51,880 tests in 2025
Ford Galaxy reliability and MOT pass rate
71.4% passed first time. The 28.6% fail rate is 6.0 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 12 years old with 112,539 miles.
Pass rate
71.4%
22.6% of all cars failed; 28.6% of these did.
Fixed on the day
7.2%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
112,539 mi
12 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 3,972 | 14.9% |
| 6-9 years | 14,880 | 16.3% |
| 10-13 years | 13,588 | 33.8% |
| 14+ years | 19,293 | 37.4% |
What the Galaxy fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment144 dangerous45.7%
- Suspension373 dangerous35.8%
- Tyres4,527 dangerous29%
- Brakes2,353 dangerous24.8%
- Body, chassis, structure157 dangerous21.1%
- Noise, emissions and leaks32 dangerous11.7%
- Visibility8 dangerous11.6%
- Steering49 dangerous10.5%
Is the Galaxy getting worse?
The fail rate fell 0.6 points to 28.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year. Ageing alone would predict about 2.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 71,063 | 11 | 29.5% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 65,669 | 11 | 29.2% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 53,533 | 12 | 30.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 51,039 | 12 | 28.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical Galaxy at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a Galaxy in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Position lamp: not working2,921 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick1,582 tests
- 3Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt1,567 tests
- 4Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm1,553 tests
- 5Stop lamp: not working1,417 tests
- 6Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,404 tests
- 7Condition: has ply or cords exposed1,355 tests
- 8Linkage ball joint dust cover: ball joint dust cover no longer prevents the ingress of dirt963 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical Galaxy collects 3.21 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm11,949 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick6,529 tests
- 3Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened5,847 tests
- 4Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn5,549 tests
- 5Engine oil leaks: leaking excessively from engine4,955 tests
- 6Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened3,745 tests
- 7Suspension arm: corroded and seriously weakened3,087 tests
- 8Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure2,928 tests
Questions
What is the Ford Galaxy MOT pass rate?
71.4% of the 51,880 Ford Galaxy first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 28.6% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 7.2% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Ford Galaxy usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Position lamp: not working", recorded on 2,921 failed tests, followed by "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick" and "Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 45.7% of failures, suspension appears in 35.8% of failures, tyres appears in 29% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 14.9%; at 14+ years it was 37.4%. The median Ford Galaxy tested in 2025 was 12 years old with 112,539 miles.
Is the Ford Galaxy getting less reliable?
The fail rate fell 0.6 points to 28.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 1 year. Ageing alone would predict about 2.2 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every Galaxy trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
DVSA has published 30 safety recalls naming the Ford Galaxy: Ford Galaxy recalls.
Other Ford models
- Fiesta 27.3%
- Focus 25.4%
- Ecosport 16.4%
- C-Max 25.9%
- Puma 6.9%
- S-Max 29.7%
- B-Max 24.4%
- Fusion 32.3%
- Grand C-Max 27.6%
- Transit Courier 21.2%
Checking a particular Galaxy?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.