Ford B-Max MOT failure rate and common faults
53,637 Ford B-Max cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 32.1% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 29.8% of the time, which makes the Ford B-Max 8% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
32.1%
failed first time
53,637 MOT tests in 2025
+8%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 29.8%
154 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
90.9
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 107.8
What fails on a Ford B-Max 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 B-Max MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 100.0 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 46.2 |
| Ball joint excessively worn | Suspension | 45.4 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 29.9 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 25.0 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 21.4 |
| Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative | Tyres | 20.0 |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam | Lights and electrics | 16.6 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 15.9 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 15.2 |
Ford B-Max 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 690 | 33.0% | 19.1% | 41,400 |
| 2017 | 5,774 | 29.6% | 21.8% | 41,600 |
| 2016 | 7,143 | 26.0% | 25.1% | 48,300 |
| 2015 | 9,810 | 29.2% | 28.1% | 55,400 |
| 2014 | 12,854 | 33.0% | 31.4% | 63,100 |
| 2013 | 14,498 | 36.2% | 34.3% | 69,200 |
| 2012 | 2,866 | 38.1% | 36.6% | 74,900 |
Advisories to look for in a Ford B-Max'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 B-Max, 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 edge284.8
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing163.0
- Brake pads: wearing thin88.2
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened85.0
- Coil spring: corroded65.3
- Seat belts: webbing slightly damaged or frayed47.8
Checking a used Ford B-Max before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Ford B-Max fails more often than average on lights and electrics and seat belts and airbags. 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.
Seat belts and airbags
Pull every seat belt out fully and let it retract, check each buckle latches, and make sure the airbag warning light goes out after starting.
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 B-Max cars tested: Petrol 84%, Diesel 16%. Average age at test 10.6 years, average recorded mileage 59,400.
Ford B-Max MOT questions
What is the Ford B-Max MOT failure rate?
32.1% of Ford B-Max cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 53,637 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 29.8% of the time, so the Ford B-Max was 8% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Ford B-Max MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 218 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Stop lamp: not working", recorded 100.0 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Ford B-Max year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2016 registrations did best: 26.0% 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 B-Max will pass?
No. These are averages across every Ford B-Max 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 B-Max
- Volvo V40rank 151
- Nissan Leafrank 152
- Nissan Micrarank 153
- Vauxhall Merivarank 156
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 B-Max 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.