1988 Reliant Asquith 0.8L Petrol · E975 JEV

Most recent MOT (23 July 2025 – PASS) The car passed its latest test at 57,317 mi, but three non‑excessive oil leaks were recorded (central front, central rear, and a damaged coolant expansion tank). More concerning are the brake‑related items: the off‑side front track‑rod end is almost touching the brake drum, a spacer/washer is missing, and both front brake pipes show damage/kinking. These are advisory defects that must be remedied to keep the braking system reliable. Recurring mechanical pattern Across the MOT history the same groups of faults keep re‑appearing: Oil leaks – noted in every test from 2017 to 2025. Steering/track‑rod wear – play in the steering rack inner joint and the off‑side front track‑rod end fouling the brake drum have been flagged repeatedly. Wheel bearing play – slight to excessive play on both front bearings was recorded in 2017 and persists in later entries. Brake‑pipe damage – the 2025‑07‑18 failure listed severely kinked front brake pipes on both sides; the 2025‑07‑23 pass still notes the missing spacer and the track‑rod clearance issue. These items point to a consistent wear pattern in the front suspension and braking system rather than isolated, one‑off problems. Trend analysis The defect list has not shown a clear improvement. While the 2025‑07‑23 test was a pass, the same oil‑leak and brake‑related advisories that caused the 2025‑07‑18 failure remain.