Ford C Max MOT pass rate & common failures
707,969 MOT tests on the Ford C Max (2003–2023) give it an 80.8% pass rate. Against MPVs of a similar age (21.4% fail rate), the C Max comes out 2.2pp better. Its most common failure areas are lighting & signalling, tyres and suspension.
Best and worst C Max years
Ranked across C 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
Build year matters more than the headline suggests: 2017 cars pass 89.8% of the time while 2006 cars manage 70.8%, a 19.1-point spread.
No single area dominates — lighting & signalling (9.5%) and tyres (6.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are tread depth, headlamp aim and brake pads — tread depth alone was recorded 24,233 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 29.3% versus 8.3%.
Fuel type barely separates them — diesel fails 18.9% of the time against 19.5% for petrol.
Advisories point at the next bill rather than this one: tyres was flagged on 30.0% of tests without failing them.
The trend is worsening — 17.6% of tests failed in 2021 against 20.9% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
By model year
Every C Max model year with a usable sample. Years with their own detailed report are linked.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate | Fail rate | Most common failure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 154 | 67.5% | 32.5% | Suspension |
| 2005 | 256 | 71.9% | 28.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2006 | 2,383 | 70.8% | 29.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2007 | 38,388 | 71.4% | 28.6% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2008 | 80,482 | 72.1% | 27.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2009 | 39,243 | 74.0% | 26.0% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2010 | 41,705 | 74.7% | 25.3% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2011 | 66,929 | 78.9% | 21.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2012 | 68,462 | 80.2% | 19.8% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2013 | 83,090 | 82.9% | 17.1% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2014 | 75,807 | 83.1% | 16.9% | Lighting & signalling |
| 2015 | 66,310 | 85.6% | 14.4% | Tyres |
| 2016 | 60,093 | 87.7% | 12.3% | Tyres |
| 2017 | 44,684 | 89.8% | 10.2% | Tyres |
| 2018 | 27,484 | 88.6% | 11.4% | Visibility |
| 2019 | 12,448 | 89.2% | 10.8% | Visibility |
Most common failures (all years)
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lighting & signalling | 9.5% | 67,523 |
| 2 | Tyres | 6.7% | 47,156 |
| 3 | Suspension | 6.0% | 42,812 |
| 4 | Brakes | 4.9% | 34,812 |
| 5 | Visibility | 3.9% | 27,732 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 2.7% | 19,431 |
| 7 | Emissions & environmental | 2.5% | 17,897 |
| 8 | Steering | 1.6% | 11,004 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tread depth | 24,233 |
| 2 | Headlamp aim | 23,849 |
| 3 | Brake pads | 22,329 |
| 4 | Pins and bushes | 17,284 |
| 5 | Wipers | 17,126 |
| 6 | Position lamp | 17,039 |
| 7 | Stop lamp | 16,603 |
| 8 | Headlamp | 15,955 |
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 | 30.0% | 212,722 |
| 2 | Brakes | 22.2% | 157,483 |
| 3 | Suspension | 19.5% | 138,245 |
| 4 | Other defects | 11.5% | 81,516 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 6.5% | 45,715 |
| 6 | Body, structure & corrosion | 5.7% | 40,235 |
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 | 68,308 | 8.3% |
| 30-60k | 185,049 | 13.0% |
| 60-90k | 219,603 | 19.9% |
| 90-120k | 153,382 | 25.4% |
| 120-150k | 61,291 | 28.4% |
| 150k+ | 19,502 | 29.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 356,348 | 18.9% |
| Petrol | 351,591 | 19.5% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 147,626 | 17.6% |
| 2022 | 147,564 | 18.2% |
| 2023 | 143,886 | 19.3% |
| 2024 | 137,824 | 20.2% |
| 2025 | 131,069 | 20.9% |
What to check before buying a Ford C Max
- Lighting & signalling (9.5% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Tyres (6.7% 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.
- Suspension (6.0% 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.
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 C Max?
80.8% of the 707,969 Ford C Max MOT tests in this dataset passed, a 19.2% fail rate, across model years 2003–2023.
What does the Ford C Max most often fail its MOT on?
Lighting & signalling, recorded in 9.5% of tests, then tyres (6.7%).
Which C Max years are best and worst for MOT results?
2017 has the best pass rate at 89.8% and 2006 the weakest at 70.8%, from 44,684 and 2,383 tests respectively.
How much does mileage affect C Max MOT results?
Fail rates run at 8.3% for cars in the 0-30k band and 29.3% for 150k+, a 21.0-point difference.
Is the diesel or petrol C Max more reliable at MOT time?
On MOT-testable defects the diesel fails 18.9% of the time against 19.5% for the petrol. This covers testable items only, not engine or gearbox reliability.
Methodology & source. Based on 707,969 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.