Ford Galaxy MOT failure rate and common faults
53,317 Ford Galaxy cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 35.4% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 30.8% of the time, which makes the Ford Galaxy 15% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
35.4%
failed first time
53,317 MOT tests in 2025
+15%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 30.8%
170 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
153.8
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 112.2
What fails on a Ford Galaxy MOT
Failure items recorded per 1,000 tests, by part of the car, set against an average car with exactly the same spread of ages. A figure well above average is a weak spot worth checking before you buy.
The most common Ford Galaxy MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 89.6 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 43.9 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 43.6 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 37.4 |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 35.0 |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts | 33.6 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 33.2 |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps | Lights and electrics | 28.1 |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights and electrics | 22.2 |
| Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Suspension | 21.2 |
Ford Galaxy MOT failure rate by year
Every car fails more often as it ages, so each registration year is compared with the average for all cars of the same age. Years with fewer than 500 tests are left out.
| First registered | Tests | Failed | Same age average | Average mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1,230 | 17.7% | 11.4% | 26,500 |
| 2021 | 1,422 | 23.4% | 12.8% | 52,100 |
| 2020 | 1,668 | 18.2% | 14.1% | 49,200 |
| 2019 | 2,588 | 22.3% | 16.5% | 72,400 |
| 2018 | 3,488 | 20.5% | 19.1% | 99,500 |
| 2017 | 5,182 | 21.4% | 21.8% | 97,500 |
| 2016 | 4,670 | 22.8% | 25.1% | 107,400 |
| 2015 | 2,401 | 37.2% | 28.1% | 119,400 |
| 2014 | 4,120 | 42.9% | 31.4% | 117,900 |
| 2013 | 3,693 | 42.4% | 34.3% | 125,900 |
| 2012 | 4,166 | 42.5% | 36.6% | 129,300 |
| 2011 | 4,031 | 45.2% | 38.8% | 132,000 |
| 2010 | 3,778 | 44.5% | 40.7% | 135,800 |
| 2009 | 3,315 | 45.4% | 41.8% | 142,000 |
| 2008 | 2,803 | 45.6% | 42.9% | 145,700 |
| 2007 | 2,554 | 46.0% | 42.7% | 150,300 |
| 2006 | 1,240 | 49.0% | 43.0% | 147,800 |
| 2005 | 968 | 48.5% | 42.4% | 140,700 |
Advisories to look for in a Ford Galaxy's MOT history
An advisory is a tester's warning that something is wearing but has not failed yet. These are the ones written most often on the Ford Galaxy, per 1,000 tests. If the car you are looking at has one of these, ask whether it has been fixed since.
- Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge409.9
- Brake pads: wearing thin155.5
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened152.2
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement146.9
- Coil spring: corroded105.0
- Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened98.6
Checking a used Ford Galaxy before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Ford Galaxy fails more often than average on lights and electrics, tyres and body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts. Start there.
Lights and electrics
Walk round the car with every light on: headlights on dip and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and the number plate lamp. A pattern of electrical faults costs more than a bulb.
Tyres
Check the tread across the full width of every tyre, inner edge included. Uneven wear points to worn suspension or out of line steering geometry.
Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts
Turn the steering to full lock and look behind each front wheel: the rubber boots on the drive shafts should be whole, with no grease sprayed around. Then get down with a torch and check the exhaust hangers, sills, floor and subframes for rust.
Averages only take you so far. The specific car's MOT history shows whether it has already failed on any of these, how often advisories were ignored, and whether the mileage climbs steadily from test to test. Read our guide to reading a car's MOT history before you go to view it.
Fuel mix of the Ford Galaxy cars tested: Diesel 93%, Petrol 6%. Average age at test 11.5 years, average recorded mileage 114,800.
Ford Galaxy MOT questions
What is the Ford Galaxy MOT failure rate?
35.4% of Ford Galaxy cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 53,317 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 30.8% of the time, so the Ford Galaxy was 15% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Ford Galaxy MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 307 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Position lamp: not working", recorded 89.6 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Ford Galaxy year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2016 registrations did best: 22.8% failed against an average of 25.1% for cars that age. Older cars always fail more often, so compare a year with its age group rather than with newer cars.
Does this tell me whether a particular Ford Galaxy will pass?
No. These are averages across every Ford Galaxy tested in 2025. The car in front of you has its own record: its full MOT history shows every pass, failure and advisory it has had, and it is free to view by registration.
Other Ford models
- Ford Fiesta34.1% failed
- Ford Focus31.4% failed
- Ford Kuga20.6% failed
- Ford Transit37.5% failed
- Ford Transit Custom22.8% failed
- Ford Ka33.3% failed
Ranked close to the Ford Galaxy
- Smart Forfourrank 167
- Kia Ceedrank 168
- Nissan X-Trailrank 169
- Hyundai i30rank 171
How these figures are calculated
Source: DVSA Anonymised MOT tests and results, 2025 release. We count first tests of cars and small vans (class 4) aged 3 to 20, so a car that fails and is retested is counted once. A failure includes faults fixed and passed within the same visit. The same age average weights the national failure rate for each age by how many Ford Galaxy cars of that age were tested, so a model is never penalised for having an older fleet. Make and model are as recorded at the test; trim levels are combined. Full method and rankings.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.