2012 Nissan Leaf Electricity · VE62 AEK

The 2012 Nissan Leaf presents a stable and improving mechanical picture as of its most recent MOT on 16 April 2026 at 40,620 miles, where it passed with zero defects. A clear upward trend in upkeep is visible when you trace the record back through 2025 and 2024. The 10 July 2025 failure at 39,741 miles for an excessively worn offside front lower suspension arm ball joint was rectified before the retest passed the following day at the same mileage, indicating the previous owner addressed the fault promptly. The 2024 test at 38,201 miles flagged an offside front track rod end with slight play, a worn offside front tyre at 2.5mm, and a punctured nearside rear tyre, all of which appear to have been corrected before the clean pass in June 2023 at 35,363 miles. The trajectory from multiple advisories and a failure down to two consecutive clean passes suggests the car has received attentive maintenance in recent years. The mileage profile is notably low for a 14-year-old vehicle. At 40,620 miles, the annual average sits at roughly 2,901 miles per year, well below the typical UK average. The intervals between tests reinforce this pattern of light use: 1,540 miles accumulated between June 2023 and June 2024, then 1,540 miles again through to July 2025, and only 879 miles in the eleven months leading to April 2026. Such low annual accumulation raises the possibility of extended periods standing still, which can affect tyre sidewall condition, brake surface corrosion, and battery health in an electric vehicle. The record itself is consistent and well-documented with no gaps, giving confidence that the mileage is genuine. A buyer should still carry out a focused physical inspection despite the clean recent record. The repeated suspension-related defects, the lower arm ball joint in 2025 and the track rod end in 2024, point to wear on the front-end steering and suspension geometry. Check the condition of all suspension bushes, ball joints, and track rod ends for play, and inspect the inner edges of the front tyres for uneven wear that would indicate lingering alignment issues. The 2024 advisory on tyre tread depth and the puncture repair on the nearside rear suggest consumable upkeep was sometimes left to the wire. Examine all four tyres for age-related cracking given the low mileage and long stationary periods, and verify the brake discs and pads for surface corrosion common on lightly used EVs. The Leaf's high-voltage battery health and charging behaviour should also be assessed independently, as MOT records cover only roadworthiness and not battery degradation.