Ford
B Max
88,923 MOT tests analysed. lands in the middle of the pack — here's where B Maxs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.
That's 1.9 points below the UK fleet average across our 1,984 tracked models — buyers should expect more first-time fails than the typical UK car.
Pass
75.6%
Pass-after-fix
6.1%
Fail
17.9%
Avg miles
56,227
Pass + Pass-after-fix + Fail = 100%
Petrol cars first registered from January 2006 meet Euro 4 — compliant in London ULEZ, Birmingham CAZ, Bristol CAZ, and Glasgow LEZ.
The picture
Ford B Max: mixed MOT record across 66,016 tests
The Ford B-Max is a mini MPV (M-segment) manufactured by Ford Europe from 2012 to 2017. Built on the Ford global B platform, it was initially unveiled as a concept car at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, and was officially launched at the 2012 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
MOT data from 66,016 tests puts this car on a 76.4% first-time pass rate, roughly in line with the UK fleet average. Average mileage at test is 50,615 miles. The most common fail item is stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning, followed by fractured or weakened suspension spring.
Buyers weighing up a used B Max should treat the failure breakdown as a pre-purchase checklist. The pass rate is reasonable, but the gap between first attempt and a clean sheet narrows with age and mileage.
ABI Insurance Group
Group 8–15
Below the fleet average — generally reasonable to insure. Lower groups cost less to insure; UK fleet average is around Group 22.
Source: ABI Group Rating Panel · administered by Thatcham Research · groups cover standard variants; performance trims may sit higher. Browse all insurance groups →
8–15
out of 50
Top ten reasons for rejection.
Filter failures:
Hide categories
Tick a category to hide it from rankings sitewide. Saved in this browser only.
- 01
Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning
2,902 occurrences · 3.3% of tests
- 02
A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn
2,334 occurrences · 2.6% of tests
- 03
A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened
1,933 occurrences · 2.2% of tests
- 04
Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements
1,489 occurrences · 1.7% of tests
- 05
Windscreen or window damaged or seriously discoloured but not adversely affecting driver's view
1,394 occurrences · 1.6% of tests
- 06
Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen
1,271 occurrences · 1.4% of tests
- 07
a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm
1,196 occurrences · 1.3% of tests
- 08
Wiper blade defective
1,106 occurrences · 1.2% of tests
- 09
A tyre cords visible or damaged
876 occurrences · 1.0% of tests
- 10
A tyre seriously damaged
839 occurrences · 0.9% 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 4 failures
£228–£610
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 →
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
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
My Motor World · affiliate
Parts & supplies for this fix
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Summit
Summit ADRG-18 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£8.79
View at My Motor World →
Summit
Summit ADRG-10 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS
£9.89
View at My Motor World →
Summit
Summit ADRG-47 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass LHS
£9.89
View at My Motor World →
Summit
Summit ADRG-85 Ford Replacement Stick-On Tinted Mirror Glass RHS
£9.89
View at My Motor World →
Click Mechanic · affiliate
Book a mobile mechanic
Affiliate links — small commission, no extra cost to you.
Mobile mechanic · UK-wide
Book a mechanic at your door.
Fixed-price quotes upfront. No garage needed. Click Mechanic sends a vetted local mechanic to you — home, work, or roadside.
Owner reports · Honest John
What owners actually report.
Verbatim faults logged by owners on honestjohn.co.uk over recent years. We didn't summarise — these are the words people typed in.
Where it falls short
Owner reports (22 entries) flag recurring problems with gearbox/clutch, electrical faults, battery.
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.