2025 MOT results
Ford Grand C-Max common problems
The most common reason a Ford Grand C-Max fails its MOT is worn brake pads, on 12.5% of its 12,019 failed tests in 2025. Against other cars of the same age, 5 faults stand out, the widest gaps being: a tyre pressure warning at 7.4% of failures against 2.9% expected; a split joint boot at 10.0% of failures against 4.1% expected; a brake light out at 12.1% of failures against 5.9% expected.
- Tests in 2025 34,571 Cars aged three and over
- Failed first time 34.8% 12,019 tests
- Found a dangerous defect 12.0% Unsafe to drive away
- Ended with an advisory 62.2% A problem to watch, not a failure
What fails a Ford Grand C-Max MOT
Each bar is the share of failed Ford Grand C-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 |
|---|---|
| Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick Brakes | 12.5% |
| Stop lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 12.1% |
| Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt Body, chassis, structure | 10.0% |
| Tyres: tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm Tyres | 9.7% |
| Tyres: ply or cords exposed Tyres | 9.4% |
| Position lamp: not working Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 9.0% |
| Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative Tyres | 7.4% |
| Wipers: does not clear the windscreen effectively Visibility | 6.3% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush excessively worn Suspension | 6.2% |
| Tyres: cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords Tyres | 5.4% |
| Malfunction indicator lamp: inoperative or indicates a malfunction Noise, emissions and leaks | 5.2% |
| Registration plate lamp(s): inoperative in the case of a single lamp or all lamps Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
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Worn brake pads
12.5% of failures 7.0% expected 1.8 times as often
Friction material worn under 1.5mm, thinner than the point most manufacturers call the limit.
Look through the wheel spokes at the pad against the disc; wear indicators squeal before they get this far.
-
Brake light out
12.1% of failures 5.9% expected 2.1 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.
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Split joint boot
10.0% of failures 4.1% expected 2.4 times as often
A split rubber boot on a joint or driveshaft. The joint may still be sound, but dirt and water get in once the boot is open.
Turn the wheels to full lock and look behind them for greasy splits in the rubber concertina.
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Tyre worn below the legal limit
9.7% of failures 8.6% expected about as expected
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.
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Tyre worn through to the cords
9.4% of failures 4.9% expected 1.9 times as often
The tyre is worn or damaged far enough to expose the cords underneath, which is a dangerous defect.
Run a hand round the inner and outer walls of each tyre, which is where kerbing shows.
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Sidelight out
9.0% of failures 7.0% expected somewhat more often
A sidelight, also called a position lamp, not working. It marks the width of the car at night.
Walk round the car with the lights on and the hazards going; these are the cheapest failures to avoid.
Which parts of the car fail
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails a Ford Grand C-Max, on 42.9% of failed tests. The widest gap against cars of the same registration years is tyres, on 32.6% against 23.9% expected.
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 | 42.9% |
| Tyres | 32.6% |
| Brakes | 22.9% |
| Suspension | 17.0% |
| Body, chassis, structure | 13.7% |
| Visibility | 13.3% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 10.7% |
| Seat belts and supplementary restraint systems | 3.0% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What testers warn about
62.2% of Ford Grand C-Max tests ended with at least one advisory: a fault the tester found that did not fail the test. On Ford Grand C-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 | 28.3% |
| Brake pads: wearing thin Brakes | 14.9% |
| Suspension arms: pin or bush worn but not resulting in excessive movement Suspension | 12.2% |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened Brakes | 9.9% |
| Tyres: slightly damaged or cracking or perishing Tyres | 8.4% |
| Child seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt Non-component advisories | 5.2% |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread Identification of the vehicle | 4.6% |
| Engine oil leak, but not excessive Noise, emissions and leaks | 4.2% |
| Sub-frame: corroded but not seriously weakened Suspension | 3.5% |
| Brake discs: worn, but not excessively Brakes | 3.3% |
| Coil spring: corroded Suspension | 3.1% |
| Play in steering rack inner joint(s) Non-component advisories | 2.5% |
Source:DVSA,UK Motoring analysis 2025 Updated
What changes as a Ford Grand C-Max gets older
A 2018 Ford Grand C-Max failed 28.3% of its MOT tests in 2025; a 2011 one failed 42.4%. What fails changes as much as how often, and these are the two years themselves rather than an average across them.
2018 Ford Grand C-Max 28.3% failed, from 2,720 tests
- Worn brake pads 15.3%
- Engine management light on 15.2%
- Wiper blades that do not clear the screen 12.5%
- Tyre worn through to the cords 11.4%
- Brake light out 10.0%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 8.3%
2011 Ford Grand C-Max 42.4% failed, from 4,793 tests
- Split joint boot 20.4%
- Worn brake pads 11.6%
- Brake light out 10.4%
- Tyre worn through to the cords 9.5%
- Worn suspension bushes 9.4%
- Tyre worn below the legal limit 9.1%
Shares are of each year's failed tests. Every MOT a particular car has had, with the defects and advisories written at each test, is on GOV.UK's MOT history service from the registration, free.
Ford Grand C-Max problems: common questions
What is the most common problem with a Ford Grand C-Max?
Of the faults that fail an MOT, “Brake pads: less than 1.5 mm thick” is the most common: it appears on 12.5% of failed Ford Grand C-Max tests. Across categories, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment is the area that most often fails one, on 42.9% of failed tests.
How often does a Ford Grand C-Max fail its MOT?
34.8% of Ford Grand C-Max tests in 2025 were not passed first time, from 34,571 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 39 out of 100, where 50 is as expected.
Does anything fail more often on a Ford Grand C-Max than on other cars?
Yes. “Tyre pressure monitoring system: malfunctioning or obviously inoperative” appears on 7.4% of its failures against 2.9% for cars of the same age, and “Drive shafts: constant velocity boot split or insecure, no longer prevents the ingress of dirt” appears on 10.0% of its failures against 4.1% 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 Grand C-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 | 34,571 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.