Performance by cohort

3 year bands · 112,402 tests

Pass rate climbs 9.5 points across the cohorts — newer Galaxy examples clear the test more reliably than the early cars.

Pre-2018 cohort 97,952

Pass

69.5%

Fail

24.1%

PRS

5.7%

Avg mileage at test

124,954 mi

2018–2020 cohort 11,520

Pass

82.4%

Fail

12.3%

PRS

4.8%

Avg mileage at test

59,198 mi

2021+ cohort 2,930

Pass

79.0%

Fail

15.5%

PRS

4.8%

Avg mileage at test

37,210 mi

Cohort = vehicle's first-registration year band. Same model, different generations of build.

Generations on file · 3

Ford Galaxy · UK market

Photos: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA / CC BY / public domain.

The picture

Ford Galaxy: mixed MOT record across 83,567 tests

The Ford Galaxy is a seven-seater car produced by Ford of Europe from June 1995 to April 2023. Considered in the motor industry to be a large multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), it was the first Ford-brand MPV produced and marketed outside of North America, the model line is currently in its third generation.

MOT data from 83,567 tests puts this car on a 70.2% first-time pass rate, below the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 114,326 miles. The most common fail item is failed number plate light, followed by lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning.

The Galaxy's pass rate warrants caution in the used market. Factor in likely first-test remedial work on the common failure items and get a pre-purchase inspection that covers the specific items this car trips on most.

ABI Insurance Group

Group 21–30

Above average — worth comparing quotes before buying. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.

Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →

21–30

out of 50

Compare quotes →

Top ten reasons for rejection.

Filter failures:

Hide wear items to see the model's real defects.

01

A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

5,579 occurrences · 5.0% of tests
02

A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

4,843 occurrences · 4.3% of tests
03

Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

3,457 occurrences · 3.1% of tests
04

Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

3,092 occurrences · 2.8% of tests
05

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

2,999 occurrences · 2.7% of tests
06

a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

2,593 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
07

A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

2,575 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
08

A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

2,568 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
09

A lamp with a multiple light source up to 1/2 not functioning

2,539 occurrences · 2.3% of tests
10

A tyre cords visible or damaged

2,313 occurrences · 2.1% of tests

Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.

Worst-case fix budget · top 2 failures

£68–£130

If every one of this Galaxy's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →

Try the calculator

Build your own retest budget.

Year-band analysis

Best year to buy. Worst to avoid.

First-time MOT pass rate split by registration band. A 12.9-point gap between bands means the year you buy Ford Galaxy has a real effect on what turns up at the garage.

Best band to buy

82.4%

2018–2020 registration

the 2018–2020 band climbs to 82.4% — a 12.9-point improvement. Tests in this band average 59,198 miles — roughly 66K miles fewer on the clock than the older band. Failures here are mostly wear items: less than 1.5 mm thick, not working on dipped beam — the structural issues that drag down older examples don't appear in the top-10 for this band. The stricter post-2018 MOT test rules meant manufacturers had to tighten up emissions and electrical checks, but this band still shows far fewer major failures on suspension and bodywork than the older fleet.

Band to be cautious about

69.5%

Pre-2018 registration

On the older band (pre-2018), the data shows a 69.5% pass rate against a fleet average of 82.4% on the newer band. The main culprits logged at test: inoperative in the case of multiple lamps…, not working, and damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view. Average mileage on test for this band is 124,954 miles — high-mileage wear items are a recurring theme.

Best band to buy: 2018-2020 (82.4% first-time pass). Worst band to avoid: pre-2018 (69.5% pass). That's a 12.9-point spread across 97,952 older tests and 11,520 newer ones — year of build makes a material difference on this model.

Year-spread leaderboard →

Tools that pre-empt a retest.

Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.

Item 01 · Amazon UK

H7 / W21W bulb pack

A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · Amazon UK

Digital tyre-tread depth gauge

Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.

Search Amazon UK

My Motor World · affiliate

Parts & supplies for this fix

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Summit

Summit ADRG-18 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£8.79

View at My Motor World →

Summit

Summit ADRG-10 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

£9.89

View at My Motor World →

Summit

Summit ADRG-47 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS

£9.89

View at My Motor World →

Summit

Summit ADRG-85 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS

£9.89

View at My Motor World →

Click Mechanic · affiliate

Book a mobile mechanic

Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.

Mobile mechanic · UK-wide

Book a mechanic at your door.

Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.

Get a quote →

Recall history

40 UK recalls on record.

The Galaxy has 40 official UK vehicle recalls covering defect details, remedies, and affected build dates.

See all recalls

Buying or keeping a Galaxy?

Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.

If you own a Galaxy and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.