Used Ford C-Max buying guide (2003 to 2019): which one to buy and what to check

Which used Ford C-Max should you buy?

A Mk3 C-Max with the 1.6 TDCi diesel and a manual gearbox is the lesser risk, because the 1.0 EcoBoost, 1.6 EcoBoost and 2.0 TDCi each have a serious known fault against them. The 1.6 TDCi isn't trouble-free: several owners have had injectors fail and the car drop into limp mode, some more than once. Buy one that idles smoothly, shows no engine warning and comes with paperwork for any injector work.

Whatever the engine, a 2011 to 2014 car has a known power steering fault where the electric motor on the rack burns out between 60,000 and 95,000 miles, leaving you with suddenly heavy steering. Heavy steering at parking speeds or a steering assist warning rules a car out. Don't skip the check on a later car either, as one 2016 car's steering rack failed at 16,300 miles.

On the older C-MAX sold from 2003 to 2010, the one to avoid outright is the 1.6 TDCi with the CVT automatic: by 2010 its gearbox failures had become so common that it isn't worth the gamble. Top-spec cars from that era also saw a run of electric handbrake faults at a little over three years old, so check the handbrake applies and releases cleanly on any you look at.

Which C-Max engines and gearboxes are the safe choices?

The 1.6 TDCi is the lesser risk, but its injectors are the thing to check. Owners have reported injector failures on 2011 to 2015 cars, one at 31,000 miles and another at 38,300, showing up as limp mode, a lumpy idle or an engine fault message, and some cars went on to need a second injector. One owner paid £421 for a single injector, and another paid £1,000 when a second one went.

Avoid the 1.0 EcoBoost manual. Its clutch, dual mass flywheel and slave cylinder are a known fault on 2012 to 2015 cars and can go anywhere from 5,000 to 50,000 miles, and Ford has sometimes paid for all or part of a replacement. Several C-Max owners also had their 1.0 leak coolant, blow a head gasket or seize, with a failed turbo degas pipe blamed more than once.

The 1.6 EcoBoost petrol has a known fault on 2011 to 2014 cars where the cylinder head overheats in one spot and cracks between 40,000 and 80,000 miles, letting oil spray onto hot parts with a risk of fire. The recall inspects the engine, replaces damaged parts and adds a sensor that warns you when coolant runs low, so don't buy one without proof it's done. It runs a dry cambelt, due at 125,000 miles or 120 months.

The 2.0 TDCi has a known fault on 2014 and 2015 cars where the engine software doesn't spot an overheat, and the sump can crack and lose its oil between 30,000 and 70,000 miles; a recall updated that software. Its Powershift automatic has a run of owner reports of failed clutches, mechatronic units and control modules, so the safer pick is the 1.6 TDCi manual, and a Powershift without receipts for its three-yearly fluid and filter change isn't one to take on.

What should you check when viewing a used C-Max?

Turn the steering from lock to lock at a standstill and again at parking speed on any 2011 to 2014 car. If it's heavy or a steering assist warning appears, don't buy it. The assist can come back after the engine's restarted before failing for good, so ask to start the car from cold yourself rather than finding it warmed up and running when you arrive.

On a manual, especially a 1.0 EcoBoost, pull away up a hill and feel for slip or a burning smell, and try changing from third to second once it's warm to see if it baulks. A judder or knock from the clutch area is a warning sign, and so is a pedal that sticks down, drops to the floor or feels spongy, as owners have reported all three.

Listen for an uneven, lumpy idle on a 1.6 TDCi and watch for an engine warning or limp mode, since that's how failing injectors have shown up. Keep an eye on the temperature gauge on a 1.6 EcoBoost or a 2014 to 2015 2.0 TDCi, and look under the bonnet for coolant stains and oil leaks. On a Powershift, a transmission fault warning after a long motorway run is a bad sign.

Ask for proof of the recall work that applies: the cylinder head inspection and coolant warning on 2011 to 2014 1.6 EcoBoost cars, the software update against overheating on 2014 and 2015 2.0 TDCi cars, the clutch pressure plate recall on 1.0, 1.5 and 1.6 EcoBoost six-speed manuals, and the side and knee airbag check on 2016 cars. A Powershift needs receipts for a fluid and filter change every three years.

Paste the advert into the free check and it runs these against the listing, the MOT history and the DVLA record before you travel.

What goes wrong on the Ford C-Max Mk3 (2011 to 2018)?

The Mk3's biggest known faults are the 1.0 EcoBoost manual's clutch, which can fail from 5,000 miles, and the power steering motor that burns out between 60,000 and 95,000 miles on 2011 to 2014 cars. Owners have reported 1.0 EcoBoost clutches going at 3,900, 14,000 and 15,308 miles, some cars twice, and one 2013 car's second clutch failure wrecked the gearbox. One owner was charged £1,205 for a new clutch on a 2015 car.

It earned five stars from Euro NCAP in 2010 and three stars under the 2017 tests, though it isn't as easy to climb in and out of as the older C-MAX. On early cars the springs behind the outer centre seat backs are very stiff, so if one's a little reclined when you release it, it'll fly forward with real force. Try them gently when you view one.

Owners of 2.0 TDCi Powershift autos have reported a string of failures: a 2012 car losing valve body pressure at 25,000 miles, a 2013 car whose control module went at 40,000 miles before the whole gearbox was condemned, and one owner who paid £2,000 for new clutches then £2,200 for a mechatronic unit on a car that apparently hadn't been serviced on schedule. Its twin clutches wear faster if it's left in D while stationary, so shift to N in queues.

Single-car reports worth knowing about include a 2015 Grand C-Max 1.6 TDCi that blew its head gasket at 49,000 miles, which Ford accepted was its own fault, a 2012 car whose front driveshaft seized into the wheel bearing at 37,000 miles, and a 2015 car's self-levelling xenon headlamp throwing a malfunction warning. The air-con condenser on 2010 to 2013 cars has been reported as open to stone damage, so check it blows cold.

What does a used Ford C-Max cost to run?

What do C-Max owners like about them?

Seven seats and sliding side doors come as standard on the Grand C-Max, so there's no need to hunt down a particular version to get the extra row. The rear doors slide back rather than swinging out, and that's handy when you're getting in and out alongside another car. The older C-MAX sold up to 2010 also earned a very good security rating.

A spacesaver spare wheel kit is available, and it's stowed out of the way rather than sitting in the boot. On the five-seat C-Max it goes under the load floor, while on the Grand it sits below the floor beneath the rearmost seats, so you've still got a spare to hand when all seven seats are in use.

• The car achieved a four-star NCAP crash safety rating, with a best-in-class four stars for child protection.
• This model received a very good security rating, providing owners with enhanced confidence in its protective features.
• The car achieved a Five Star Euro NCAP 2010 rating, with 92% for adult protection and 83% for child protection.
• The car received a three-star Euro NCAP 2017 rating, with 76% adult occupant safety and 60% child occupant safety.
• A spacesaver spare wheel fits conveniently under the floor beneath the rearmost seats.