Ford C-Max common problems by mileage
What UK MOT testers flag on the Ford C-Max at each age and mileage, compared with all cars.
In 117,578 UK MOT tests of the Ford C-Max in 2023, the problem that most sets it apart from other cars is steering rack (gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt): recorded on 4.1% of tests of 2008–2010 cars at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km), 20× the rate for all cars of that age and mileage. Other stand-out issues: tyre pressure monitoring system (malfunctioning or obviously inoperative) (4.1×); exhaust system (mounting defective) (3.1×); wipers (does not clear the windscreen effectively) (3.3×). The most common reasons a Ford C-Max fails its MOT are brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick); wipers (does not clear the windscreen effectively); position lamp (not working).
Last updated: · Source: DVSA anonymised MOT data 2023
What stands out on the Ford C-Max
Parts that MOT testers flag clearly more often on the Ford C-Max than on all cars of the same age at the same mileage (at least 1.5× the rate and 3% of tests).
| Issue | Type | First used | Mileage | Share of tests | All cars this age | Ratio | Tests |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steering rack: gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt | MOT fail | 2008–2010 | 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) | 4.1% | 0.2% | 20× | 1,938 |
| Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative | MOT fail | 2014–2016 | 100k–120k mi (161k–193k km) | 4.1% | 1% | 4.1× | 1,435 |
| Exhaust system: mounting defective | Advisory | 2008–2010 | 80k–100k mi (129k–161k km) | 5.2% | 1.7% | 3.1× | 6,442 |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively | MOT fail | 2018–2020 | 0k–20k mi (0k–32k km) | 5.9% | 1.8% | 3.3× | 2,762 |
| Pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement | Advisory | 2008–2010 | 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) | 18% | 4.2% | 4.2× | 443 |
| Suspension arm: corroded but not seriously weakened | Advisory | 2006–2008 | 80k–100k mi (129k–161k km) | 5.8% | 2.3% | 2.5× | 4,446 |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick | MOT fail | 2017–2019 | 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) | 3.1% | 1.4% | 2.2× | 7,037 |
| Individual direction indicators: slightly discoloured | Advisory | 2009–2011 | 80k–100k mi (129k–161k km) | 3.9% | 1.8% | 2.2× | 6,323 |
Ford C-Max by mileage (2014–2016 cars)
The most-tested first-use years. For each mileage band: how many MOT tests, the most common item, and the item that stands out most against other cars.
| Mileage | Tests | Most common | Stands out |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0k–20k mi (0k–32k km) | 978 | Tyres (condition): slightly damaged/cracking or perishing (11%) | Brake pads: wearing thin (4.9%, 2.5×) |
| 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) | 6,994 | Brake pads: wearing thin (14%) | Brake pads: wearing thin (14%, 1.9×) |
| 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) | 11,671 | Tyres (tread depth): worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (18%) | Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick (3.1%, 1.6×) |
| 60k–80k mi (97k–129k km) | 8,943 | Tyres (tread depth): worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (21%) | — |
| 80k–100k mi (129k–161k km) | 4,194 | Tyres (tread depth): worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (24%) | Position lamp: not working (3.6%, 1.8×) |
| 100k–120k mi (161k–193k km) | 1,435 | Tyres (tread depth): worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (25%) | Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative (4.1%, 4.1×) |
| 120k–140k mi (193k–225k km) | 443 | Tyres (tread depth): worn close to legal limit/worn on edge (27%) | Position lamp: not working (7.7%, 2.6×) |
Ford C-Max by first-use year
| First used | Tests | Biggest stand-out issue |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 349 | Pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement at 60k–80k mi (97k–129k km) (2.4×) |
| 2007 | 5,741 | Pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) (2.6×) |
| 2008 | 12,253 | Pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (4.3×) |
| 2009 | 6,004 | Steering rack: gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) (20×) |
| 2010 | 6,457 | Pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (2.3×) |
| 2011 | 10,842 | Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened at 160k+ mi (257k+ km) (2.5×) |
| 2012 | 11,224 | Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened at 160k+ mi (257k+ km) (2.7×) |
| 2013 | 13,993 | Pins and bushes: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement at 140k–160k mi (225k–257k km) (2.1×) |
| 2014 | 12,829 | Brake pads: wearing thin at 0k–20k mi (0k–32k km) (2.9×) |
| 2015 | 11,463 | Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative at 100k–120k mi (161k–193k km) (4.1×) |
| 2016 | 10,645 | Position lamp: not working at 100k–120k mi (161k–193k km) (2×) |
| 2017 | 8,092 | Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively at 80k–100k mi (129k–161k km) (2.3×) |
| 2018 | 4,902 | Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick at 20k–40k mi (32k–64k km) (2.2×) |
| 2019 | 2,721 | Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively at 0k–20k mi (0k–32k km) (3.3×) |
How these numbers are made
From the DVSA anonymised MOT data for 2023: every normal MOT test of a car in Great Britain, with its mileage and every advisory and failure item. For each first-use year (pooled with the years either side) and 20,000-mile band we count the share of tests where a part was recorded, and compare it with the same share for every car of that age at that mileage. A cell is shown only with 300 or more tests. Advisories are tester notes, not failures. Figures describe UK-market cars; engines and equipment can differ in other countries.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (DVSA anonymised MOT data, 2023).
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the Ford C-Max?
In 117,578 UK MOT tests of the Ford C-Max in 2023, the problem that most sets it apart from other cars is steering rack (gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt): recorded on 4.1% of tests of 2008–2010 cars at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km), 20× the rate for all cars of that age and mileage. Other stand-out issues: tyre pressure monitoring system (malfunctioning or obviously inoperative) (4.1×); exhaust system (mounting defective) (3.1×); wipers (does not clear the windscreen effectively) (3.3×). The most common reasons a Ford C-Max fails its MOT are brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick); wipers (does not clear the windscreen effectively); position lamp (not working).
Why do Ford C-Maxs fail the MOT?
Across 117,578 MOT tests in 2023, the most common failure items on the Ford C-Max were brake pads (less than 1.5 mm thick) (3.5% of tests); wipers (does not clear the windscreen effectively) (3.2% of tests); position lamp (not working) (6.8% of tests).
At what mileage do Ford C-Max problems start?
The clearest Ford C-Max-specific issue, steering rack (gaiter missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt), peaks against other cars at 40k–60k mi (64k–97k km) on 2008–2010 cars (4.1% of tests vs 0.2% for all cars that age).
Where does this Ford C-Max data come from?
From the UK government's anonymised MOT test data (DVSA, 2023, Open Government Licence v3.0): 117,578 tests of the Ford C-Max. VinSnap shows the same numbers for your own car's age and mileage in the app.