2008 Ford C-MAX 1.8L Petrol · SH08 EBA

The vehicle is currently roadworthy, but the maintenance trend shows a concerning pattern of deferred mechanical repairs. While the most recent test in June 2024 at 114,719 miles was a pass, it followed a failure just five days prior. That previous failure identified an excessively worn offside front suspension arm ball joint and a non-functional stop lamp, indicating that the owner only addresses critical mechanical faults when forced by an MOT test result rather than performing proactive preventative maintenance. At 114,719 miles over 18 years, the C-Max has averaged approximately 6,373 miles per year, which is consistent with typical low-intensity UK usage. The data shows a significant spike in usage between May 2022 (83,373 miles) and June 2023 (99,605 miles), where the vehicle covered over 16,000 miles in just thirteen months. This period of heavy driving likely correlates with the accelerated wear observed in the subsequent tests, as the vehicle moved from a clean record to multiple defects within a year. A buyer must closely inspect the front suspension geometry and tyre alignment. Every MOT record since 2022 has flagged tyres worn excessively on the inside edges, which is a classic symptom of poor camber caused by worn control arm bushes or failing ball joints. The recurring mention of a worn nearside front bush in 2022 followed by a ball joint failure in 2024 suggests the front-end components are reaching the end of their service life. You should check for play in the suspension linkages and verify that the current tyres are not suffering from uneven wear due to these persistent alignment issues.