Pass rate, every year
131,861 tests across 10 model years, 2010–2019.
−1.9 pts vs the national average
Pass rate, every year
131,861 tests across 10 model years, 2010–2019.
−1.9 pts vs the national average
Best year to buy
2019 84.4%
The strongest of the 10 years on record. See the 2019 page →
Worst year to buy
2011 74.4%
10.0 points below the 2019 peak. See the 2011 page →
The Ford Grand C-Max MOT pass rate is 79.1%, −1.9 percentage points below the UK average. That is 131,861 DVSA MOT tests recorded between 2010 and 2019. This page lists the most common Ford Grand C-Max MOT failures by category, names the best and worst model years, and finishes with a pre-MOT checklist you can run at home.
MOT pass rates are national — type your postcode to see how Ford Grand C-Max MOT pass rates does in your corner of the country.
The Ford Grand C-Max passed on its first attempt in 74.0%, and its overall record sits −1.9 percentage points below the national average for all cars. These figures come from every recorded DVSA MOT test for the Ford Grand C-Max in the 2023–2025 data: 131,861 tests across 10 model years (2010–2019). A test still carries exactly one pass or fail verdict.
| Measure | This model |
|---|---|
| Tests analysed | 131,861 |
| Overall pass rate | 79.1% |
| Passed on first attempt | 74.0% |
| Average mileage at test | 79,035 mi |
| Model years covered | 2010–2019 (10 years) |
| Versus UK national average | −1.9 pts below |
Figures are computed from every recorded DVSA test for this model in the 2023–2025 data.
Every MOT failure a tester records belongs to one inspection section of the DVSA manual. For the Ford Grand 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.
| Inspection section | Share of failures |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 30% |
| Tyres | 20% |
| Visibility | 17% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 17% |
| Brakes | 9% |
| Suspension | 5% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 1% |
Shares are over the Ford Grand C-Max's recorded defect strings, merged across its year pages.
Around 30% of the recorded Ford Grand C-Max failures fall in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" (4.6%), "Stop lamp not working" (2.1%), "Position lamp not working" (0.7%) among the Ford Grand C-Max's lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment faults.
Around 20% of the recorded Ford Grand C-Max failures fall in the Tyres section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm" (1.7%), "Has ply or cords exposed" (1.5%), "Tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative" (1.0%) among the Ford Grand C-Max's tyres faults.
Around 17% of the recorded Ford Grand C-Max failures fall in the Visibility section of the MOT inspection manual. Testers recorded "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" (2.8%), "Wipers does not clear the windscreen effectively" (1.1%), "Wipers blade defective" (0.5%) among the Ford Grand C-Max's visibility faults.
The descriptions below are the exact DVSA failure strings testers recorded most often for the Ford Grand C-Max, each with how many of the model's 131,861 tests it was noted on.
6 failure items are recorded at least 1.5 times the UK rate on this model. 2 have a part guide — what to buy, which brands, and what the tester looks at next time.
| Failure item | This model | UK | × UK | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TPMS warning light on | 1.5% | 0.3% | 5.0× | £45–£95 |
| Child seat fitted, preventing full inspection | 5.7% | 2.1% | 2.7× | £20–£80 |
| Tyre cords exposed | 1.8% | 0.8% | 2.3× | £45–£95 |
| Brake pads under 1.5 mm | 16.9% | 8.6% | 2.0× | £18–£45 part £25–£40 |
| Tread depth below 1.6 mm | 26.2% | 17.4% | 1.5× | £45–£95 part £55–£85 |
| Tread pattern not visible | 3.4% | 2.3% | 1.5× | £45–£95 |
Rates are a share of this model's own tests (131,861 for the top row), so a big seller cannot outrank a rare one. The UK figure is the same item's share of every test in our data. Items Grand C-Max records at or below the UK rate are not listed — this is where it is unusual, not a full inventory. All failure items · parts and costs
The strongest Ford Grand C-Max model year on record is 2019 (84.4% across 3,732 tests), and the weakest is 2011 (74.4%). The gap between them is 10.0 points. Years with fewer than 50 recorded tests are excluded, so these are the years with enough MOT history to mean something.
Ford Grand 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.
| Year | Tests | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 Grand C-Max | 3,732 | 84.4% |
| 2018 Grand C-Max | 9,541 | 83.3% |
| 2017 Grand C-Max | 13,715 | 83.4% |
| 2016 Grand C-Max | 23,647 | 81.1% |
| 2015 Grand C-Max | 13,786 | 80.0% |
| 2014 Grand C-Max | 15,354 | 77.8% |
| 2013 Grand C-Max | 16,968 | 77.1% |
| 2012 Grand C-Max | 14,379 | 76.7% |
| 2011 Grand C-Max | 20,289 | 74.4% |
| 2010 Grand C-Max | 450 | 76.7% |
Newest model year first. Only years with at least 50 recorded tests are listed.
These checks follow this Ford Grand C-Max's own most-recorded failure strings, starting with what a tester is most likely to flag on a Ford Grand 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 Grand C-Max. A check that finds nothing means the item is likely fine, not that the test is guaranteed.
79.1% of the 131,861 recorded Ford Grand C-Max MOT tests ended in a pass, −1.9 percentage points below the national average. 74.0% of those passed on the first attempt.
2019 is the strongest Ford Grand C-Max year on record at 84.4%, while 2011 is the weakest at 74.4%. The year-by-year table below lists every model year with at least 50 recorded tests.
The most recorded Ford Grand C-Max failures are "Registration plate lamp(s) inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources" and "Windscreen damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view" — together around 7% of tests, mostly in the Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment section.