Used car guide

2013 Ford C-MAX: common problems and what to check

What gets flagged at MOT on 2013 Ford C-MAXs, from 13,323 tests in 2025, plus known faults and what to look at before you buy one.

13,323MOT tests in 2025
68%pass first time (all 2013 cars: 66%)
7,200typical miles a year
1.6×the usual rate for brake pads

What stands out

Parts flagged at MOT more often on 2013 Ford C-MAXs than on all cars registered in 2013.

  • Brake pads1.6× usual
    Ford C-MAX
    15.8% All 2013 cars
    9.8%

    Failed outright at MOT: 3.8%, against 2.3% of all 2013 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £75–£175 (one axle) ClickMechanic

    At the viewing: Listen for squealing or grinding when braking, and look through the wheel at how much pad is left.

  • Sub-frame1.7× usual
    Ford C-MAX
    6.2% All 2013 cars
    3.7%

    Failed outright at MOT: 0.5%, against 0.2% of all 2013 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £300–£1,000 our estimate

    At the viewing: Look underneath at the frame the suspension bolts to. Flaky rust or holes are expensive to fix.

  • Horn5× usual
    Ford C-MAX
    2% All 2013 cars
    0.4%

    Failed outright at MOT: 2%, against 0.4% of all 2013 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Individual direction indicators1.8× usual
    Ford C-MAX
    3.2% All 2013 cars
    1.8%

    Failed outright at MOT: 1%, against 0.7% of all 2013 cars. The rest were advisories or minor defects.

    Rough price £10–£80 our estimate

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light while you work the switches: indicators, brake lights, fog lights and reversing lights.

Better than most

Track rod ends: 0.9% here, against 4.8% of all 2013 cars. Rigid brake pipes: 0.8% here, against 4.7% of all 2013 cars.

By area

The share of 2013 Ford C-MAX MOT tests where testers flagged each area, as a fail or an advisory. Rough prices are typical independent-garage costs.

  • Tyres
    37% of testsRough price £70–£150

    At the viewing: Check the tread on all four tyres, including the inside edges, and look for cracks or bulges.

  • Brakes
    29% of testsRough price £150–£350

    At the viewing: Look for a lip on the disc edges and feel for judder or pulling when braking firmly from about 40mph.

  • Suspension
    29% of testsRough price £120–£400

    At the viewing: Listen for knocks over speed bumps, and look behind each front wheel for a snapped coil spring.

  • Lights and electrics
    21% of testsRough price £10–£80

    At the viewing: Ask a friend to check every light, including brake lights and indicators, while you operate them.

  • Wipers, windscreen and mirrors
    7% of testsRough price £15–£250

    At the viewing: Check for chips in the driver's view, and test the wipers and washers.

  • Exhaust and emissions
    4% of testsRough price £100–£1,200

    At the viewing: Look for black soot in the tailpipe, listen for blowing from the exhaust and check for engine or DPF warning lights.

Looking at a Ford C-MAX?

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Other years

YearMOT testsMost flagged
20192,610Tyres 33%
20184,811Tyres 33%
20178,016Tyres 34%
201610,597Tyres 35%
201511,319Tyres 36%
201412,417Tyres 37%
201210,567Tyres 38%
20119,926Tyres 39%
20105,352Suspension 50%
20094,618Suspension 54%
20088,408Suspension 55%
20073,815Suspension 57%

Where this comes from: the DVSA's anonymised results for every MOT test in Great Britain in 2025, counting tests of 2013 Ford C-MAXs registered in 2013. "Flagged" includes advisories, so it isn't the same as a fail rate. How we score