The most recent MOT record dates from 5 January 2012, when the vehicle passed at 124,496 miles. That test is now over fourteen years old relative to today's date of 18 June 2026, meaning there is no verified roadworthiness evidence for the vast majority of this vehicle's recent life. The maintenance trend across the available history is broadly stable rather than sharply worsening, but it is not reassuring. Between January 2010 and January 2012 the car failed three times and passed twice, with recurring advisories that were never fully rectified. The front subframe mounting prescribed area was noted as corroded but not excessive in every single test from 2011 and 2012, and the outer front anti-roll bar linkage ball joint play appeared consistently across the same period. These are not one-off advisories. They represent a pattern of monitored deterioration that a buyer must assume has progressed significantly in the fourteen years since the last inspection.
The mileage picture raises its own concerns. The vehicle recorded 106,290 miles in January 2010, 115,751 miles in January 2011, and 124,496 miles in January 2012, suggesting roughly 9,000 miles per year during that window. After the January 2012 pass at 124,496 miles, no further MOT records exist. The current recorded mileage remains 124,496 miles, indicating the vehicle has either covered zero miles in over fourteen years or, more likely, has been used without a valid MOT and the displayed figure is stale. A car standing for long periods can suffer seized brake calipers, perished rubber bushes, deteriorated brake fluid, and accelerated corrosion of brake lines and structural steelwork, all of which are areas this vehicle already had flagged.
A buyer should approach this RAV4 assuming significant deterioration since 2012. The front subframe mounting area was corroded at every test and must be inspected for structural integrity now, as prescribed area corrosion on a thirty-one-year-old vehicle can progress from surface to structurally dangerous without visible external warning. The brake pipe corrosion advisories from 2010 through 2012, combined with corroded and worn front brake discs and a front brake imbalance failure in 2010, suggest the entire braking system needs close inspection, including flexible hoses, calipers, and the master cylinder. The outer front anti-roll bar linkage ball joint play was flagged repeatedly and, if left unattended, can lead to unpredictable handling. The deteriorated outer front constant velocity joint gaiter noted in 2011 should be examined, as a split gaiter will have allowed grease ejection and joint contamination over many years. Suspension bushes, coil springs, and the rear wheel bearing that showed slight play in 2010 all warrant physical checking.
The exhaust emissions failures in January 2012, covering carbon monoxide at idle and lambda outside limits after fast idle, indicate the engine management or exhaust system was not operating correctly at that time. With no subsequent test confirming a repair, a buyer should have the catalytic converter, lambda sensors, and ignition components professionally assessed. Tyre condition cannot be verified from the record, and any tyres fitted today are likely aged beyond safe service life regardless of tread depth. This vehicle presents as one that was already showing age-related wear patterns in 2012 and has had no documented inspection since, making a thorough pre-purchase inspection essential before any commitment.