Ford Galaxy MOT pass rate & common failures
414,302 MOT tests on the Ford Galaxy (1988–2023) give it a 76.8% pass rate. MPVs of a similar age fail 22.0% of the time, so this is 1.2pp worse than the group it competes with. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and tyres.
Best and worst Galaxy years
Ranked across Galaxy years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
Not every year is equal — 88.7% of 2018 examples pass against 66.1% of 2004 ones.
Lighting & signalling dominates the failure mix at 15.0% of all tests — 6.4 points clear of suspension, so it is the first thing to check.
At component level the recurring items are position lamp, stop lamp and tread depth — position lamp alone was recorded 31,073 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 27.0% versus 11.1%.
Split by fuel, petrol examples fail 16.8pp more often than hybrid ones (25.9% vs 9.1%) — worth weighing if you have a choice.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 29.4% of tests without failing them.
How it compares
By model year
Every Galaxy model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 31 | 71.0% | 29.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1996 | 186 | 75.3% | 24.7% | Brakes |
| 1997 | 409 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 1998 | 569 | 66.1% | 33.9% | Suspension |
| 1999 | 650 | 68.3% | 31.7% | Suspension |
| 2000 | 792 | 67.2% | 32.8% | Suspension |
| 2001 | 2,504 | 66.6% | 33.4% | Suspension |
| 2002 | 3,944 | 67.7% | 32.4% | Suspension |
| 2003 | 8,146 | 66.8% | 33.2% | Suspension |
| 2004 | 9,285 | 66.1% | 33.9% | Suspension |
| 2005 | 14,221 | 66.6% | 33.4% | Suspension |
| 2006 | 15,952 | 68.3% | 31.7% | Suspension |
| 2007 | 27,143 | 71.2% | 28.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 27,353 | 72.5% | 27.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 28,965 | 73.4% | 26.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 30,421 | 74.1% | 25.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 31,693 | 74.4% | 25.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 32,315 | 75.0% | 25.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 28,115 | 75.8% | 24.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 30,740 | 76.0% | 24.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 17,489 | 79.4% | 20.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 28,263 | 87.2% | 12.8% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 30,374 | 87.8% | 12.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 20,703 | 88.7% | 11.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2019 | 12,974 | 86.8% | 13.2% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2020 | 5,772 | 87.9% | 12.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2021 | 3,437 | 84.2% | 15.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2022 | 1,525 | 88.5% | 11.5% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2023 | 328 | 92.1% | 7.9% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 15.0% | 62,275 |
| 2 | Suspension | 8.6% | 35,774 |
| 3 | Tyres | 6.7% | 27,858 |
| 4 | Brakes | 6.4% | 26,526 |
| 5 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.8% | 23,870 |
| 6 | Visibility | 3.6% | 14,937 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 2.9% | 11,991 |
| 8 | Steering | 2.6% | 10,675 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Position lamp | 31,073 |
| 2 | Stop lamp | 17,436 |
| 3 | Tread depth | 16,259 |
| 4 | Headlamp aim | 15,626 |
| 5 | Pins and bushes | 15,596 |
| 6 | Joints | 13,494 |
| 7 | Brake pads | 12,624 |
| 8 | Headlamp | 11,381 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 29.4% | 121,909 |
| 2 | Suspension | 26.9% | 111,480 |
| 3 | Brakes | 26.1% | 108,074 |
| 4 | Lighting & signalling | 14.0% | 58,093 |
| 5 | Other defects | 13.8% | 57,172 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 9.5% | 39,301 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 20,632 | 11.1% |
| 30-60k | 50,797 | 14.7% |
| 60-90k | 72,931 | 20.9% |
| 90-120k | 89,707 | 24.9% |
| 120-150k | 82,398 | 27.2% |
| 150k+ | 95,843 | 27.0% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 383,018 | 23.1% |
| Petrol | 30,205 | 25.9% |
| Hybrid | 1,077 | 9.1% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 95,999 | 23.3% |
| 2022 | 90,014 | 23.3% |
| 2023 | 83,145 | 23.2% |
| 2024 | 75,992 | 23.5% |
| 2025 | 69,152 | 22.8% |
What to check before buying a Ford Galaxy
- Lighting & signalling (15.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (8.6% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Tyres (6.7% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Ford Galaxy?
76.8% of the 414,302 Ford Galaxy MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 23.3% fail rate, across model years 1988–2023.
What does the Ford Galaxy most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 15.0% of tests, then suspension (8.6%).
Which Galaxy years are best and worst for MOT results?
2018 has the best pass rate at 88.7% and 2004 the weakest at 66.1%, from 20,703 and 9,285 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect Galaxy MOT results?
Fail rates run at 11.1% for cars in the 0-30k band and 27.0% for 150k+, a 15.9-point difference.
Is the hybrid or petrol Galaxy more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the hybrid fails 9.1% of the time against 25.9% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 414,302 MOT tests. Dataset: DVSA MOT testing data (2021,2022,2023,2024,2025). Data last updated 2026-07-27. Figures reflect MOT-testable defects only — read the methodology for how these are calculated and what they don't measure.