Ford S-max Titanium TDCI Reliability, MOT Pass Rate & Common Faults

The Ford S-max Titanium TDCI has an overall MOT pass rate of 87.9% across 2,777 real MOT tests — comfortably above the UK average, which puts it among the more reliable models on UK roads.

The most common problems on the Ford S-max Titanium TDCI are exhaust has a major leak of exhaust gases (2 recorded failures), stop lamp not working (2), and trailing arm synthetic mounting deteriorated resulting in excessive movement both sides (1). These are the faults most likely to cause an MOT failure on this model, so check for them carefully on any test drive or pre-purchase inspection. Many are wear-and-tear items that can be budgeted for, but a car that's already failing on multiple fronts may signal neglected maintenance.

On the safety side, the most frequently flagged dangerous fault is tyre has ply or cords exposed inner shoulder. Dangerous faults cause an immediate MOT failure and mean the vehicle is not roadworthy until repaired. If you're viewing a Ford S-max Titanium TDCI with an expired or recently passed MOT, ask the seller whether any dangerous faults were found and fixed during the last test.

A typical Ford S-max Titanium TDCI owner drives around 10,086 miles per year. If the car you're looking at is significantly above this, expect more wear on suspension, brakes and tyres. If it's well below, the vehicle may have been sitting unused — check for perished rubber, corroded discs and stale fluids.

Before committing to a purchase, we recommend running a full vehicle history check on the specific car. This will reveal any outstanding finance, stolen markers, write-off history and mileage discrepancies that the seller may not disclose — and that the MOT data alone can't tell you.