49,361 tests in 2025
Ford B-Max reliability and MOT pass rate
75.6% passed first time. The 24.4% fail rate is 1.8 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 11 years old with 56,143 miles.
Pass rate
75.6%
22.6% of all cars failed; 24.4% of these did.
Fixed on the day
7.9%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
56,143 mi
11 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 0 | — |
| 6-9 years | 12,499 | 20.4% |
| 10-13 years | 36,860 | 25.7% |
| 14+ years | 2 | — |
What the B-Max fails on
Share of failed tests with at least one fail item in each DVSA inspection section. A test can fail in several sections at once.
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment131 dangerous39.6%
- Suspension120 dangerous39.3%
- Tyres2,697 dangerous27.7%
- Brakes1,195 dangerous14.1%
- Visibility1 dangerous13.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks11 dangerous10.8%
- Steering34 dangerous6.4%
- Body, chassis, structure54 dangerous5.4%
Is the B-Max getting worse?
The fail rate rose 6.9 points to 24.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (8 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 55,167 | 8 | 17.5% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 54,931 | 9 | 20.3% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 46,321 | 10 | 22.5% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 49,356 | 11 | 24.4% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical B-Max at its test that year, and it is the number to watch: across the whole fleet each extra year of age adds roughly 1.9 points to the fail rate, so a model whose age and fail rate rise together is simply getting older.
The exact defects that fail it
Every failure item DVSA recorded against a B-Max in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Stop lamp: not working2,372 tests
- 2Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn1,999 tests
- 3Coil spring: fractured or broken1,999 tests
- 4Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively957 tests
- 5Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick913 tests
- 6Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm889 tests
- 7Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative829 tests
- 8Condition: has ply or cords exposed643 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical B-Max collects 2.4 of them per test, and these are the ones that come up most. Treat it as the running-repairs list for the next year or two.
- 1Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm8,531 tests
- 2Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure5,502 tests
- 3Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick3,926 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened3,528 tests
- 5Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened2,376 tests
- 6Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn1,636 tests
- 7Brake discs: significantly and obviously worn1,535 tests
- 8Registration plates: inscription illegible1,505 tests
Questions
What is the Ford B-Max MOT pass rate?
75.6% of the 49,361 Ford B-Max first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 24.4% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 7.9% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Ford B-Max usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Stop lamp: not working", recorded on 2,372 failed tests, followed by "Ball joint: ball joint excessively worn" and "Coil spring: fractured or broken". By section, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 39.6% of failures, suspension appears in 39.3% of failures, tyres appears in 27.7% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was n/a%; at 10-13 years it was 25.7%. The median Ford B-Max tested in 2025 was 11 years old with 56,143 miles.
Is the Ford B-Max getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 6.9 points to 24.4% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years, which is about what ageing alone predicts (8 points). Read it as the fleet getting older rather than the model changing.
First-attempt class 4 tests, 2025, from DVSA’s anonymised MOT data (OGL v3, retrieved 2026-09-12). DVSA records newer cars trim by trim; this page adds every B-Max trim together. Year-on-year figures come from the same DVSA extracts for 2026 and earlier years. Full method on the pass rates hub.
Other Ford models
- Fiesta 27.3%
- Focus 25.4%
- C-Max 25.9%
- Puma 6.9%
- S-Max 29.7%
- Galaxy 28.6%
- Fusion 32.3%
- Grand C-Max 27.6%
- Transit Courier 21.2%
- Tourneo Connect 18.4%
Checking a particular B-Max?
The odds above are the model. The car in front of you has its own record: every test, every advisory, the mileage at each one.
Due a test? Find an approved MOT station near you.