ROVER 4001996 · 1.6L PETROL

This 1996 Rover 400 last passed MOT on 13 September 2007 with 74,906 miles recorded. That test is now nearly 19 years old, which means the vehicle has not been formally tested for roadworthiness in nearly two decades. The recorded mileage has remained static at 74,906 miles across the final four MOT records, suggesting the car has either been stationary or the odometer has stopped registering distance. The most recent failure on the same date in 2007 flagged an offside rear position lamp that was excessively deteriorated and not visible from a reasonable distance—a clear lighting safety defect. This was accompanied by a nearside front wheel bearing with slight play, noted as a defect rather than simply an advisory. The pass test that followed on the same day suggests the lamp was replaced or repaired and the bearing was either addressed or deemed acceptable on retest, yet the bearing play had already been logged as a concern. Looking back through the history, a pattern of suspension and drivetrain wear emerges. The 2005 MOT noted offside front outer CV boot cracking, which if not repaired would allow grease loss and lead to joint failure—a costly fix. By 2006, no defects were recorded, but by 2007 the nearside front wheel bearing had developed play, suggesting progressive wear in the front end geometry. The vehicle's mileage age ratio is notably low at roughly 2,497 miles per year over 30 years.