2004 Renault Trafic 1.9L Diesel · BL54 AAX

A pattern of steering, suspension and brake-line advisories dominates the recorded MOT history of this 2004 Renault Trafic, with the most recent test on 18 March 2022 returning a Pass but accompanied by several defects that warrant close physical inspection. The same five advisory and minor items appeared on the immediately preceding test one day earlier on 17 March 2022, which was recorded as a Fail due to a headlamp aim defect and a non-functioning offside front position lamp. The recurrence of shock absorber oil misting, corroded brake pipe, steering rack play and chassis corrosion across both back-to-back tests suggests these are persistent wear items rather than freshly developed faults, and a prospective buyer should treat them as items that have likely deteriorated further since 2022 given the absence of any later recorded test outcome. With 175,134 miles accumulated over roughly 22 years, this Trafic has averaged around 7,961 miles per year, a figure broadly typical for a working van of its age. The mileage between the 2022-03-17 failure at 174,940 and the 2022-03-18 pass at 175,134 reflects nothing more than the vehicle being moved a few miles for its retest, so there is no evidence of a mileage gap or extended lay-up in the available data. That said, vans in this class are frequently used heavily between services and the recorded mileage places substantial demand on the clutch, turbo, dual-mass components, engine mounts and rear leaf springs, all of which should be inspected regardless of MOT coverage. The offside front shock absorber oil misting noted in 2022 is a clear precursor to a fluid-weeping damper, and on a road test the buyer should listen for a clonking or hollow knock from the front suspension over speed humps and undulating tarmac, together with prolonged front-end oscillation after a single bump. The nearside steering rack inner joint play is a more serious concern, as a worn inner tie rod or rack end will manifest as a loose, wandering front end, a delay in steering response on turn-in, and uneven front tyre wear, particularly on the inner or outer shoulders. The buyer should also check the steering for any clunk or slack when turning from lock to lock with the engine running, and inspect the inner edges of both front tyres for feathering. The advisories regarding a corroded offside front brake pipe and deteriorated nearside front anti-roll bar ball joint dust cover point to two areas that traditionally fail vans of this vintage. Brake pipe corrosion on a 22-year-old commercial vehicle is a structural integrity issue and not merely cosmetic, so the underside should be inspected for live rust, pitting or weeping along the full length of the brake lines, particularly at the rear axle and where pipes pass through the chassis outriggers. A deteriorated anti-roll bar ball joint boot will allow water and grit into the joint, leading to rapid wear; the buyer should listen for a metallic rattle or knock from the anti-roll bar area over rough roads and check for free play by rocking the bar by hand. Finally, the offside front structural corrosion advisory recorded at both tests should be re-examined with the vehicle on a ramp, paying particular attention to the inner wing, chassis leg and suspension turret, as corrosion in these areas progresses steadily and may now exceed the threshold at which structural rigidity is significantly reduced.