Ford C-Max MOT failure rate and common faults
114,748 Ford C-Max cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 33.4% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 33.4% of the time, which makes the Ford C-Max about as likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
33.4%
failed first time
114,748 MOT tests in 2025
+0%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 33.4%
130 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
160.3
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 119.1
What fails on a Ford C-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 C-Max MOT failures
The individual failure items testers recorded most often, per 1,000 tests.
| Failure item | Area | Per 1,000 tests |
|---|---|---|
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | Brakes | 38.7 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 38.0 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 36.5 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 32.9 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 32.0 |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 31.5 |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts | 29.6 |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect | Lights and electrics | 28.2 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 23.1 |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken | Suspension | 18.5 |
Ford C-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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2,617 | 16.7% | 16.5% | 35,900 |
| 2018 | 4,817 | 19.9% | 19.1% | 45,200 |
| 2017 | 8,022 | 17.4% | 21.8% | 55,700 |
| 2016 | 10,589 | 22.3% | 25.1% | 63,500 |
| 2015 | 11,302 | 27.7% | 28.1% | 72,800 |
| 2014 | 12,409 | 30.7% | 31.4% | 80,600 |
| 2013 | 13,320 | 31.8% | 34.3% | 88,800 |
| 2012 | 10,557 | 36.6% | 36.6% | 94,300 |
| 2011 | 10,009 | 36.2% | 38.8% | 100,500 |
| 2010 | 5,426 | 44.2% | 40.7% | 100,400 |
| 2009 | 4,802 | 45.2% | 41.8% | 103,100 |
| 2008 | 8,893 | 47.2% | 42.9% | 106,600 |
| 2007 | 6,176 | 48.1% | 42.7% | 109,300 |
| 2006 | 3,571 | 47.7% | 43.0% | 107,700 |
| 2005 | 2,236 | 48.7% | 42.4% | 110,400 |
Advisories to look for in a Ford C-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 C-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 edge383.6
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement178.9
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened153.9
- Brake pads: wearing thin148.8
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing142.1
- Coil spring: corroded87.3
Checking a used Ford C-Max before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Ford C-Max fails more often than average on tyres. Start there.
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.
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 C-Max cars tested: Petrol 52%, Diesel 48%. Average age at test 12.5 years, average recorded mileage 84,700.
Ford C-Max MOT questions
What is the Ford C-Max MOT failure rate?
33.4% of Ford C-Max cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 114,748 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 33.4% of the time, so the Ford C-Max was about as likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Ford C-Max MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 220 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick", recorded 38.7 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Ford C-Max year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2017 registrations did best: 17.4% failed against an average of 21.8% 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 C-Max will pass?
No. These are averages across every Ford C-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 C-Max
- Peugeot 107rank 128
- Mazda 2rank 129
- Mercedes-Benz CLArank 131
- Mazda 6rank 132
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 C-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.