My wife and I bought this 2008 2 litre auto C-Max about 3 months ago after 8 years of almost trouble-free Nissan ownership; two Primeras and a Tino.
I like this car; it feels taut and safe on our local narrow bumpy country roads.
This is our first Ford and when we bought it I assumed that, as Fords
have been making road vehicles for some time, it would be free of
little faults and irritations, just as the Nissans were, or even better.
It is laden down with complications and trickery that we could easily live without.
The seats are narrow and hard, but we don't seem to suffer on long journeys.
The boot lid badge is stained internally and the chrome on the steering wheel is lifting, forming sharp edges for the fingers to catch on.
The middle seat belt keeper in the roof had to be removed for the spring to be bent properly so that it holds the buckle.
The lack of a spare wheel is crazy, but fortunately there is a boot well to put one in, having bought it.
The daftest design that I have seen on a car for a long time is the C-Max bonnet lock. I can't open the bonnet without the ignition key. I have to turn the front badge which is at a very convenient height for any little villain to twist and pull; I then insert and turn the key one way and the other, then lift the bonnet and prop it. I have to remember that I have left the key down below and if the badge isn't returned to near horizonal before closing the bonnet, it gets crunched. Wonderful!
The front badge on my car doesn't sit flat and horizontal as it should, presumably because someone has fiddled for fun or dropped the bonnet without remembering, as above. The chrome on the badge has begun peeling away from the plastic backing and has punctured my finger nail.
Whatever was wrong with having a little pull-handle in the foot well with a bowden cable going to a get-at-able bonnet catch which might or might not need a drop of oil every 2 years?
So, anyone approaching my 2008 car from the front sees the proud maker's name on an ill-fitting badge with peeling chrome. Easily sorted; £90 per hour, plus parts.
The daftest design that I have seen on a car for a long time is the C-Max bonnet lock. I can't open the bonnet without the ignition key. I have to turn the front badge which is at a very convenient height for any little villain to twist and pull; I then insert and turn the key one way and the other, then lift the bonnet and prop it. I have to remember that I have left the key down below and if the badge isn't returned to near horizonal before closing the bonnet, it gets crunched. Wonderful!
The front badge on my car doesn't sit flat and horizontal as it should, presumably because someone has fiddled for fun or dropped the bonnet without remembering, as above. The chrome on the badge has begun peeling away from the plastic backing and has punctured my finger nail.
Whatever was wrong with having a little pull-handle in the foot well with a bowden cable going to a get-at-able bonnet catch which might or might not need a drop of oil every 2 years?
So, anyone approaching my 2008 car from the front sees the proud maker's name on an ill-fitting badge with peeling chrome. Easily sorted; £90 per hour, plus parts.
Our previous car (2008 Focus) also had this bonnet lock and I could never see the point of this ridiculous system - fortunately it has been dropped on the 2010 C-Max models
I have arthritis in both my hips, which is why we have the kind of vehicle we do, We had a Citroen Xsara Picasso before, and I thought it would be difficult to find another vehicle with seats as comfortable for me. I was wrong. Although the seats in the C-Max are firmer and seem narrower, when measured, they are actually not. Their shape provides better under thigh support and, although I have not driven the car over a distance longer than 50 miles so far, I have had no problems. In the picasso I had to place a cushion between my right leg and the door, to prevent the leg falling outwards and puttiing pressure on my hip. In the C-Max I don't. the shape, and range of adjustment in the seat means I can achieve total comfort without the need for cushions. My wife, who has had surgery to remove a disc from her spine, also finds the seats comfortable and says that the rear seats are also better.
Regarding the bonnet release, it's different, I'll give you that. And I agree that hiding it behind the badge is not ideal, especially as they are on the flimsy side. However, in its defence, I'd sooner have a squew whif badge to replace than a busted bonnet release cable which has happened to me twice! ( I used to run older cars in my younger days) Probably the best way would be to include the bonnet in the central locking, with an interlock so it can only be opened (Via a push button somewhere) with the vehicle stationary, handbrake on, and the key in the ignition.It could also be programmed to "double lock" when the vehicle is moving, thereby precluding accidental opening at speed. In these days of the silicon chip, such a system need not be expensive. Only problem would come if you ran the battery flat! Nothing is ever completely foolproof! Any advance on a key in a hole??
After reading the latest post about hips and C-Max seats, I have remembered a couple of other things that I meant to mention.
When I sit in the drivers's seat there is a strip of cold plastic for my left knee to rest against. This would be more comfortable if it were a bit of carpety material.
When in the passenger seat my left knee rests against the crest of a hard plastic ridge in the door panel, which is just part of the styling and serves no other function. After a few miles it begins to feel very hard.
Both seem to be small points but are quite unnecessary.
Hi Miv. The only way round those problems would be to do what I did and have small cushion or a folded towel perhaps to put between your knee and the offending piece of trim. Unfortunately, cars tend to be designed with "standard" size human beings in mind, and if you fall outside those criteria (I do as I'm somewhat "larger" than standard!), certain compromises have to be made. I know what you mean though, because the part of the dash containing the gear lever on the picasso is similar to the C-Max, and when I was using my Sat Nav, (Fixed to the quarter window between the door and windscreen where it will also fit nicely on the C-Max) the cable used to become trapped between my knee and the panel and became quite painful after a while. I got over it by covering it with a bit of folded cloth and "gaffer" tape in the short term, and using a power extension to re-route the cable as a longer term "fix". I agree that the door panels in the C-Max are quite a poor design, especially the rears which have no storage pockets whatsoever! The pockets in the front doors are minute compared to my Picasso which were shaped to accept soft drinks bottles of varying sizes, up to 1.5 litres, to "Clip" in and be held firmly. those in the C-Max are so small and shallow, I really find them quite useless in comparison. The smaller one of the two I used to have some tissues in for wiping rain off my glasses, but they blew away when I opened the door the other day when it was windy! Have to say the car is MUCH Nicer to drive though!
Cheers Colin
Yes, a towel or something will do, but why do they do it? If we can see something that could be improved and brought up to, say the 1954 Morris 1000 standard, why can't manufacturers?
Even in Paradise there will be a draught.
Although I have said that there is too much complication for me, I would welcome a bit of assistance when closing the tailgate.
Our last car had a rear view video camera and I thought that it was the bees knees and was sorry to lose it. But this beeping system is good and doesn't become fouled up in bad weather.
People who are interested in getting the ownership of the company has to work hard for further demands. On the other hand, dissertation writing service reviews will promote the further applications and uses of this.
I have a friend who also had problems with the 2008 Focus. I think that everyone is having them, too old cars
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
C-Max Owners Club
42.8K posts
14.1K members
Since 2007
A forum community dedicated to Ford C-Max owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!