1998 Ford Fiesta 1.3L Petrol · S453 BOU

The 1998 Ford Fiesta presented a passed MOT on 2 September 2024 at 46,810 miles with no defects recorded, indicating the vehicle held a roadworthy condition at that time. The maintenance trend across the available five-year history reads as stable, with clean passes on 30 April 2021 at 24,934 miles, 22 April 2022 at 29,702 miles, and 21 April 2023 at 38,083 miles. An anomalous failure on 25 July 2024 at 46,780 miles carries no listed defects and disrupts an otherwise unbroken record, though the subsequent September retest cleared the car without issue. At roughly 28 years old, the odometer shows just 46,810 miles, equating to about 1,672 miles per year. The records trace a gentle accumulation between 2021 and 2023, then a slowed pace to 46,780 by July 2024. A 15-month gap between the April 2023 and July 2024 tests suggests the car sat idle or the owner delayed statutory testing. Only 30 miles separated the July failure and September pass, and no further entries exist before today's date of 16 July 2026, implying the Fiesta has likely remained stationary for nearly two years. Despite the absence of recorded advisories, a 1998 hatchback of this mileage demands physical checks the MOT sheet cannot reveal. The buyer should examine suspension bushes and coil springs for perishing after long static periods, and inspect brake discs and calipers for corrosion or binding following minimal use. Structural integrity around sills and subframes warrants close scrutiny for rust, given the vehicle's age and low annual coverage. The July 2024 failure with no defects logged merits a request for the original refusal certificate to confirm whether it was administrative or a concealed fault. Previous owners appear to have kept basic statutory testing current, yet the extended lay-up and unexplained fail hint that thorough pre-purchase inspection by a qualified technician remains essential.