Does the Ford C-MAX fail the MOT on suspension more than it should?
The Ford C-MAX records 10.23 suspension failure items per 100 initial MOT tests (2019–2024), against 14.41 expected for a car of the same age mix: less than expected for its class and age (−4.18, 95% interval −4.27 to −4.09). It ranks 463 of 701 models on suspension (1 = most failures above expected).
Data release dvsa-2024-v2 (24 Sep 2026) · page updated 30 Sep 2026 · all models on suspension · check a Ford C-MAX by registration
What exactly fails on suspension?
The most frequent DVSA defect wording in this group on the Ford C-MAX is “A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn”, recorded 32,830 times in 2019–2024.
| DVSA defect wording | Items | Per 100 tests |
|---|---|---|
| A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn | 32,830 | 4.60 |
| A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened | 12,248 | 1.72 |
| A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc | 5,466 | 0.77 |
| A suspension component fractured or likely to fail | 4,105 | 0.58 |
| A suspension joint dust cover severely deteriorated | 4,101 | 0.58 |
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 712,923 (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 C-MAX gets a suspension advisory, how often does it fail next time?
16.9% of Ford C-MAX MOTs with a suspension advisory were followed by a fail in the same group at the next MOT, typically 12 months and 6,134 miles later (78,654 advisories followed).
Source: DVSA MOT bulk data (OGL v3.0) · Window: 2019–2024 · n = 78,654 (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 C-MAX 2005 · Ford C-MAX 2006 · Ford C-MAX 2007 · Ford C-MAX 2008 · Ford C-MAX 2009 · Ford C-MAX 2010 · Ford C-MAX 2011 · Ford C-MAX 2012 · Ford C-MAX 2013 · Ford C-MAX 2014 · Ford C-MAX 2015 · Ford C-MAX 2016 · Ford C-MAX 2017 · Ford C-MAX 2018 · Ford C-MAX 2019 · Ford C-MAX in Norway · Ford C-MAX in Finland · Ford C-MAX in the Netherlands · Ford C-MAX by postcode area · Ford C-MAX body, chassis and structure failures · Ford C-MAX brakes failures · Ford C-MAX vehicle identification failures · Ford C-MAX lamps, reflectors and electrics failures · Ford C-MAX noise, emissions and leaks failures · Ford C-MAX road wheels failures · Ford C-MAX seat belts and airbags failures · Ford C-MAX steering failures · Ford C-MAX tyres failures · Ford C-MAX visibility failures