2002 Toyota Yaris 1.3L Petrol · FA02 ARX

The Toyota Yaris presents a stable roadworthiness record over the past three years, with no defects logged in any of the five MOT tests between November 2022 and April 2025. The most recent entries—both a pass and a fail on the same date in April 2025—are puzzlingly identical, with no advisories or defects recorded at 69,109 miles. This suggests either an administrative error or an unusually thorough inspection where only minor, non-fault items (such as tyre tread or wiper blades) were addressed. The absence of recurring advisories or failures on critical components like brakes, suspension, or emissions indicates the vehicle has been maintained to a high standard, or at least that major issues have been preemptively resolved. The fact that two tests occurred within days of each other at the same mileage raises questions, but the clean slate otherwise points to a well-kept example for its age. The mileage accumulation is exceptionally low for a 24-year-old vehicle, averaging just 2,880 miles per year—a figure more typical of a lightly used urban runabout or a car stored for long periods. The gap between the 2023 test (68,120 miles) and the 2022 entries (65,677 miles) spans nearly a year with no recorded mileage increase, implying the vehicle may have been off the road or used sparingly. Such low mileage reduces wear on consumables like tyres and brakes, but it also means components such as suspension bushes, coil springs, and rubber seals may have degraded slowly over time without regular use. The lack of mileage progression between tests could also hint at potential issues with odometer accuracy, though this is speculative without further evidence. For a buyer, the primary focus should be on components that typically degrade slowly under low usage: suspension bushes, especially in the rear, where wear can go unnoticed without regular movement; coil springs for sagging or uneven ride height; and brake binding, which might not manifest until driven at higher speeds. Given the vehicle’s age, a thorough check of the exhaust system for corrosion—particularly around the silencers and mountings—is advisable, as rust can develop insidiously when a car is stored. The absence of MOT advisories on emissions suggests the engine and catalytic converter are functioning within limits, but a pre-purchase inspection should verify for leaks or misfires. Structural integrity, particularly around wheel arches and sills, should be scrutinised for hidden corrosion, as the low mileage may mask long-term deterioration. Finally, while the MOT history is clean, the double-test anomaly at 69,109 miles warrants clarification from the seller to rule out any undocumented issues.