2015 Ford Grand C-Max — MOT failures & pass rate
Across 23,038 MOT tests, the 2015 Ford Grand C-Max recorded an 81.6% pass rate. That is 1.3 percentage points worse than MPVs of a similar age, which fail at 17.1%. Failures cluster in tyres, lighting & signalling and brakes.
What the MOT record shows
No single area dominates — tyres (9.3%) and lighting & signalling (8.7%) are close, so failures are spread across several systems rather than one weak point.
At component level the recurring items are brake pads, tread depth and wipers — brake pads alone was recorded 1,075 times.
A 150k+ example is materially riskier than a 0-30k one: 24.3% versus 11.7%.
The petrol cars hold up better: 15.6% fail against 18.8% for diesel, a 3.2-point gap across 23,038 tests.
Tyres is the most common advisory, noted on 31.8% of tests — work that passed today but is likely due soon.
The trend is worsening — 15.5% of tests failed in 2021 against 21.3% in 2025, the usual pattern as a fleet ages.
How it compares
Top failure categories
| # | Category | % of tests affected | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tyres | 9.3% | 2,142 |
| 2 | Lighting & signalling | 8.7% | 1,996 |
| 3 | Brakes | 5.5% | 1,273 |
| 4 | Visibility | 4.5% | 1,045 |
| 5 | Emissions & environmental | 2.3% | 530 |
| 6 | Suspension | 2.1% | 484 |
Most common specific failures
The exact components most often recorded as failures — more specific than the categories above.
| # | Failure item | Times recorded |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brake pads | 1,075 |
| 2 | Tread depth | 906 |
| 3 | Wipers | 788 |
| 4 | Stop lamp | 724 |
| 5 | Tyre pressure monitoring system | 687 |
| 6 | Headlamp aim | 617 |
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 | 31.8% | 7,323 |
| 2 | Brakes | 21.3% | 4,901 |
| 3 | Other defects | 14.0% | 3,228 |
| 4 | Suspension | 12.4% | 2,848 |
| 5 | Lighting & signalling | 5.1% | 1,174 |
| 6 | Visibility | 4.4% | 1,014 |
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 | 973 | 11.7% |
| 30-60k | 8,197 | 15.0% |
| 60-90k | 9,152 | 19.9% |
| 90-120k | 3,601 | 22.6% |
| 120-150k | 821 | 23.5% |
| 150k+ | 268 | 24.3% |
Failure rate by age
By fuel type
| Fuel | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel | 20,201 | 18.8% |
| Petrol | 2,837 | 15.6% |
Trend over time
| Dataset year | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 4,512 | 15.5% |
| 2022 | 4,566 | 16.6% |
| 2023 | 4,648 | 18.6% |
| 2024 | 4,689 | 19.8% |
| 2025 | 4,623 | 21.3% |
What to check before buying a 2015 Grand C-Max
The failure pattern for this year is specific enough to inspect against: tyres accounted for 9.3% of tests. Start there.
- Tyres (9.3% 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.
- Lighting & signalling (8.7% of tests): Often a cheap bulb, but persistent issues can mean wiring or corrosion in the units. Typical repair: £10–£150.
- Brakes (5.5% of tests): Pads/discs are routine wear; binding, imbalance or corroded pipes are more serious — test for pulling under braking. Typical repair: £100–£350 per axle.
Repair costs are rough UK ballpark ranges to set expectations, not quotes — actual prices vary widely by car, parts and garage.
Frequently asked questions
How many 2015 Ford Grand C-Maxs pass their MOT?
81.6% of the 23,038 2015 Ford Grand C-Max MOT tests in this dataset passed — a 18.4% fail rate.
What is the most common MOT failure on a 2015 Ford Grand C-Max?
Tyres, recorded in 9.3% of tests, followed by lighting & signalling (8.7%).
Does the 2015 Grand C-Max get worse with mileage?
Its MOT fail rate rises from 11.7% in the 0-30k band to 24.3% in the 150k+ band.
Methodology & source. Based on 23,038 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.