98,530 tests in 2025
Ford C-Max reliability and MOT pass rate
74.1% passed first time. The 25.9% fail rate is 3.3 points worse than the all-car average, on a median example 12 years old with 80,898 miles.
Pass rate
74.1%
22.6% of all cars failed; 25.9% of these did.
Fixed on the day
6.5%
Passed after a defect was put right during the visit.
Median at test
80,898 mi
12 years old.
Fail rate by age
| Age at test | Tests | Fail rate |
|---|---|---|
| 3-5 years | 1 | — |
| 6-9 years | 23,961 | 15.7% |
| 10-13 years | 44,341 | 25.3% |
| 14+ years | 30,226 | 35% |
What the C-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.
- Tyres8,201 dangerous33.2%
- Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment49 dangerous33%
- Suspension1,756 dangerous32.7%
- Brakes4,448 dangerous25.2%
- Body, chassis, structure345 dangerous14.6%
- Noise, emissions and leaks33 dangerous12.8%
- Visibility13 dangerous11.9%
- Steering72 dangerous6.8%
Is the C-Max getting worse?
The fail rate rose 4 points to 25.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 7.4 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
| Year | Tests | Median age | Fail rate | All cars | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 121,975 | 9 | 21.9% | 22.5% | |
| 2023 | 117,723 | 10 | 23.4% | 22.8% | |
| 2024 | 97,666 | 11 | 25.1% | 23.2% | |
| 2025 | 98,514 | 12 | 25.9% | 22.6% |
Fail rate is first attempts at class 4 tests. Median age is the age of a typical C-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 C-Max in 2025, counted by how many tests each one appeared on.
- 1Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick3,152 tests
- 2Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm2,554 tests
- 3Condition: has ply or cords exposed2,393 tests
- 4Joints: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt2,279 tests
- 5Position lamp: not working1,927 tests
- 6Stop lamp: not working1,896 tests
- 7Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn1,880 tests
- 8Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative1,549 tests
What wears out first
Advisories are the tester flagging wear that is still legal. A typical C-Max collects 2.93 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 1.6mm21,855 tests
- 2Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick12,014 tests
- 3Pins and bushes: pin or bush excessively worn10,962 tests
- 4Brake discs: in such a condition that it is seriously weakened10,531 tests
- 5Condition: has a tear, caused by separation or partial failure of its structure9,537 tests
- 6Sub-frame: corroded and seriously weakened5,620 tests
- 7Coil spring: corroded so that its cross sectional area is reduced and seriously weakened4,849 tests
- 8Registration plates: inscription illegible3,733 tests
Questions
What is the Ford C-Max MOT pass rate?
74.1% of the 98,530 Ford C-Max first-attempt MOTs in 2025 passed. The fail rate of 25.9% compares with 22.6% across all cars. A further 6.5% passed after a defect was fixed during the test visit.
What does a Ford C-Max usually fail on?
The single most common failure is "Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick", recorded on 3,152 failed tests, followed by "Tread depth: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" and "Condition: has ply or cords exposed". By section, tyres appears in 33.2% of failures, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment appears in 33% of failures, suspension appears in 32.7% of failures.
Does age change the odds?
Sharply. At 3 to 5 years old the fail rate was 0%; at 14+ years it was 35%. The median Ford C-Max tested in 2025 was 12 years old with 80,898 miles.
Is the Ford C-Max getting less reliable?
The fail rate rose 4 points to 25.9% from 2022 to 2025 while the median one tested aged 3 years. Ageing alone would predict about 7.4 points, so it is holding up better than the fleet average for its age.
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 C-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.
DVSA has published 6 safety recalls naming the Ford C-Max: Ford C-Max recalls.
Other Ford models
Checking a particular C-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.