MOT cost .
Ford Focus C Max
MOT 2023
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Ford

Focus C Max

25,159 MOT tests analysed. runs below the UK fleet average — here's where Focus C Maxs pass, fail, and end up on the retest sheet.

That's 12.2 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

63.5%

Pass-after-fix

6.2%

Fail

29.5%

Avg miles

108,789

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

The picture

Focus C-Max: a below-average pass rate worth digging into

Across 25,159 MOT tests, the Focus C-Max returns 63.5% first-time pass — well below the UK fleet average. The single most-logged Major fail is a defective headlamp lens. Headlamp aim out of spec and a number-plate lamp out round out the top three. Average tested mileage sits at 108,789, 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

    Headlamp reflector or lens slightly defective

    2,637 occurrences · 10.5% of tests

  2. 02

    The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements

    2,333 occurrences · 9.3% of tests

  3. 03

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

    1,641 occurrences · 6.5% of tests

  4. 04

    A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn

    1,240 occurrences · 4.9% of tests

  5. 05

    A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened

    1,139 occurrences · 4.5% of tests

  6. 06

    A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot severely deteriorated

    1,007 occurrences · 4.0% of tests

  7. 07

    Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements

    953 occurrences · 3.8% of tests

  8. 08

    A tyre cords visible or damaged

    912 occurrences · 3.6% of tests

  9. 09

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

    863 occurrences · 3.4% of tests

  10. 10

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

    850 occurrences · 3.4% 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 5 failures

£188–£675

If every one of this Focus 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 →

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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

Headlight restoration kit

Yellowed lenses fail the light-output test. A restoration kit lifts the haze in an afternoon for £20.

Search Amazon UK

Item 02 · 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

Buying or keeping a Focus 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 Focus 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.