How reliable is the Ford Focus C-Max compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Ford Focus C-Max, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 52.5% across 10,593 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Ford Focus C-Max?

The item recorded most often is "The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements", which appears in 27.8% of failed Ford Focus C-Max tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Ford Focus C-Max?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 35.8% of all Ford Focus C-Max tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Ford Focus C-Max usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 108,723 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Are most Ford Focus C-Max models petrol or diesel?

Of the Ford Focus C-Max cars tested, 75% are petrol, 25% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Ford Focus C-Max MOT pass rate & common failures

From 10,593 recorded MOT tests of the Ford Focus C-Max, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 10,593 MOT tests, 52.5% of Ford Focus C-Max tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Ford Focus C-Max fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements, which appears in 27.8% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 108,723 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

52.5%unadjusted, not comparable10,593 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the Focus C-Max. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 10,593 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Ford Focus C-Max tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements27.8%
1,157 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn17.5%
731 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc12.9%
537 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
4.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened12.7%
531 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
5.A tyre cords visible or damaged12.7%
530 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
6.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning12.6%
525 occurrencesLamp not working explained
7.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements11.7%
486 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
8.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm10.0%
416 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
9.Headlamp reflector or lens seriously defective or missing9.4%
390 occurrences
10.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc9.1%
380 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Ford Focus C-Max tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements35.8%
3,793 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn21.5%
2,277 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured21.3%
2,257 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened20.6%
2,186 testsRoad spring broken or fractured explained
5.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded17.7%
1,871 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
6.A suspension component excessively damaged or corroded17.5%
1,856 testsSuspension mounting corroded or insecure explained
7.A tyre seriously damaged15.4%
1,631 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
8.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm12.6%
1,330 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained

What gets tested

The Focus C-Max fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 108,723
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol74.9%
Diesel25.1%

Check a specific Ford Focus C-Max

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Ford models

Ford Fiesta — 67.1% adjusted
Ford Focus — 71.6% adjusted
Ford Kuga — 75.3% adjusted
Ford Transit — 68.0% adjusted
Ford Transit Custom — 77.3% unadjusted
Ford Mondeo — 76.0% adjusted
All Ford models

Common questions

How reliable is the Ford Focus C-Max compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Ford Focus C-Max, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 52.5% across 10,593 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Ford Focus C-Max?: The item recorded most often is "The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements", which appears in 27.8% of failed Ford Focus C-Max tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Ford Focus C-Max?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 35.8% of all Ford Focus C-Max tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Ford Focus C-Max usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 108,723 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Are most Ford Focus C-Max models petrol or diesel?: Of the Ford Focus C-Max cars tested, 75% are petrol, 25% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.