The Ford B-MAX was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the period under investigation by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), which spans from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. This period saw a significant number of motor finance agreements being scrutinised for potential mis-selling practices, impacting millions of consumers across the UK.
How the Ford B-MAX was Typically Financed
The Ford B-MAX was often financed through PCP and HP agreements with typical loan amounts ranging from £15,000 to £30,000. The standard term for a PCP agreement was typically 36 to 48 months, during which the borrower made monthly payments while retaining the option to purchase the vehicle at the end of the contract or return it.
Common lenders who provided finance for Ford B-MAX vehicles included
Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Santander Consumer Finance. These lenders often structured agreements with balloon payments at the end of the term, which could be a significant financial burden if not planned for carefully. Balloon payments are typically larger than regular monthly payments and represent the remaining value of the vehicle at the end of the finance agreement.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The FCA's investigation into motor finance mis-selling uncovered widespread issues with
discretionary commission arrangements (DCAs) between lenders and dealerships. These arrangements allowed dealers to receive additional commissions based on the type and terms of finance agreements sold, which could have incentivised them to recommend more expensive or less suitable deals for consumers.
During this period, an estimated 12.1 million eligible agreements (FCA, March 2026) by these practices (FCA estimate), leading to a total overcharge of £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026) across all impacted customers. On average, each agreement involved in mis-selling was overcharged by approximately £829 (FCA estimate).
How to Check Your Agreement Look for specific terms such as "discretionary commission" or "DCA" (Discretionary Commission Arrangement) in your contract. check if the agreement was signed between 6 April 2007 and 1 November 2024.
It is also important to examine whether the finance deal you entered into included a higher than usual monthly payment or a significant balloon payment at the end of the term. These factors could indicate that your dealer may have been incentivised by DCAs, potentially leading to an unsuitable financial arrangement for you.
If you believe your Ford B-MAX finance agreement was affected by mis-selling practices during the FCA investigation period, you can complain directly to your lender. Common lenders for Ford B-MAX vehicles include Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, and Santander Consumer Finance.
When contacting your lender, provide evidence that supports your complaint, such as copies of your finance agreement, payment history, and any relevant correspondence with the dealership. It is crucial to have a clear understanding of what you are disputing before initiating the complaint process. Your lender should be able to review your case free of charge without needing to engage a
claims management company.
You do not need a claims management company to handle your complaint; many consumers successfully resolve their issues by communicating directly with their lenders using the steps outlined above.
Sources and References
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) estimates for motor finance agreements, overcharges, and average mis-selling figures.
- Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) guidance on handling complaints related to motor finance.
- Various lender policies and guidelines regarding discretionary commission arrangements.
Based on 47,258 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Ford B-Max has a pass rate of 80.4%. This is close to the national average of 79.6%, meaning the B-Max performs about average in MOT testing.
The B-Max pass rate is better than the overall Ford average of 78.3%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 56,053 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 80.4%
- MOT failure rate: 19.6%
- Tests analysed: 47,258 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 56,053 miles
- Ford average pass rate: 78.3%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.