2002 Suzuki Carry 1.3L Petrol · AY52 EHW

A structural corrosion failure on the offside rear inner sill during the 2023 test is the defining mechanical event in this Carry's history, and any prospective buyer must treat it as the starting point of the inspection. The vehicle failed its MOT on 6 February 2023 when the examiner recorded that the offside rear outer suspension component mounting prescribed area was excessively corroded, significantly reducing the structural strength of the sill panel. This was not a surface-scale advisory but a prescribed-area structural defect under Section 5.3.6 (a) (i), meaning the sill had lost integrity around a suspension pick-up point. The fact that the vehicle subsequently passed on 7 February 2023 and again on 10 January 2025 and 21 January 2026 with no further structural advisories recorded suggests remedial welding or sectional repair was carried out, but MOT records cannot verify the quality, extent, or method of that repair. A buyer must physically inspect the inner sill, jacking points, outriggers, and both rear suspension mounting areas with a torch and ideally on a ramp, looking for fresh weld seams, underseal applied over undressed metal, or bubbling that indicates corrosion creeping from beneath a patch. At roughly 4,430 miles per year against a 24-year vehicle age, recorded usage is notably low for a commercial-derived light van of this type, and there is a conspicuous gap between the 7 February 2023 pass and the 10 January 2025 test, suggesting an absence of around 21 months during which mileage accumulation was almost certainly negligible. For a Suzuki Carry of this vintage, low annual mileage combined with episodic use tends to produce the familiar pattern of dried suspension bushes, partially seized brake calipers, perished rubber gaiters, flat-spotted tyres, and a 12V battery that has spent prolonged periods in a partially discharged state. On a test drive, the buyer should listen carefully for clonks or groans from the front and rear suspension over bumps, which would indicate perished bushes in the radius arms or trailing links, and pay particular attention to the rear because the recorded sill corrosion is concentrated at the rear suspension mount. Uneven tyre wear, brake drag on a rolling road or when pushed by hand, and a heavy or wandering steering feel are all plausible outcomes of this usage profile and should be actively investigated rather than assumed to be benign. The recurring advisory items across 2023 and 2025 give a clear checklist for the physical inspection. Both front tyres were flagged close to the legal limit and worn on the edges in January 2025, and the offside rear tyre received the same advisory in February 2023 before a nearside rear tyre failed outright with a cord-exposing cut, which together suggests the geometry or the tracking should be checked and that replacement tyres are likely imminent. The headlamp lens deterioration noted in both 2023 tests points to brittle, hazy polycarbonate that will be failing the image requirements on a re-test sooner rather than later, particularly given the two-year gap before the next assessment. The defective rear exhaust mounting recorded in 2025 is a straightforward fix but worth confirming has been addressed, and the damaged offside sliding door handle from 2023 should be checked for function and water ingress around the door, since a compromised seal on a commercial van frequently leads to bulkhead and floor corrosion that would not yet be visible in the MOT record. Finally, any test drive should be conducted with the rear load area loaded if possible, because the structural integrity of a previously corroded sill is best judged under load, and the buyer should also confirm the age and condition of the timing belt or chain service history, coolant, and brake fluid given the long standing periods implied by the testing gaps. Listen for any knocking from the rear on uneven surfaces, feel for pulling under braking which can indicate corroded brake pipes or seized caliper slides, and inspect the rear suspension arm bushes for cracking or splitting by hand. The vehicle has subsequently passed three tests in a row, but the historical sill failure means the next owner is buying a repaired structure, and only a hands-on inspection can confirm whether that repair has held or whether corrosion is migrating from the surrounding seams.