Is the Ford Grand C-Max reliable?

On MOT evidence the Ford Grand C-Max is below average. It passes 68.6% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 62% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.

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

The item recorded most often is "a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm", which appears in 18.2% of failed Ford Grand 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 Grand C-Max?

The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 39.4% of all Ford Grand 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 Grand C-Max usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 86,577 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.

Does a Ford Grand C-Max get harder to pass as it ages?

Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 73.3% of Ford Grand C-Max tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 63.8%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.

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

Of the Ford Grand C-Max cars tested, 73% are diesel, 27% are petrol. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Ford Grand C-Max MOT pass rate & common failures

From 34,572 recorded MOT tests of the Ford Grand C-Max, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

The Ford Grand C-Max passes 68.6% of MOT tests once results are adjusted for the age and mileage of the cars tested, against a national average of 72.3%. That is below average. Based on 34,572 tests. Its most commonly recorded failure is a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm, which appears in 18.2% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 86,577 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Pass rate, adjusted for age and mileage

68.6%national average72.3%unadjusted65.2%range covered62%

The Grand C-Max is 3.7 percentage points below the national pass rate once age and mileage are accounted for, which is below average. The unadjusted figure is 65.2%; the difference is what the age and mileage of this model’s fleet was hiding.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

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

1.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm18.2%
1,737 occurrencesBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements15.7%
1,492 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.A transmission shaft constant velocity joint boot missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc14.6%
1,389 occurrencesDriveshaft CV joint gaiter split or missing explained
4.A tyre cords visible or damaged14.4%
1,368 occurrencesTyre ply or cord exposed, or the casing separating explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn12.5%
1,191 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.Stop lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning10.4%
995 occurrencesStop lamp not working explained
7.A lamp missing, inoperative or in the case of a multiple light source more than 1/2 not functioning8.8%
835 occurrencesLamp not working explained
8.A tyre pressure monitoring system malfunctioning or obviously inoperative8.2%
778 occurrencesTyre pressure monitoring system inoperative explained
9.A tyre seriously damaged7.7%
729 occurrencesTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
10.Wiper blade missing or obviously not clearing the windscreen7.1%
680 occurrencesWiper or washer not working properly explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Ford Grand 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 requirements39.4%
13,610 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
2.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn20.5%
7,079 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
3.A brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm18.4%
6,369 testsBrake drum or shoe worn or contaminated explained
4.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured13.7%
4,735 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
5.A tyre seriously damaged11.8%
4,067 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
6.Child Seat fitted not allowing full inspection of adult belt6.3%
2,188 tests
7.Number plate inscription missing or illegible4.8%
1,662 testsRegistration plate missing, insecure or illegible explained
8.Brake disc or drum significantly and obviously worn4.7%
1,619 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained

How wear changes the picture

Pass rate by vehicle age

6–8 yrs73%

9–11 yrs66%

12–14 yrs60%

15+ yrs64%

Bands holding too few tests to be meaningful are omitted rather than shown as a rate.

What gets tested

The Grand C-Max fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 86,577
Fuel mix of tested cars: Diesel73.4%
Petrol26.6%

Trim names grouped into this model (3)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

GRAND C MAX TITANIUM
GRAND C-MAX TDCI
GRAND C-MAX TITANIUM

Check a specific Ford Grand 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

Similar test volumes

Compare against other makes

Renault Scenic — 61.8% adjusted, ranked 248
Volkswagen Sharan — 74.2% adjusted, ranked 119
Porsche Macan — 89.5% adjusted, ranked 2
BMW Z4 — 80.1% adjusted, ranked 53

Common questions

Is the Ford Grand C-Max reliable?: On MOT evidence the Ford Grand C-Max is below average. It passes 68.6% of tests once age and mileage are accounted for, against a national average of 72.3%. That figure covers 62% of the national age and mileage range, which is enough to quote but not to rank. This measures how often the car meets the MOT standard, not how often it breaks down or what a repair costs.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Ford Grand C-Max?: The item recorded most often is "a brake lining or pad worn below 1.5mm", which appears in 18.2% of failed Ford Grand 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 Grand C-Max?: The most common advisory is "Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements", noted on 39.4% of all Ford Grand 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 Grand C-Max usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 86,577 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.
Does a Ford Grand C-Max get harder to pass as it ages?: Yes. At 6 to 8 years old, 73.3% of Ford Grand C-Max tests pass. By fifteen years or more, that falls to 63.8%. Nearly every model follows this pattern, which is why comparing raw pass rates between models is misleading unless age is accounted for.
Are most Ford Grand C-Max models petrol or diesel?: Of the Ford Grand C-Max cars tested, 73% are diesel, 27% are petrol. 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. The adjusted rate is directly standardised across twenty-five age and mileage bands and reweighted onto the national distribution, so this model is compared against cars that have lived a similar life rather than against a younger or lighter-used fleet.

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.