Expert answer

Hi Patricia,

Both 1.8- and 2.2-litre TDCi engines in the S-Max have timing belts. The change interval is 200,000 kilometres or every two years.

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Hi Louise,

That car has a timing belt, which should be replaced every 125,000 miles (or 200,000 kilometres). We'd recommend changing it sooner than that, however, say every 100,000 miles, so it would be a good idea to have it changed on your car sooner rather than later.

Hope that helps

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Hi Anna,

There are several versions of that car, and there as a model year change in late 2009 so it depends which it is exactly. Here are a few examples, assuming you're not talking about the estate:

- 1.8 TDCi saloon with 100hp and five-speed manual gearbox: 149g/km CO₂ (Band C): €390

- 1.8 TDCi saloon with 125hp and stop-start (called 'Eco') and five-speed manual gearbox: 139g/km CO₂ (Band B2): €280

- 1.8 TDCi saloon with 125hp and five-speed manual gearbox: 154g/km CO₂ (Band C): €390

If you give us the registration number we can give you the exact price of tax.

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Hi Rory,

Both cars use dual clutch semi-automatic gearboxes, which are pretty slick-shifting, but Volkswagen's DSG transmission just edges it for smoothness and quickness. 

On the emissions front it's rather bad news I'm afraid. If you're buying 2008 model year cars then you're looking at emissions of 189g/km for the Mondeo 2.0 TDCi Powershift and 175g/km for the Passat 2.0 TDI DSG. That means tax of €750 a year.

It gets a bit better if you can spool forward to 2010 when the Passat's emissions drop to 158g/km so that means a tax bill of €570 a year. 

Just for reference, the Mondeo 2.0 diesel auto gets an official 39mpg while the 2010 Passat with DSG gets 47mpg.

To be honest, if you can live without an automatic gearbox you would be better to go for the 1.6-litre diesel versions of either car. Both have decent performance and much better economy and emissions. For instance, a 1.6 BlueMotion Technologies Passat gets 62mpg and has emissions of just 118g/km so tax of €200 a year.

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Hi Dave,

We're assuming you mean the current 1.6 TDCi version of the Ford C-Max, which has 95hp. It emits 117g/km, putting it in Band A4, which currently costs €200 per annum.

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Hi Brian,

First up, 143,000 miles isn't much for the 1.8 TDCi engine so don't focus on that. This sounds like the car has gone into 'limp home' mode, which could be for a variety of reasons from a faulty sensor to a blocked diesel particulate filter (DPF). You really need the car hooked up to a diagnostic computer at a garage to get to the bottom of the problem quickly.

Let us know how you get on.

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Hi Tom,

Very few, thankfully. Watch for damp carpets as the ventilation system filters have a habit of leaking and letting water into the cabin, and check too to make sure that all of the pipes and plumbing on the diesel engine are correct - there were some problems with them in that regard. There's also a recurring issue with the airbag warning light that seems to be more related to the light than the actual airbag, but it's irritating nonetheless. 

The CO₂ emissions for the 1.4 TDCi Fusion are 120g/km so it'll cost you €200 a year to tax.

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Hi Noel,

Nothing too serious to worry about it. That 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine does suffer occasionally from cutting out unexpectedly, but it's usually just a software fault and the ECU can be easily updated by a dealer. Other than that keep an eye out for issues with the keyless entry and ignition system (a rarely-seen option anyway) and keep an eye on the cabin - creaky trim is common and apparently the seat bolsters can collapse even on surprisingly low mileage cars.

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Hi Declan,

The recommended timing belt change is every 210,000km or every ten years, whichever is sooner.

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Hi Tirziman,

Mostly pros, few cons. Mondeos are very well made and reliable and while the 1.6 TDCi engine is no ball of fire, it is very economical. You should get well over 1,000km from a full tank. 

The only cons are down to the age of the design. Compared to the likes of the Volkswagen Passat, Hyundai i40 or Opel Insignia the cabin is starting to feel rather old-fashioned but that's about it.