2008 Ford Mondeo 2.0L Diesel · AV04 AAV

The vehicle passed its most recent MOT test on 2026-04-24 at the recorded mileage, although two advisories were noted: an oil leak classed as not excessive and slight play in the nearside front suspension arm ball joint. These items alone do not constitute a failure, but they represent live wear items that warrant monitoring or prompt attention before the next test. The April 2025 pass was effectively a retest following a failure the previous day, and the intervening year shows the car has returned to a clean pass with only minor advisory items, suggesting the underlying issues from 2025 have been addressed rather than left to deteriorate. Annual mileage across the recorded period sits around 10,000 to 12,000 miles, broadly consistent with typical use for a vehicle of this age. The gaps between test dates correspond to standard annual intervals, and no anomalous mileage jumps or extended periods of absence from testing are visible. Four tests are recorded within the dataset, two passes and two failures, providing a reasonable spread of evidence to judge trend. The high absolute mileage of 185,854 should be taken at face value: drivetrain, clutch, and engine internals on a Mondeo of this vintage and mileage will have accumulated substantial wear regardless of MOT outcome. The recurring pattern across the records centres on the suspension and braking assemblies. Coil spring corrosion has been flagged on three occasions, first on the nearside rear in 2024 and later on both rear springs in 2025, indicating corrosion is progressive rather than isolated. Steering and anti-roll bar linkage wear was severe enough to trigger major defects at the 2024 failure, with excessive wear on both rear anti-roll bar linkage ball joints, and slight play in the nearside front steering ball joint was also noted. Braking concerns appeared in the 2025 failure with a dangerous rear brake pad reading under 1.5 mm. The April 2026 advisory on the front suspension ball joint suggests this wear area remains active. A buyer should physically inspect both rear spring seats for corrosion severity, check all suspension and steering linkages for play on a ramp, and verify brake disc and pad condition thoroughly, as the history points to ongoing chassis and brake wear rather than one-off faults. Buying score: 48. Risk level: Medium.