2011 Vauxhall Astra 1.6L Petrol · SY61 BHK

The 2026‑05‑08 MOT at 103,359 miles resulted in a pass, but the record shows multiple advisories that point to ongoing mechanical concerns. The most recent test flagged a worn, pitted near‑side rear brake disc, an oil leak that is not excessive, and a chip on the windscreen, while earlier failures highlighted binding rear brakes and an anti‑roll bar ball‑joint dust cover that no longer seals dirt. These recurring defects indicate a deteriorating trend rather than improvement, with brake wear and suspension degradation persisting across several years. At 15 years old, the vehicle’s 103,359 miles equate to roughly 6,900 miles per year, a figure that aligns with typical usage for its age. Mileage accumulation shows a clear pattern: a jump of 6,620 miles between the 2015‑09‑19 test (10,863 miles) and the 2016‑08‑28 failure (17,483 miles), and another increase of 6,074 miles from the 2020‑09‑01 test (48,471 miles) to the 2021‑07‑19 test (54,545 miles). Apart from these periods of accelerated use, the annual mileage remains relatively steady, and the MOT history is continuous with no major gaps. A buyer should therefore inspect the condition of the rear brake discs and pads for excessive wear or scoring, verify that the rear brakes are balanced and that calipers are not binding, and examine the anti‑roll bar ball‑joint dust cover for damage that could allow ingress of contaminants. The suspension should be checked for worn bushes, a broken coil spring, and any play in the ball‑joint, while the oil leak source must be identified and repaired. Additional checks should include the structural integrity of the wheel arches for rust, the state of the windscreen chip, and the overall tyre wear pattern, as these items have repeatedly appeared on earlier test records.