Common problems
LDV Maxus common problems
What MOT testers find on the LDV Maxus: the parts that fail or get advisories most often at each age, against all cars of the same age. From 7,916 DVSA MOT tests taken 2022 to 2025.
MOT data updated
At 17 years, the most tested age
What stands out
- Brakes fails show up on 22.8 of every 100 MOTs of a LDV Maxus at 17 years old (n=2,278), against 12.3 for all cars of that age (n=4,040,458).
- Tyres fails are less common: 4.2 per 100 MOTs against 7.3 for all cars at the same age.
- The fail item testers record most often at 17 years: rear fog lamp: not working, on 6.5 per 100 MOTs (all cars 0.9).
- The most common advisory or minor defect: rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material, on 33.1 per 100 MOTs.
Problems by part at 17 years
How many of every 100 MOTs found a fail, or an advisory or minor defect, in each area. A test with faults in two areas counts in both.
| Area | Fails | All cars | Advisories | All cars |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lights and electrics | 23.7 | 21.0 | 18.5 | 16.9 |
| Brakes | 22.8 | 12.3 | 48.8 | 31.1 |
| Suspension | 17.1 | 17.2 | 31.9 | 34.7 |
| Body and structure | 11.2 | 8.3 | 16.9 | 13.9 |
| Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 10.5 | 7.1 | 10.3 | 6.0 |
| Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 5.6 | 6.5 | 17.1 | 13.2 |
| Seat belts and airbags | 4.4 | 2.5 | 5.5 | 1.2 |
| Tyres | 4.2 | 7.3 | 22.6 | 28.1 |
| Steering | 2.5 | 3.6 | 5.5 | 5.1 |
| Number plates and VIN | 0.8 | 0.6 | 6.5 | 5.2 |
| Road wheels | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 1.4 |
What testers fail most on the Maxus at 17 years
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | Typical repair (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear fog lamp: not working | Lights and electrics | 6.5 | 0.9 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
| Component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength | Suspension | 6.1 | 1.9 | |
| Rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded | Brakes | 6.1 | 1.9 | £137 to £392 per car (rough guide) |
| Side/position light not working | Lights and electrics | 5.8 | 5.8 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
| Brake light not working | Lights and electrics | 5.0 | 4.0 | £10 to £47 per lamp |
| Handbrake too weak | Brakes | 4.6 | 2.7 | |
| Wipers not clearing screen | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 4.5 | 2.8 | £15 to £30 per blade |
| Service brake performance: excessively binding | Brakes | 4.1 | 1.5 | £55 to £267 per wheel (rough guide) |
| Service brake imbalance: across an axle | Brakes | 3.8 | 0.6 | |
| Washers: provides insufficient washer liquid | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 3.4 | 2.4 | £2 to £14 per car (rough guide) |
Early warnings: advisories and minor defects at 17 years
Advisories and minor defects are recorded, but the car still passes. Across all cars, a part with an advisory or minor defect failed at the next MOT 5.5 times in 100 (n=88,666,940 pairs of consecutive MOTs), against 0.3 times in 100 when the same part had none (n=12,936,860,350).
| Item | Area | Per 100 MOTs | All cars | If it needs replacing (estimate) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material | Brakes | 33.1 | 10.5 | £137 to £392 per car (rough guide) |
| Engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive | Exhaust, emissions and leaks | 15.6 | 11.7 | |
| Wheel bearings: has slight play | Suspension | 12.2 | 1.1 | £103 to £276 per wheel (rough guide) |
| Brake discs: worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened | Brakes | 12.1 | 11.3 | £148 to £376 per axle (rough guide) |
| Tyre condition: slightly damaged/cracking or perishing | Tyres | 12.0 | 9.6 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Tread depth: worn close to legal limit/worn on edge | Tyres | 11.3 | 17.9 | £88 to £145 per tyre |
| Drive shaft joints: constant velocity boot severely deteriorated | Body and structure | 7.0 | 3.9 | |
| Registration plates: deteriorated but not likely to be misread | Number plates and VIN | 6.3 | 5.1 | £23 to £63 per plate (rough guide) |
| Windscreen: damaged but not adversely affecting driver's view | Windscreen, wipers and mirrors | 5.7 | 3.6 | |
| Shock absorbers: has light misting of oil | Suspension | 5.7 | 4.1 | £122 to £484 per axle (pair) (rough guide) |
Repair estimates are a guide for an independent garage: labour at the national median local garage rate (median £78 an hour from 65 garages, ONS price quotes) times estimated labour hours, plus a parts band. Labour hours and most parts bands are estimates, not quotes, and prices vary by model, engine and region. A warning light fault shows the cost of the diagnosis only.
How problems change with age
| Age | Tests (n) | Lights and electrics | Brakes | Suspension |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 years | 1,870 | 23.9 | 20.7 | 13.8 |
| 16 years | 2,256 | 23.4 | 22.9 | 14.6 |
| 17 years | 2,278 | 23.7 | 22.8 | 17.1 |
| 18 years | 1,512 | 23.0 | 21.4 | 15.1 |
What to check on a viewing
On the LDV Maxus, testers most often record rear fog lamp: not working; component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength; rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded. Look at these first, then the areas below.
Lights and electrics
- With someone outside, try every light: dipped and main beam, indicators, brake lights, fog lights and number plate lamps.
- Check that the warning lights come on with the ignition and go out once the engine runs.
- Look for misted, cracked or yellowed headlamp lenses.
Brakes
- On the test drive the car should stop in a straight line without pulling, juddering or grinding.
- Look at the discs through the wheels for a deep lip, heavy rust or scoring.
- Check that the handbrake or electronic parking brake holds the car on a slope.
- Ask when the pads, discs and brake fluid were last changed, and for the receipts.
Suspension
- Listen for knocks or clonks over speed bumps and rough roads on the test drive.
- Push down hard on each corner: the car should settle at once rather than keep bouncing.
- Look behind the wheels for broken or heavily rusted coil springs and split rubber bushes.
- Check that the car sits level and that no tyre is worn on one edge only.
Ask for the car's MOT history and service record: advisories that repeat from one year to the next show what has been left. GOV.UK MOT history.
Questions
What are the most common problems on the LDV Maxus?
At 17 years, the age with the most MOT tests (2,278), the fail items testers record most often on the LDV Maxus are rear fog lamp: not working (6.5 per 100 MOTs), component mounting prescribed areas: prescribed area excessively corroded significantly reducing structural strength (6.1 per 100 MOTs), rigid brake pipes: excessively corroded (6.1 per 100 MOTs). The most common advisories or minor defects are rigid brake pipes: corroded, covered in grease or other material (33.1) and engine oil leaks: leak, but not excessive (15.6).
Which parts of the LDV Maxus fail more often than on other cars?
At 17 years: brakes (22.8 per 100 MOTs against 12.3 for all cars); windscreen, wipers and mirrors (10.5 per 100 MOTs against 7.1 for all cars); body and structure (11.2 per 100 MOTs against 8.3 for all cars). Compared with 4,040,458 MOTs of all cars the same age.
LDV Maxus problems by area
More on the LDV Maxus
Other LDV models
The all cars figures cover all class 4 vehicles (cars and light vans) tested at the same age.
Looking at a LDV Maxus?
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Repair estimates: ONS consumer price quotes for local garage labour (09/2025 to 08/2026), the MOT inspection manual for defect wording, and estimated labour hours and parts bands. Not affiliated with or endorsed by ONS.
Source
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: DVSA anonymised MOT test data, class 4 normal MOT tests, 2022 to 2025. MOT data updated 28 September 2026.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by DVSA. How we calculate these figures · Data sources