The picture
B-Max: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass
Across 66,016 MOT tests, the B-Max returns 76.4% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a stop-lamp out. A broken or weak spring and worn suspension bushes round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 50,615, which is the lens to read those failure rankings through. If you own one and the next test is close, the ranked list below is a sensible pre-test checklist.
Top ten reasons for rejection.
- 01
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
2,674 occurrences · 4.1% of tests
- 02
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
1,990 occurrences · 3.0% of tests
- 03
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
1,582 occurrences · 2.4% of tests
- 04
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
1,378 occurrences · 2.1% of tests
- 05
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
1,159 occurrences · 1.8% of tests
- 06
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
1,154 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
- 07
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
1,121 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
- 08
Wiper blade defective
925 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
- 09
A tyre cords visible or damaged
775 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
- 10
A tyre seriously damaged
697 occurrences · 1.1% of tests
Counts cover Major and Dangerous defects logged at test. Advisory items excluded so this shows why a car was rejected, not just what the tester flagged in passing.
Worst-case fix budget · top 5 failures
£308–£770
If every one of this B Max's most-logged Major fails hit at the same MOT, that's the real-world UK garage range. Reality is usually one or two items, not all of them. Open the estimator →
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Build your own retest budget.
Tools that pre-empt a retest.
Picked against this car's top failure patterns. Affiliate links to Amazon UK — we earn a small cut at no cost to you. Disclosed up-front, doesn't shape the data.
Item 01 · Amazon UK
H7 / W21W bulb pack
A spare-bulb kit lives in the boot. Test morning is not the time to find your stop-lamp's gone.
Search Amazon UK
Item 02 · Amazon UK
Digital tyre-tread depth gauge
Five quid for a gauge beats £150 for a retest. UK MOT minimum is 1.6mm — most testers fail anything below 2mm to be safe.
Search Amazon UK
Item 03 · Amazon UK
Brake pad measurement gauge
Testers fail pads under 1.5mm. A wear gauge tells you if you've got two months left or two weeks.
Search Amazon UK
Buying or keeping a B Max?
Use the failure ranking as a pre-test checklist or a haggling lever. Treat the headline pass rate as a fleet-wide trend, not a guarantee on any individual car.
If you own a B Max and your last MOT looked nothing like the ranked failures above, that's normal — individual cars vary widely. The ranking shows the patterns testers flag most often across the country.