Used car guide

2022 Ford S-MAX: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2022 Ford S-MAXs, from 751 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

751MOT tests in 2025
82%pass first time (all 2022 cars: 89%)
7,600typical miles a year
17.7×the usual rate for headlights

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2022 Ford S-MAXs than on all cars registered in 2022.

  • Headlights17.7× usual
    Ford S-MAX
    5.3% All 2022 cars
    0.3%

    Failed outright at MOT: 5.3%, against 0.3% of all 2022 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £40–£400 our estimate

    At the viewing: Check both headlights on dipped and full beam, and look for cloudy or cracked lenses.

By area

The share of 2022 Ford S-MAX MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    26% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Lights and electrics
    12% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Brakes
    8% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Seats and seatbelts
    5% of testsRough price £80–£250

    At the viewing: Pull each seatbelt sharply. It should lock, and retract cleanly.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    4% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

Looking at a Ford S-MAX?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
2021710Tyres 31%
20201,144Tyres 31%
20192,298Tyres 34%
20182,392Tyres 35%
20175,246Tyres 35%
20166,850Tyres 37%
20153,273Tyres 41%
20146,290Tyres 40%
20136,010Suspension 45%
20126,641Suspension 49%
20115,991Suspension 50%
20107,831Suspension 54%
20094,882Suspension 58%
20083,545Suspension 63%
20073,293Suspension 64%
2006937Suspension 64%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2022 Ford S-MAXs registered in 2022. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score