2015 Ford C-MAX 2.0L Diesel · LL15 AAX

A pattern of accumulating advisories centred on the suspension, braking and tyre condition defines this C-Max's MOT record, with one outright failure along the way. The most recent test on 24 February 2026 returned a clean pass with no defects recorded, but this needs to be read against what came immediately before it. Just six days earlier, on 18 February 2026, the vehicle failed on a malfunctioning tyre pressure monitoring system — a major defect — while also picking up advisories for rear brake pads wearing thin, a coolant leak, front tyres worn close to the legal limit and front suspension arm pin or bush wear. The 2025 test contributed further advisories of an oil leak, another coolant leak, offside front suspension arm rear bush wear, a loose exhaust heat shield and a nearside rear tyre out of shape. Earlier tests in 2024 and 2023 added trailing arm bush wear and rear tyres worn close to the limit on both inner edges. Taken as a whole, this points to a chassis and under-bonnet area that has been progressively accumulating wear items, rather than a vehicle with a consistently clean record. The mileage profile is notably above average for the vehicle's age. With 138,045 miles recorded across roughly 11 years, annual accumulation sits around 12,550 miles — a level that accelerates wear on suspension consumables, brake components, drivetrain mountings and tyres. The annual test record itself is continuous from 2023 onwards with no extended gaps, so there is no evidence of long periods off the road; the wear profile observed in the advisories is therefore consistent with regular, fairly intensive use rather than neglect through standing. Buyers should be aware that this rate of mileage typically correlates with closer-to-replacement timing for suspension bushes, brake discs and tyres than a lower-mileage equivalent. For a prospective buyer, the suspension-related advisories are the priority area to investigate. Both the offside front arm rear bush noted in 2025 and the trailing arm bush noted in 2024 suggest a chassis beginning to develop play in its linkages, and an MoT-station-style lift inspection is strongly advisable to check for movement in the front lower arms, rear trailing arms and anti-roll bar drop links. On a test drive, listen for clonks or knocking from the front end over speed humps and uneven surfaces, feel for any vagueness or looseness through the steering wheel on a motorway section, and pay particular attention to whether the car tracks straight under braking — worn suspension components often reveal themselves as directional instability rather than as visible play at the wheel. Also examine the rear tyres for uneven inner-edge wear, which would corroborate the 2023 advisory and may indicate rear wheel alignment or suspension geometry issues. The braking and under-bonnet items warrant similar scrutiny. The rear brake pad advisory from early 2026 suggests the pads will likely be due for replacement imminently, and a visual check of pad material thickness and disc condition (looking for lipped edges, scoring or corrosion pitting, particularly on a car that sees any short urban journeys) should be carried out before purchase. The recurring coolant leak advisory across both 2025 and early 2026 is more concerning in that it appears to be persistent rather than resolved, so a pressurised cooling system test is worthwhile to pinpoint whether the source is a hose, the radiator, the water pump or the thermostat housing. The oil leak advisory from 2025 should also be traced — check for fresh residue around the cam cover gasket, sump plug and oil filter housing. Finally, confirm that the tyre pressure monitoring system fault flagged as a major failure has actually been rectified with a confirmed working reset, as sensor batteries and valve stems are a known weakness on vehicles of this age and the warning light returning shortly after purchase would be an early disappointment.