MAF sensor buying guide: number, pins, housing
Updated: October 2026
The old sensor is clipped in the air hose, and the amazon.co.uk title names your Mondeo, Transit or Astra. This MAF sensor buying guide is the check before you pay. The number on the housing, the pin count and whether you are holding an insert or a housing decide the order. Prices in our [mass air flow sensor comparison](/hub/car-parts/mass-air-flow-sensor) run from £17.99 to £49.89 on the listings checked on 19 October 2026. Kevin B. wrote this for Cars & motoring. A qualifying amazon.co.uk purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
The old sensor is clipped in the air hose, and the amazon.co.uk title names your Mondeo, Transit or Astra. This MAF sensor buying guide is the check before you pay.
The old sensor is clipped in the air hose, and the amazon.co.uk title names your Mondeo, Transit or Astra. This MAF sensor buying guide is the check before you pay. The number on the housing, the pin count and whether you are holding an insert or a housing decide the order. Prices in our mass air flow sensor comparison run from £17.99 to £49.89 on the listings checked on 19 October 2026. Kevin B. wrote this for Cars & motoring. A qualifying amazon.co.uk purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | OE number | Weight | Condition | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  HouYeen HouYeen 6C11 MAF | 6C11-12B579-AA | 58 g | Not stated | 8.8 | about £17.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  HouYeen HouYeen 8V21 MAF | 8V21-12B579-AA | 60 g | Not stated | 8.0 | about £19.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  HouYeen HouYeen Focus MAF | 7M51-12B579-BB | 70 g | Remanufactured | 7.4 | about £22.99 | View offer |
On this page
Read the number, not the car name
Ford suffixes in this set are three different parts. 6C11-12B579-AA is the £17.99 listing for many Transit MK7, Mondeo MK4 diesel, Galaxy, S-MAX, Boxer and Relay cars. 7M51-12B579-BB is the Focus, C-MAX and Kuga pattern at £22.99. 8V21-12B579-AA is the later Fiesta, Transit MK8 and Ranger pattern at £19.99. Two titles can both say Mondeo and still be different connectors.
Read the letters after the last hyphen. The £17.99 file includes a Mondeo 2.0 diesel a reviewer said the same part would not run. The JETPROP page at £29.99 prints both 8V21 and 6C11, and it has no star rating. Match one number. Review counts on the best MAF sensor page only help after that match.
Pins, insert and housing
Where the pin count is printed, use it. The Frankberg meter at £22.99 and the TUCKBOLD Cruze assembly at £33.49 are listed as 5-pin. The PEIUOK meter at £49.89 is 8-pin, OE 0280218419. An Astra in both titles does not make those plugs the same.
Weight tells you whether you are buying the element or the duct. HouYeen Ford inserts are 58 g to 70 g. The GELGP Mokka listing is 400 g and about 18 × 8 × 5 cm. A small sensor in your hand makes that box the wrong shape. If the whole tube is cracked, a 60 g insert leaves the broken housing. None of these eleven listings is sold as a Bosch part. Hold the old part next to the photo.
New, remanufactured, and seller accuracy claims
Most pages never state whether the sensor is new. The Focus HouYeen listing does: one remanufactured meter, OE 7M51-12B579-BB, at £22.99. The file includes cures and parts that lasted a few days or about six weeks. Remanufactured means a used core.
The eight-pin PEIUOK page states accuracy of 2% or better. That is the seller's claim. Two UK reviews say the unit read wrongly, including a rich mixture within about five minutes. A warranty is a returns route, not a calibration certificate. On the £19.99 8V21 page the measuring range is marked Predicted. Treat that grams-per-second figure as unpublished.
When the advert names too many cars
A wide model list is a sales page, not a fitment proof. The Frankberg 5-pin meter runs from Jaguar and Land Rover through Mazda, Toyota and Volvo. It is 4.8 from five reviews, and the only review text is a short German comment that it fits. If the old number is 1X43-12B579-AB and the plug has five pins, that number is the reason to look. The Prius line on the same page is not.
The Saab-titled unit at £19.99 adds Astra H and other cars against OE 0281002618. One buyer returned it as the wrong model. If the code is manifold pressure, leave this category. That split is on the MAF or MAP sensor page. The Consumer Rights Act 2015 gives you 30 days, starting the day after delivery, to reject goods that are faulty or not as described.
Three marks before you pay
Read the full suffix, count the pins, and compare the weight with the piece you removed. 6C11-12B579-AA, 7M51-12B579-BB and 8V21-12B579-AA are three orders, even when two titles say Mondeo. A five-pin Astra page and an eight-pin Astra page are not the same socket. If those three marks do not agree with the listing, leave the basket.
Common questions
Are 6C11, 7M51 and 8V21 the same Ford MAF?
No. 6C11-12B579-AA is the £17.99 pattern for many Transit MK7 and Mondeo MK4 diesels. 7M51-12B579-BB is the £22.99 Focus pattern, and that listing says the sensor is remanufactured. 8V21-12B579-AA is the £19.99 pattern for later Fiesta, Transit MK8 and Ranger fitments.
Is a 5-pin Astra sensor the same as an 8-pin Astra sensor?
No. The Frankberg and TUCKBOLD listings are 5-pin. The PEIUOK listing at £49.89 is an 8-pin plug for OE 0280218419. Both kinds of page can mention Astra or Cruze. Count the pins on the plug in the engine bay. A five-pin insert will not seat in an eight-pin socket.
How do I tell an insert from a housing?
Compare the weight and the photo with the piece you removed. HouYeen Ford meters in this set are about 58 g to 70 g and sit in an existing duct. The GELGP Mokka listing is 400 g and about 18 × 8 × 5 cm. If you only need the small element, the heavy assembly is the wrong order.
What does remanufactured mean on the Focus listing?
The £22.99 HouYeen page says the box contains one remanufactured meter for 7M51-12B579-BB. Reviewers report both a cure and a management light back after days or about six weeks. You are not buying a stated-new part, and the listing does not add a warranty line. If you need a new sensor with a printed warranty, this is the wrong box even when the OE number matches.
What if the part is the wrong model after I fit it?
Stop using it as a test of the engine and reject it. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you have 30 days, starting the day after delivery, to reject goods that are faulty or not as described. A reviewer on the Saab-titled listing returned a unit that was not for the advertised model. Photograph the old number and the new housing before you refit the duct.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file. The price bands are this set, not a market average.
- GOV.UK MOT inspection manual, section 8 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Bromley Council, parts fitted by a trader (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Bosch UK air mass meters (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- NGK NTK MAP and MAF sensors (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- WAI Global UK, mass air flow sensor troubleshooting (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Professional Motor Mechanic, issues facing workshops (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk listings for the 11 ASINs, 19 October 2026 (retrieved 19 October 2026)