1997 Honda Civic 1.4L Petrol · R117 DGJ

The most recent MOT on 2026‑01‑08 resulted in a pass at 61 682 miles, but the tester noted two advisories: the off‑side front tyre is worn close to the legal limit and both the nearside and off‑side front floors show corrosion. Looking back, the vehicle has a clear pattern of recurring issues. Floor corrosion appears in every test from 2023‑12‑11 onward, progressing from a simple advisory to a factor that contributed to a failure in 2025‑12‑16 when combined with severe suspension‑mount corrosion. Suspension‑mount corrosion on the rear outer sill and inner wheel arch was recorded as excessive and structurally weakening in the 2025‑12‑16 failure, while earlier tests only noted it as “corroded but not considered excessive.” The constant‑velocity boot on the off‑side front drive shaft has repeatedly deteriorated – first flagged as severely deteriorated in 2024‑12‑17, then reported as split or insecure in the 2025‑12‑16 failure, and absent from the latest pass, suggesting it may have been replaced or repaired. Tyre wear close to the limit is a persistent advisory, appearing in four of the six records. Additional problems that caused failures include a missing fuel cap, rear‑lamp interference, a windscreen wiper that did not clear the screen effectively, and a front service brake that was excessively binding. Shock‑absorber oil misting was noted as an advisory in the 2023‑12‑11 pass. The trend shows that serious defects (suspension‑mount corrosion, CV‑boot split, brake binding, lamp and wiper faults) have led to failures, but after each failure the vehicle has been returned to a passing condition within a short time – the 2026‑01‑08 pass followed the 2025‑12‑16 failure by only three weeks and a 14‑mile increase in mileage. This indicates that the owner is addressing the critical items when they arise, although the underlying corrosion of the floors and suspension mounts continues to be flagged repeatedly. Mileage is low for the vehicle’s age – about 2 127 miles per year on a 29‑year‑old car.