2025 MOT results
Ford B-Max common problems
The most common reason a Ford B-Max fails its MOT is a brake light out, on 27.4% of its 17,232 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 3 faults stand out: a brake light out at 27.4% of failures against 6.1% expected; a worn steering or suspension joint at 12.2% of failures against 6.0% expected; a tyre pressure warning at 6.2% of failures against 3.1% expected.
- Tests in 2025 53,643 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 32.1% 17,232 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 6.7% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 52.4% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Ford B-Max MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Ford B-Max tests with that defect. Where we can compare it with cars of the same registration years, the marker shows what an average car of those ages records (12 of the 12 items below).
Most common reasons for failure
A test can fail for more than one defect, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Defect | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 27.4% |
| Coil spring: fractured or broken Suspension | 12.9% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn Suspension | 12.2% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 8.1% |
| Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative Tyres | 6.2% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 6.0% |
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 5.9% |
| Headlamp: not working on dipped beam Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 5.0% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 4.1% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.1% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 4.1% |
| Headlamp aim: projected beam image is obviously incorrect Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 3.8% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
-
Brake light out
27.4% of failures 6.1% expected 4.5 times as often
A brake light not working, from a bulb, a poor earth, or the switch on the pedal.
Reverse up to a wall or window at dusk and press the pedal to see all three lamps light.
-
Broken coil spring
12.9% of failures 10.8% expected somewhat more often
A broken suspension spring, which usually snaps in the bottom coil and often fails on both sides within a year.
Look at each corner for a sagging ride height, and listen for a knock over speed bumps.
-
Worn steering or suspension joint
12.2% of failures 6.0% expected 2 times as often
Play in a steering or suspension joint, where a worn ball and socket lets the wheel move where it should not.
A knock at low speed over rough ground, or vague steering, is the usual warning.
-
Wiper blades that do not clear the screen
8.1% of failures 5.5% expected 1.5 times as often
Wiper blades that leave the windscreen smeared or streaked across the area the driver looks through.
Look for split or hardened rubber, and lift each blade to see whether it still sits flat.
-
Tyre pressure warning
6.2% of failures 3.1% expected 2 times as often
The pressure monitoring system is not working, which fails the test on cars first used from 2012.
A warning light that stays on after the tyres are set correctly usually means a sensor has died.
-
Tyre worn below the legal limit
6.0% of failures 8.5% expected somewhat less often
A tyre worn past the 1.6mm legal minimum across the middle three quarters of the tread.
A 20p coin in the main grooves: if the outer band of the coin is visible, the tyre is close to the limit.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Ford B-Max, on 49.6% of failed tests. That is also where it differs most from cars of the same registration years, which record 34.4%.
Failure categories
DVSA's own sections of the test. The marker is what cars of the same registration years record.
| Defect category | Share of failed tests |
|---|---|
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 49.6% |
| Suspension | 30.2% |
| Tyres | 22.7% |
| Visibility | 14.2% |
| Brakes | 11.0% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 8.6% |
| Steering | 5.0% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 4.3% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
52.4% of Ford B-Max tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Ford B-Maxes, these are the items to ask about on a car you are viewing, because they are what the last tester expected to go next.
Most common advisories
Share of all tests, passes included.
| Advisory | Share of tests |
|---|---|
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit or worn on edge Tyres | 19.3% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 11.2% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 7.9% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 7.1% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 4.8% |
| Seat belts: webbing slightly damaged or frayed Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 4.1% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 3.1% |
| Suspension arms: ball joint has slight play Suspension | 3.1% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 3.0% |
| Axles: swivel pin or bush slightly worn Suspension | 2.9% |
| Shock absorbers: light misting of oil Suspension | 2.8% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 2.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
Ford B-Max problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Ford B-Max?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Stop lamp: not working” is the most common: it appears on 27.4% of failed Ford B-Max tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 49.6% of failed tests.
How often does a Ford B-Max fail its MOT?
32.1% of Ford B-Max tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 53,643 tests of cars aged three and over. Allowing for the age and mileage of the cars tested, that gives it a UK Motoring Reliability Score of 46 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Ford B-Max than on other cars?
Yes. “Stop lamp: not working” appears on 27.4% of its failures against 6.1% for cars of the same age, and “Suspension arms: ball joint excessively worn” appears on 12.2% of its failures against 6.0% for cars of the same age. Where an item is missing from the national figures for a year, we use the smallest share those figures show, so the comparison never overstates the difference.
Are these the same as breakdowns or known faults?
No. These are the items a tester recorded at the MOT, which covers condition and safety: lamps, brakes, tyres, suspension, corrosion and emissions. A gearbox that is unpleasant, an infotainment screen that has died, or a car that will not start on a cold morning are not part of the test, so they are not in these figures.
Where do the figures come from?
Every normal MOT test of a Ford B-Max aged three and over in Great Britain in 2025, from DVSA's anonymised MOT results. Retests are excluded, and the same fault on more than one wheel counts once.
Data stories to read next
Data sources and methodology
| Figures | Source | Period | Records | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOT defects and advisories | Anonymised MOT tests and results Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency Derived statistics UK Motoring | 2025 | 53,643 MOT tests | 19 September 2026 |
- Shares for defects are of failed tests; shares for advisories are of all tests. A test can carry several defects, so shares add to more than 100%.
- The expected share is what an average car of the same registration years records, weighted by where this model’s failures fall. Where an item is outside the national figures for a year, the smallest share those figures show is used in its place, which is an upper bound, so the comparison never overstates a model’s problems. No expectation is published where less than 80% of the model’s failures can be compared.
- Great Britain only: DVSA does not run MOT testing in Northern Ireland. Cars under three years old are not tested.
- The descriptions of what each part does are general and the same on every model. Every figure comes from the MOT data.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.