Ford C-Max MOT Pass Rate & Official DVSA Failure Statistics

Ford C-Max MOT History and Failure Rates vs UK National Average

The Ford C-Max passed on its first attempt in 75.3%, and its overall record sits −1.1 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Ford C-Max in the 2023–2025 data: 406,520 tests across 16 model years (2004–2019). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.

Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.

Most Common Ford C-Max MOT Problems by Failure Category

Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Ford C-Max, the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section leads the record — the breakdown below shows where the recorded failures cluster, then the exact strings behind the three biggest sections.

Shares are over the Ford C-Max's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.

Top Recorded Ford C-Max DVSA MOT Test Statistics & Defect Descriptions

The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Ford C-Max, each with how many of the model's 406,520 tests it was noted on.

• "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (Minor) — noted on about 11,219 Ford C-Max tests, 2.8% of the model's MOT record.
• "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (Minor) — noted on about 10,503 Ford C-Max tests, 2.6% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot severely deteriorated" (Minor) — noted on about 9,540 Ford C-Max tests, 2.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Joints constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt" (Major) — noted on about 5,591 Ford C-Max tests, 1.4% of the model's MOT record.
• "Brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick" (Major) — noted on about 5,292 Ford C-Max tests, 1.3% of the model's MOT record.
• "Stop lamp not working" (Rectified) — noted on about 5,022 Ford C-Max tests, 1.2% of the model's MOT record.

Best and Worst Ford C-Max Model Years by Pass Rate

The strongest Ford C-Max model year on record is 2019 (88.6% across 8,657 tests), and the weakest is 2004 (70.0%). The gap between them is 18.6 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.

Ford C-Max reliability is improving in the DVSA data — the pass rate moves about 1.3 points a year across the most recent model years shown above.

Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.

Pre-MOT Inspection Checklist for Ford C-Max Owners

These checks follow this Ford C-Max's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Ford C-Max.

• the lights — “registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources”

  Switch everything on and walk round the car: both headlamps on dip and main, every indicator, both brake lights, reverse, fog and the two number-plate lamps. A bulb is a few pounds and a five-minute job.

• the windscreen — “windscreen damaged”

  Check the driver’s side of the screen within the swept area for chips and cracks; anything larger than 10mm in the driver’s central view is a fail. Most chips can be resin-repaired for far less than a new screen.

• the brakes — “brake pads less than 1.5 mm thick”

  Look through the spokes of each wheel at the pad — less than 3mm of friction material, or a lip on the disc edge, is the usual failure. Check the handbrake holds on a slope with a few clicks, not at the top of its travel.

Derived from the DVSA failure strings testers recorded for the Ford C-Max. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.

Frequently Asked Questions: Ford C-Max MOT & Reliability