to +1.35,285
Dudley (DY)34.234.3−0.1−2.0 to +1.82,415
Crewe (CW)34.234.3−0.1−2.0 to +1.72,443
Shrewsbury (SY)34.134.3−0.2−2.2 to +1.82,263
Inverness (IV)34.134.3−0.2−2.4 to +1.91,854
Oldham (OL)33.934.3−0.4−2.6 to +1.81,777
Norwich (NR)33.834.3−0.5−1.6 to +0.67,190
Peterborough (PE)33.834.3−0.5−1.4 to +0.411,796
Manchester (M)33.834.3−0.5−1.8 to +0.75,256
Wolverhampton (WV)33.734.3−0.6−2.6 to +1.32,319
Colchester (CO)33.634.3−0.7−1.9 to +0.55,691
Outer Hebrides (HS)33.634.3−0.7−8.7 to +7.3134 (rough estimate)
Milton Keynes (MK)33.634.3−0.8−1.9 to +0.46,094
Cleveland (TS)33.434.3−0.9−2.4 to +0.63,663
Doncaster (DN)33.434.3−0.9−2.3 to +0.54,520
Leicester (LE)33.434.3−1.0−1.9 to +0.09,538
Redhill (RH)33.234.3−1.1−2.3 to −0.07,100
Motherwell (ML)32.834.3−1.5−4.4 to +1.31,022
Nottingham (NG)32.734.4−1.7−2.6 to −0.810,383
Liverpool (L)32.634.3−1.7−3.0 to −0.55,626
Medway (ME)32.634.3−1.8−2.9 to −0.66,306
Hemel Hempstead (HP)32.534.3−1.8−3.0 to −0.76,733
Newcastle (NE)32.534.3−1.9−3.2 to −0.54,938
Lerwick (ZE)32.434.3−1.9−10.7 to +6.9108 (rough estimate)
Glasgow (G)32.334.3−2.0−3.5 to −0.53,614
London NW (NW)32.334.3−2.0−3.9 to −0.12,363
Dumfries (DG)32.234.3−2.1−5.8 to +1.6609
Halifax (HX)32.234.3−2.1−5.6 to +1.3721
Durham (DH)32.034.3−2.3−5.0 to +0.31,226
Harrow (HA)31.934.3−2.4−4.3 to −0.62,459
Sheffield (S)31.934.4−2.4−3.5 to −1.48,191
Reading (RG)31.934.4−2.5−3.3 to −1.713,466
Derby (DE)31.934.3−2.5−3.6 to −1.46,687
Galashiels (TD)31.634.3−2.7−7.5 to +2.2357 (rough estimate)
Wakefield (WF)31.634.3−2.7−4.3 to −1.23,393
Stevenage (SG)31.434.3−2.9−4.2 to −1.75,291
Coventry (CV)31.034.4−3.4−4.4 to −2.37,565
Birmingham (B)30.734.4−3.7−4.5 to −2.913,467
Slough (SL)30.434.3−3.9−5.3 to −2.54,299
Blackburn (BB)30.234.3−4.1−5.8 to −2.32,675
Dartford (DA)30.034.4−4.4−5.8 to −2.94,010
Luton (LU)29.834.3−4.6−6.1 to −3.03,508
London N (N)29.634.3−4.8−6.6 to −2.92,355
Chelmsford (CM)29.434.4−5.0−5.9 to −4.110,076
Southend-on-Sea (SS)28.934.4−5.5−6.5 to −4.58,481
Sutton (SM)28.634.3−5.7−8.0 to −3.31,424
London SW (SW)28.634.4−5.8−7.4 to −4.22,941
St Albans (AL)28.334.4−6.1−7.5 to −4.73,898
Bromley (BR)27.934.3−6.4−8.2 to −4.72,544
London W (W)27.434.3−6.9−9.8 to −4.1924
Kingston upon Thames (KT)27.134.4−7.3−8.3 to −6.37,337
Kirkwall (KW)26.934.3−7.4−12.5 to −2.3290 (rough estimate)
Uxbridge (UB)26.434.4−8.0−9.8 to −6.22,307
Twickenham (TW)26.234.4−8.2−9.5 to −6.94,414
London SE (SE)26.234.4−8.2−9.6 to −6.83,769
Croydon (CR)25.934.4−8.5−10.2 to −6.82,614
London E (E)25.834.4−8.5−10.2 to −6.92,656
Enfield (EN)25.534.4−8.9−10.6 to −7.22,666
Romford (RM)25.434.4−9.1−10.2 to −7.95,547
Ilford (IG)24.434.4−10.0−11.7 to −8.32,476

Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 476,737 (initial tests) · Method: postcode area of the testing station against the same model's tests elsewhere in Britain, difference of two proportions with a 95% interval; named at 3+ points with the interval clear of zero; not age-adjusted · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV

Other pages for this model

Ford S-MAX 2006 · Ford S-MAX 2007 · Ford S-MAX 2008 · Ford S-MAX 2009 · Ford S-MAX 2010 · Ford S-MAX 2011 · Ford S-MAX 2012 · Ford S-MAX 2013 · Ford S-MAX 2014 · Ford S-MAX 2015 · Ford S-MAX 2016 · Ford S-MAX 2017 · Ford S-MAX 2018 · Ford S-MAX 2019 · Ford S-MAX 2020 · Ford S-MAX in Norway · Ford S-MAX in Finland · Ford S-MAX in the Netherlands · Ford S-MAX body, chassis and structure failures · Ford S-MAX brakes failures · Ford S-MAX vehicle identification failures · Ford S-MAX lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Ford S-MAX noise, emissions and leaks failures · Ford S-MAX road wheels failures · Ford S-MAX seat belts and airbags failures · Ford S-MAX steering failures · Ford S-MAX suspension failures · Ford S-MAX tyres failures · Ford S-MAX visibility failures