I'm buying a 2008 Ford S-Max; are they a good car?

I'm buying a 2008 Ford S-Max; are they a good car?

Michelle Rynne

Jan 2015 Filed under: choosing used car

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Expert answer

Hi Michelle,

We like the S-Max a lot and arguably, eight years after it was first introduced and with its replacement due any time now, it's still the best large MPV around. 

There are no major reliability issues to worry about, it seems, but the build quality does seem to be a bit variable. Some cars are solid as rocks, others have lots of small niggles. The most common complaints are with electrical problems (wiper motors especially seem to have a habit of packing up) and the steering system, which can develop mysterious clonks. 

The best thing to do is find which garage looked after the car previously and ask how many times outside of scheduled servicing it's been in. Lots of times probably equals a troubled car, not too many probably equals something solid.

Neil Briscoe - Complete Car Adviser
@neilmbriscoe