Petrol Ford S-Max: MOT pass rate

73.9% of petrol Ford S-Max pass the MOT first time, measured across 6,630 DVSA tests on that fuel type alone. Average mileage at test was 87,189.

Petrol against the other Ford S-Max versions

Fuel Pass rate Tests
Diesel 70.1% 66,391
Petrol 73.9% 6,630
All Ford S-Max70.5%73,026

Why the fuel type changes the number

Petrol cars avoid the DPF and emissions failures that catch diesels, and usually fail on the same consumables as any other car.

On the Ford S-Max specifically, petrol is the strongest at 73.9%, and this petrol version sits 3.4 points above the 70.5% model average.

What it means if you are buying one

The petrol Ford S-Max is the stronger side of this model on MOT data. Still judge the individual car, but the fuel type is a mild point in its favour. Check the exact car, decode the VIN and check the mileage before you bid.

Mileage is part of the answer

The average petrol Ford S-Max had covered 87,189 miles at test, against 106,243 for the diesel. That is above average, the point where suspension bushes, drop links and exhaust corrosion start showing up as advisories before they become failures.

Fuel type and mileage are tangled together: diesels are usually bought by higher-mileage drivers, so some of any gap between fuels is the miles rather than the engine. The per-year figures on the Ford S-Max page separate age from fuel if you want to isolate one.

Other Ford S-Max fuel types

All Ford S-Max MOT data · Every model