1998 ROVER MINI1.3L PETROL

The Rover Mini passed its most recent MOT on 4 April 2025 at 54,831 miles with only a slightly noisy near side front wheel bearing advised. The maintenance trend has improved since the serious January 2024 failure, where three suspension mounting areas on the sills and floor showed excessive corrosion reducing structural strength. That structural defect was evidently repaired to secure passes in March 2024 and April 2025, so the car now presents as roadworthy but with an ageing chassis history. Recorded mileage sits at 54,831 against a 1998 build, averaging under 2,000 miles per year. The odometer moved just 179 miles between the October 2022 test and the January 2024 failure, then 119 miles to the 2025 pass. Such low, flat accumulation suggests long periods of storage rather than daily use. Sparse entries before 2022 leave earlier wear undocumented, though the clean 2024 and 2025 tests imply the corrosion fix was thorough. A buyer should physically inspect the near side and off side front sill and floor seams for weld repairs or fresh rust creep, given the 2024 excessive corrosion findings. The October 2022 oil leak, noted again at failure that day, was not carried into later tests but warrants a visual check of the engine and gearbox seals. The 2025 noisy front wheel bearing should be confirmed on a road test for rumble or play. Loose front suspension arm nuts and a missing steering rack gaiter recorded in 2022 point to past neglect of basic fasteners and gaiters by a previous owner. Verify the control arm mountings remain tight and the rack gaiters are intact. The high headlamp aim failure from that test was likely a simple adjustment, yet beam aim and tyre condition deserve a glance given the car's intermittent use pattern.