Does the Ford B-MAX fail the MOT on steering more than it should?
The Ford B-MAX records 1.00 steering failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 1.65 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−0.65, 95% interval −0.69 to −0.60). It ranks 318 of 640 models on steering (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on steering · check a Ford B-MAX by registration
What exactly fails on steering?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Ford B-MAX is “A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play”, recorded 2,660 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play | 2,660 | 0.82 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 308 | 0.09 |
| Steering rack gaiter or ball joint dust cover damaged or deteriorated | 118 | 0.04 |
| A steering ball joint worn to the extent there is a serious risk of detachment | 72 | 0.02 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 325,411 (initial tests) · Method: failure items (major and minor) grouped by DVSA's defect tree; wordings with 30+ items · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
If a Ford B-MAX gets a steering advisory, how often does it fail next time?
12.7% of Ford B-MAX MOTs with a steering advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 6,323 miles later (2,460 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 2,460 (advisories followed) · Method: the same vehicles followed to their next ordinary MOT · Updated: 30 Sep 2026 · Release: dvsa-2024-v2 · CSV
Other pages for this model
Ford B-MAX 2012 · Ford B-MAX 2013 · Ford B-MAX 2014 · Ford B-MAX 2015 · Ford B-MAX 2016 · Ford B-MAX 2017 · Ford B-MAX 2018 · Ford B-MAX in Norway · Ford B-MAX in Finland · Ford B-MAX in the Netherlands · Ford B-MAX by postcode area · Ford B-MAX body, chassis and structure failures · Ford B-MAX brakes failures · Ford B-MAX vehicle identification failures · Ford B-MAX lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Ford B-MAX noise, emissions and leaks failures · Ford B-MAX road wheels failures · Ford B-MAX seat belts and airbags failures · Ford B-MAX suspension failures · Ford B-MAX tyres failures · Ford B-MAX visibility failures