Ford B Max MOT pass rate & common failures
The Ford B Max appears in 325,323 MOT tests spanning model years 2007–2020, and 83.3% of them passed. That is 1.7 percentage points better than MPVs of a similar age, which fail at 18.4%. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, suspension and tyres.
Best and worst B Max years
Ranked across B Max years with at least 1,000 tests. Older cars fail more simply because they are older — compare years close together in age before drawing conclusions.
What the MOT record shows
The strongest year on this record is 2016 (87.3% pass rate); the weakest is 2012 (78.9%). Older cars carry more of the difference than the average implies.
One area stands out: lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.0% of tests against 5.9% for the next-worst category.
At component level the recurring items are stop lamp, coil spring and ball joint — stop lamp alone was recorded 25,305 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 28.2% versus 8.9%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 15.7% fail against 21.7% for diesel, a 6.0-point gap across 325,314 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 26.3% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 13.2% of tests failed in 2021 against 19.7% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every B Max model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 18,779 | 78.9% | 21.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 92,493 | 79.7% | 20.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 78,122 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 57,315 | 86.1% | 13.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2016 | 41,136 | 87.3% | 12.7% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2017 | 33,398 | 86.6% | 13.4% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2018 | 4,062 | 86.1% | 13.9% | Lighting & signalling |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 11.0% | 35,674 |
| 2 | Suspension | 5.9% | 19,282 |
| 3 | Tyres | 5.1% | 16,769 |
| 4 | Visibility | 3.4% | 11,196 |
| 5 | Brakes | 2.6% | 8,544 |
| 6 | Emissions & environmental | 1.8% | 5,702 |
| 7 | Steering | 1.0% | 3,318 |
| 8 | Body, structure & corrosion | 0.8% | 2,619 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stop lamp | 25,305 |
| 2 | Coil spring | 9,434 |
| 3 | Ball joint | 9,288 |
| 4 | Wipers | 7,796 |
| 5 | Tread depth | 7,396 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 6,444 |
| 7 | Brake pads | 5,829 |
| 8 | Headlamp | 4,642 |
Top advisory categories
Advisories aren't failures, but they flag work likely needed soon — useful when budgeting.
| # | Category | % of tests with advisory | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 26.3% | 85,532 |
| 2 | Brakes | 15.5% | 50,393 |
| 3 | Suspension | 12.0% | 39,137 |
| 4 | Other defects | 9.7% | 31,541 |
| 5 | Visibility | 4.0% | 12,907 |
| 6 | Seat belts & restraints | 3.3% | 10,768 |
Failure rate by mileage
Higher-mileage cars tend to fail more — often the most useful guide to real condition.
| Mileage band | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0-30k | 74,815 | 8.9% |
| 30-60k | 147,819 | 15.8% |
| 60-90k | 77,050 | 22.7% |
| 90-120k | 20,438 | 26.5% |
| 120-150k | 3,866 | 27.3% |
| 150k+ | 1,017 | 28.2% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | 271,155 | 15.7% |
| Diesel | 54,159 | 21.7% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 63,398 | 13.2% |
| 2022 | 64,595 | 15.0% |
| 2023 | 65,771 | 17.0% |
| 2024 | 65,632 | 18.4% |
| 2025 | 65,927 | 19.7% |
What to check before buying a Ford B Max
- Lighting & signalling (11.0% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Suspension (5.9% of tests): Worn drop links, bushes, springs or shocks — listen for knocks over bumps and check for uneven tyre wear. Typical repair: £150–£450 per corner.
- Tyres (5.1% of tests): Usually a quick, known-cost fix, but check tread, age and uneven wear (which can hint at alignment or suspension issues). Typical repair: £50–£120 per tyre.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
What is the MOT pass rate for the Ford B Max?
83.3% of the 325,323 Ford B Max MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 16.7% fail rate, across model years 2007–2020.
What does the Ford B Max most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 11.0% of tests, then suspension (5.9%).
Which B Max years are best and worst for MOT results?
2016 has the best pass rate at 87.3% and 2012 the weakest at 78.9%, from 41,136 and 18,779 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect B Max MOT results?
Fail rates run at 8.9% for cars in the 0-30k band and 28.2% for 150k+, a 19.3-point difference.
Is the petrol or diesel B Max more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the petrol fails 15.7% of the time against 21.7% for the diesel. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 325,323 MOT tests. 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.