MOT cost .
Ford C Max
MOT 2023
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Ford

C Max

144,438 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where C Maxs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 0.5 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,988 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.

Pass

75.2%

Pass-after-fix

5.2%

Fail

19.2%

Avg miles

76,224

Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%

The picture

C-Max: middle-of-the-pack on first-time pass

Across 144,438 MOT tests, the C-Max returns 75.2% first-time pass — roughly in line with the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is brake pads worn below 1.5 mm. Tyre tread under the limit and a split CV-joint boot round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 76,224, 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.

  1. 01

    a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm

    4,532 occurrences · 3.1% of tests

  2. 02

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    4,441 occurrences · 3.1% of tests

  3. 03

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

    3,793 occurrences · 2.6% of tests

  4. 04

    A tyre cords visible or damaged

    3,446 occurrences · 2.4% of tests

  5. 05

    Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view

    3,429 occurrences · 2.4% of tests

  6. 06

    A rear registration plate lamp or light source missing or inoperative in the case of multiple lamps or light sources

    3,306 occurrences · 2.3% of tests

  7. 07

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    3,209 occurrences · 2.2% of tests

  8. 08

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc

    2,521 occurrences · 1.7% of tests

  9. 09

    Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen

    2,291 occurrences · 1.6% of tests

  10. 10

    A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning

    2,221 occurrences · 1.5% 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 3 failures

£200–£350

If every one of this C 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 →

Try the calculator

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

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

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

Buying or keeping a C 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 C 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.