2019 Ford S-MAX 2.0L Diesel · DP19 YLR

A pattern of borderline advisories on the front suspension has emerged on this 2019 Ford S-Max at relatively high mileage, with the most recent MOT on 12 December 2025 noting worn suspension arm pins or bushes on both the nearside and offside front arms that have not yet resulted in excessive movement. While these items passed on this occasion, dual advisories on the same component family typically signal that the rubber bushes are nearing the end of their service life and are likely to progress to a failure at the next test if not addressed. The earlier record also contains a recorded failure for a split offside front drive shaft CV boot on 17 December 2024 and an offside headlamp dipped beam defect on the same date, alongside a 2023 registration plate lamp failure, suggesting that electrical faults and drivetrain sealing have previously been flagged. The intervening years, particularly 2022 and 2023, were recorded as clean passes with no advisories, so the recent cluster of advisories and failures represents a noticeable shift in the vehicle's roadworthiness pattern rather than a long-term consistent state. The recorded mileage of 115,347 miles over roughly seven years equates to approximately 16,478 miles annually, which is considerably above average for the vehicle's age and indicates sustained, frequent use. This level of annual accumulation accelerates wear on consumable and mechanical components such as brake discs and pads, suspension bushes, CV joints, and drivetrain mounts, all of which align with the types of defects noted in the MOT history. There is no multi-year gap in testing that would suggest the vehicle was laid up, and the tests are recorded on an annual basis consistent with continuous road use. The combination of high mileage and the recent emergence of suspension and drivetrain advisories should therefore be viewed as mechanically coherent rather than coincidental. A prospective buyer should treat the front suspension arm bushes as the primary area of concern, given that both sides were flagged in the same test. On a road test, listen for clonking or knocking noises from the front end when traversing speed humps, uneven surfaces, or potholes, and feel for any vagueness or shimmy through the steering wheel under braking or over rough tarmac. The condition of the CV boots and drive shafts warrants a physical inspection beneath the vehicle for any fresh grease deposits on the inner wheel arch or on the boot itself, accompanied by a road test for clicking or knocking noises on full-lock turns that would indicate accelerated joint wear. Given the 2022 dangerous failure for tyres below 1.6mm on all four wheels, the current set should be closely inspected for uneven wear patterns, sidewall damage, and minimum tread depth. Electrical integrity should also be verified given the headlamp and registration plate lamp failures recorded in 2023 and 2024, with a walk-around check confirming that all exterior illumination operates correctly when the position lamps are switched on. The brake system should be examined for binding calipers and worn discs, particularly as high-mileage S-Max vehicles are known to suffer rear caliper slider seizure, which manifests as pulling to one side under braking or a handbrake that fails to release cleanly. Finally, the underside should be placed on a ramp if possible to check for any fluid leaks from the engine, gearbox, or power steering, as well as corrosion on subframe mounting points and brake lines, which can become compromised at this mileage and age.