2009 Ford C-MAX 1.6L Petrol · EO09 TKE

The 2009 Ford C-MAX presents a mixed maintenance picture. The most recent test on 25 September 2025 at 100,939 miles resulted in a pass, but only after a failure the previous day at 100,938 miles. That failure flagged front brake pads below the 1.5 mm legal minimum, an excessively worn nearside front suspension arm pin or bush, and an exhaust Lambda reading outside specified limits after the second fast idle. The same offside front suspension bush advisory from the failure carried over into the pass result, described as worn but not yet causing excessive movement. This pattern suggests the previous owner addressed the most urgent items, the brake pads and nearside bush, but left the offside wear and the emissions irregularity unresolved. The trend is not clearly improving. The suspension wear is recurring, and the Lambda fault points to a combustion or exhaust gas management issue that was never formally cleared. The mileage accumulation is notably low for a 2009 vehicle. Between the September 2022 test at 90,135 miles and September 2023 at 95,526 miles, the car covered roughly 5,391 miles in twelve months. The following year, from September 2023 to September 2024, it added only 4,030 miles, reaching 99,556 miles. By the September 2025 tests, the odometer had moved just 1,383 miles in a full year. This is well below the UK average and indicates either very light use or extended periods of inactivity. Low annual mileage can preserve bodywork and reduce mechanical wear, but it also raises concerns about deteriorated rubber components, stale fuel, and brake corrosion from standing. A buyer should focus the physical inspection on the front suspension and braking system. The repeated advisories on both front suspension arm pins or bushes, progressing from wear to excessive movement on the nearside, indicate these components are a known weak point on this example. Check for play, cracking, and perishing on all front wishbone bushes and ball joints. The front brake pads were below minimum thickness at the September 2025 failure, so verify the condition of the pads, discs, and calipers, particularly for uneven wear or binding. The exhaust Lambda reading outside limits on the failure test warrants a diagnostic scan to check the catalytic converter efficiency, oxygen sensors, and for any stored engine fault codes. Given the very low recent mileage, inspect all tyres for age-related cracking regardless of tread depth, and assess the condition of brake fluid, coolant, and rubber hoses that may have degraded through age rather than use.