After months of searching unless this car sells before I get to test it I think I may have found my next car, providing you guys don't spot anything I should know. 

Here is MOT : https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/results?registration=SG11EHV&checkRecalls=true

Photos below. Does it sound it okay for £2000 ? 

One thing I was a bit confused about was it said on 29th January 2024 MOT when it failed that it had 97,666 miles and then the next day on the 30th when passed it says it had 97,724 miles, how does a car jump 55 miles when it had major defects ? I was presuming the garages don't let cars out when they have major defects on MOTs ? 

That's another very low powered model.  Only 103bhp.  And obviously heavier than yesterdays Focus's as well.

Regarding MOT, it is illegal for anyone to drive the car with Dangerous faults but the MOT centres cannot actually stop people from taking their car, despite what you might read online.

On 6/8/2025 at 8:07 AM, TomsFocus said:

That's another very low powered model.  Only 103bhp.  And obviously heavier than yesterdays Focus's as well.

Regarding MOT, it is illegal for anyone to drive the car with Dangerous faults but the MOT centres cannot actually stop people from taking their car, despite what you might read online.

Are you sure it is only 103bhp ? It says 1.6l on the car check, I made sure to stay away from Ecoboosts. I know nothing about cars so perhaps that is different. Are all 1.6L c-max's 103bhp ?

One thing that concerns me is the below advisories and faults were fixed on one day, as it shows then as failed on 31st Jan and then passed on 31st Jan with all the below gone, can all that be done in a day ? 

Do not drive until repaired (dangerous defects):

• Offside Rear Outer Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Repair immediately (major defects):

• Nearside Reversing lamp inoperative (4.6.1 (a))
• Rear Exhaust system insecure mount broken (6.1.2 (a))
• Nearside Rear Service brake excessively fluctuating (1.2.1 (e))
• Offside Rear Service brake excessively fluctuating (1.2.1 (e))

Monitor and repair if necessary (advisories):

• Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))
• Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened n/s and o/s (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

4 hours ago, Jon Read said:

Are you sure it is only 103bhp ? It says 1.6l on the car check, I made sure to stay away from Ecoboosts. I know nothing about cars so perhaps that is different. Are all 1.6L c-max's 103bhp ?

One thing that concerns me is the below advisories and faults were fixed on one day, as it shows then as failed on 31st Jan and then passed on 31st Jan with all the below gone, can all that be done in a day ? 

Do not drive until repaired (dangerous defects):

• Offside Rear Outer Brake pad(s) less than 1.5 mm thick (1.1.13 (a) (ii))

Repair immediately (major defects):

• Nearside Reversing lamp inoperative (4.6.1 (a))
• Rear Exhaust system insecure mount broken (6.1.2 (a))
• Nearside Rear Service brake excessively fluctuating (1.2.1 (e))
• Offside Rear Service brake excessively fluctuating (1.2.1 (e))

Monitor and repair if necessary (advisories):

• Nearside Rear Brake pad(s) wearing thin (1.1.13 (a) (ii))
• Rear Brake disc worn, pitted or scored, but not seriously weakened n/s and o/s (1.1.14 (a) (ii))

Yes I'm sure it's only 103bhp.  The 1.6 Ti-VCT is an awful engine in terms of performance.  It was easily replaced by the 1.0 turbo when the EcoBoost era arrived.

There are 2 versions of the 1.6 Ti-VCT engine in this age C-Max.  Officially listed as 105bhp and 125bhp.  Both underpowered for this car in my opinion, but the 125bhp version might just be enough for your circumstances.

The 1.6 EcoBoost has a turbo so that is much more powerful at 150bhp or 180bhp.  That would be a better option in this case.  The 1.6 EcoBoost does not have a wetbelt.

 

Those MOT repairs are all easy.  Rear pads & discs take about an hour.  Reverse light switch and/or bulb takes max 30 minutes.  Exhaust mount can be bodged in 30 minutes, either welded or an a universal mount fitted.

5 hours ago, TomsFocus said:

Both underpowered for this car in my opinion, but the 125bhp version might just be enough for your circumstances.

Even the 125 only clips the odd second off the performance figures. The 1.6 ecoboost 150 is a whole 7 secs quicker over the important 31-62mph measure in 4th gear, 2.0TDCI similarly.

 

10 hours ago, Jon Read said:

Are you sure it is only 103bhp ? 

Check it out here:

https://www.checkcardetails.co.uk/cardetails/SG11EHV

 

Thanks everyone, so much to know, a few weeks ago I just assumed all C-Maxes were 1.6 and the same as far as engines, now I have to look for bhp and ecoboost via online vehicle checkers. 

Out of curiosity if the HPI check info on Gumtree says the below, do I presume I should avoid? Same if it says "Import" too? 

10 hours ago, Jon Read said:

Thanks everyone, so much to know, a few weeks ago I just assumed all C-Maxes were 1.6 and the same as far as engines, now I have to look for bhp and ecoboost via online vehicle checkers. 

