Ford S Max vs Mercedes-Benz B-Class
The Mercedes-Benz B-Class has the better MOT record of the two — 18.2% fail rate versus 22.7% for the Ford S Max across comparable years. The biggest single difference is body, structure & corrosion, where the S Max records failures noticeably more often.
22.7%
S Max fail rate
18.2%
B-Class fail rate
4.5pp
Difference
Side by side
| Metric | Ford S Max | Mercedes-Benz B-Class |
|---|---|---|
| MOT tests analysed | 483,919 | 429,942 |
| Pass rate | 77.3% | 81.8% |
| Fail rate | 22.7% | 18.2% |
Where they differ
| Category | S Max | B-Class |
|---|---|---|
| Body, structure & corrosion | 4.5% | 0.0% |
| Visibility | 0.0% | 3.2% |
| Lighting & signalling | 10.9% | 8.2% |
| Tyres | 7.5% | 5.6% |
| Brakes | 5.7% | 5.0% |
| Suspension | 7.4% | 6.7% |
Methodology & source. 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.