1997 Fiat Ducato 2.0L Petrol · R404 FOU

The vehicle currently holds no valid MOT certificate, with the most recent pass recorded on 13 December 2021 at 78,599 miles. The maintenance trend appears historically stable, yet the nearly five-year lapse in testing raises immediate concerns about its present roadworthiness. The 2021 test passed cleanly without any advisories or defects, mirroring the outcome of the 2019 and 2020 passes. The two failures logged on 8 December 2021 and 25 November 2020 both bizarrely recorded zero defects, suggesting administrative errors or aborted tests rather than mechanical deterioration. At 29 years old with 78,599 miles recorded, the Ducato has covered a mere 2,710 miles annually, indicating exceptionally light use or prolonged periods of inactivity. The mileage progression reveals a distinct stagnation; the odometer advanced just 611 miles between November 2019 and November 2020, and 1,349 miles between November 2020 and December 2021. Crucially, the recorded mileage has remained entirely static at 78,599 miles since the December 2021 test, confirming the vehicle has been parked up and unused for almost five years. A prospective buyer must treat this vehicle as a long-term static storage project rather than a ready-to-drive commercial vehicle. Five years of inactivity will have taken a severe toll on consumables and structural integrity. Tyres will almost certainly suffer from flat-spotting and perished sidewalls, requiring immediate replacement regardless of remaining tread depth. Brake discs will be heavily corroded from standing, and calipers risk seizing on their sliding pins. The fuel system demands thorough inspection, as stale diesel from 2021 will have degraded and potentially caused internal corrosion or microbial growth in the tank. Suspension bushes and shock absorbers will have deteriorated from lack of movement and natural rubber perishing. A comprehensive underbody inspection is essential to assess the extent of structural corrosion on the chassis and outriggers, a common affliction on standing older vans.