Out of curiosity if the HPI check info on Gumtree says the below, do I presume I should avoid? Same if it says "Import" too? 

I take it that's not for the C-Max reg shown above?

My own car was a Cat N write off before I bought it.  No service history, but a fully stamped book and cambelt sticker on the cambelt cover.  Ironically it's been the most reliable car I've ever owned...  Paintwork is poor in some areas though, I can see where it was repaired.  It's been hit again since the repair and in the same area!

Many older cars will be Cat N now.  Basically just means they have a small amount of damage, but are worth so little they aren't worth repairing professionally.  So it's cheaper for the insurance company to write them off and just pay for a similar replacement.

As it says there, cat N means non-structural, so there shouldn't be any safety issues going forward.  I would be more cautious with a cat S, as those were structurally damaged, and need to be repaired very well to be safe again.

Imports shouldn't be a problem for the car itself, some of them will only have come over from Ireland anyway.  Only issue can be with insurance.  Mainstream insurers often charge more for an imported car, so check the insurance cost before buying.

 

For engine reference, the C-Max of this age was available with 5 different engines, 3 petrols and 2 diesels, and each engine has 2 or 3 power level options on top of that.  (Around 14 combinations of engine & power level).

1.0 EcoBoost
1.6 Ti-VCT
1.6 EcoBoost
1.6 TDCI
2.0 TDCI

Thanks for the info Tom, no that wasn't for the one above, thus far I have avoided any that had it. Every time I find something I like there is a catch. 

So CAT N can just be something very minor ? Looking at the photos on the car I saw with N I couldn't see any dents. I wish the HPI check would say though if it is N or S, a lot of the time they lump both in together. 

I won't go for the car above now, I didn't know about the BHP, I am glad you guys helped as I would have been none the wiser and probably wondering why it doesn't have much pull.

How do you stay safe on private sales ? I saw a 2015 C-Max 1.6 123bhp going for £3000 and MOT and body work looks okay, 77K miles, bur that sounds too good to be true. I always think there must be a catch. Here is MOT info on that car : https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/results?registration=SC15JWP&checkRecalls=true

I am worried by so many keepers, here is more info : https://www.carcheck.co.uk/ford/SC15JWP

 

9 hours ago, Jon Read said:

Thanks for the info Tom, no that wasn't for the one above, thus far I have avoided any that had it. Every time I find something I like there is a catch. 

So CAT N can just be something very minor ? Looking at the photos on the car I saw with N I couldn't see any dents. I wish the HPI check would say though if it is N or S, a lot of the time they lump both in together. 

I won't go for the car above now, I didn't know about the BHP, I am glad you guys helped as I would have been none the wiser and probably wondering why it doesn't have much pull.

How do you stay safe on private sales ? I saw a 2015 C-Max 1.6 123bhp going for £3000 and MOT and body work looks okay, 77K miles, bur that sounds too good to be true. I always think there must be a catch. Here is MOT info on that car : https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/results?registration=SC15JWP&checkRecalls=true

I am worried by so many keepers, here is more info : https://www.carcheck.co.uk/ford/SC15JWP

 

You're welcome.

Yes, Cat N usually means cosmetic damage only.  Scuffs on doors, cracks in bumpers, dents in the rear quarter etc.  Basically things that look bad and cost a lot to repair but don't affect the structural integrity of the car.  For my own car it was a front end impact, needed 2 wings, front bumper, bonnet and headlights.  The paint was feathered in half way along the front doors so no damage further back than that.

The Cat status is permanent, it stays with the car even after repair, so if you can't see any damage, chances are it has since been repaired.  Interestingly, Cat N vehicles don't need to be repaired before going back on the road.  As long as the damage doesn't create any external safety issues (such as a hole in a bumper potentially causing pedestrian injury) then they can go straight back on the road.  By 10 years old, many cars will have been damaged and repaired without telling insurance, so even buying a HPI clear car doesn't guarantee it's perfect.

I mentioned on another thread yesterday that I've had many bad experiences with private sale.  Ultimately I've learnt that I can do as many checks on paper as I like, something unexpected will almost always appear.  So more recently I have taken to just buying a car and then dealing with the consequences if they occur afterwards.  If you really want to be covered financially and legally, it's probably best to buy from a dealer rather than privately.

On 6/8/2025 at 2:09 AM, Jon Read said:

After months of searching unless this car sells before I get to test it I think I may have found my next car, providing you guys don't spot anything I should know. 

Here is MOT : https://www.check-mot.service.gov.uk/results?registration=SG11EHV&checkRecalls=true

Photos below. Does it sound it okay for £2000 ? 

One thing I was a bit confused about was it said on 29th January 2024 MOT when it failed that it had 97,666 miles and then the next day on the 30th when passed it says it had 97,724 miles, how does a car jump 55 miles when it had major defects ? I was presuming the garages don't let cars out when they have major defects on MOTs ? 

My Mondeo failed on a major defect - I drove it away and had it fixed elsewhere irrespective of what the rules state ( wasn't prepared to pay what the garage wanted ) .