Ford Grand C-Max MOT failure rate and common faults
34,570 Ford Grand C-Max cars aged 3 to 20 took their MOT in 2025, and 34.8% failed at the first attempt. An average car of the same age failed 29.3% of the time, which makes the Ford Grand C-Max 19% more likely to fail than the typical car on the road. Here is what fails, and which years to look for.
34.8%
failed first time
34,570 MOT tests in 2025
+19%
vs same age average
average car of this age mix: 29.3%
178 of 208
age adjusted rank
among cars; 1 fails least
174.1
dangerous defects per 1,000
same age average: 107.9
What fails on a Ford Grand 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 Grand 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 | 51.5 |
| Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm | Tyres | 46.1 |
| Stop lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 45.2 |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | Body, chassis, exhaust and drive shafts | 40.9 |
| Tyres: has ply or cords exposed | Tyres | 40.4 |
| Position lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 35.7 |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn | Suspension | 34.6 |
| Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative | Tyres | 25.8 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 24.8 |
| Tyres: has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords | Tyres | 21.6 |
Ford Grand 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 | 1,048 | 24.3% | 16.5% | 45,700 |
| 2018 | 2,720 | 28.3% | 19.1% | 56,000 |
| 2017 | 3,895 | 26.3% | 21.8% | 66,100 |
| 2016 | 6,502 | 32.2% | 25.1% | 77,200 |
| 2015 | 3,699 | 34.1% | 28.1% | 84,900 |
| 2014 | 3,942 | 38.4% | 31.4% | 92,400 |
| 2013 | 4,280 | 38.3% | 34.3% | 99,500 |
| 2012 | 3,586 | 39.0% | 36.6% | 106,600 |
| 2011 | 4,793 | 42.4% | 38.8% | 111,600 |
Advisories to look for in a Ford Grand 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 Grand 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 edge440.4
- Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement204.8
- Brake pads: wearing thin184.2
- Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened137.0
- Tyres: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing117.6
- Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread48.1
Checking a used Ford Grand C-Max before you buy
Against cars of the same age, the Ford Grand C-Max fails more often than average on lights and electrics, tyres and brakes. 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.
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.
Brakes
Look through the wheel spokes at the discs for a deep lip or scoring, check the handbrake holds the car on a slope, and feel for a pull to one side when braking hard.
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 Grand C-Max cars tested: Diesel 73%, Petrol 27%. Average age at test 10.5 years, average recorded mileage 86,600.
Ford Grand C-Max MOT questions
What is the Ford Grand C-Max MOT failure rate?
34.8% of Ford Grand C-Max cars failed their first MOT test of 2025, from 34,570 tests on vehicles aged 3 to 20. An average car with the same age mix failed 29.3% of the time, so the Ford Grand C-Max was 19% more likely to fail.
What fails most often on a Ford Grand C-Max MOT?
Lights and electrics caused the most failure items, at 221 per 1,000 tests. The single most common failure item was "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick", recorded 51.5 times per 1,000 tests.
Which Ford Grand C-Max year has the best MOT record?
Measured against cars of the same age, 2012 registrations did best: 39.0% failed against an average of 36.6% 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 Grand C-Max will pass?
No. These are averages across every Ford Grand 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 Grand C-Max
- Fiat Puntorank 175
- Nissan Jukerank 176
- Volkswagen Foxrank 177
- Citroen C3rank 180
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 Grand 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.