2010 Ford Mondeo 1.8L Diesel · CE60 VFS

This particular Mondeo's MOT record is sparse to the point of being almost a blank page, with a single pass recorded on 21 September 2021 carrying no advisories, no defects, and no failures against a vehicle that has now been on the road for well over a decade. While a clean pass is certainly a favourable data point, the absolute absence of advisory notes across its entire testing history is unusually thin for a sixteen year old car, particularly one that has clearly been in continuous use given the odometer figure. Buyers should treat the minimal MOT history as much an information gap as a positive indicator, as the record simply does not document what wear items or deterioration may have developed since that 2021 examination. Recorded mileage of 323,104 miles against a 2010 manufacture date represents an annualised accumulation of roughly 20,194 miles per year, which sits firmly in the high mileage bracket for any passenger car of this era. Critically, there is a five year and nearly twelve month gap between the latest MOT test in September 2021 and today's date of September 2026, and during that interval the vehicle would have covered somewhere in the region of 100,000 additional miles on top of whatever figure was on the clock at the last test. This extended period of high annual mileage accumulation, with no statutory inspection milestones to verify component condition, raises legitimate mechanical concerns around wear rate of consumables and major drivetrain items, particularly given that a Mondeo of this generation nearing the 400,000 mile mark would normally have required replacement of clutches, timing chains, turbochargers, dual mass flywheels, suspension subframes, and multiple sets of brake discs and calipers by that point. For a prospective buyer, the priority inspection areas should centre on the items that historically plague high mileage examples of the Ford Mondeo, particularly the fourth generation platform on which this car sits. Power steering racks are notorious for developing weeping seals and a whining noise on lock, so particular attention should be paid to the PAS fluid level and any dark staining on the rack itself. The diesel engine variants, if fitted, are known for timing chain stretch, injector failure, and EGR valve sticking, while petrol variants commonly suffer from ignition coil pack degradation and coolant leaks from the thermostat housing. On the test drive, listen carefully for any rattle on cold start which could indicate timing chain stretch, watch for excessive smoke from the exhaust under acceleration, and note any hesitation or misfire suggesting failing coil packs or fuelling issues. Given the apparent high mileage usage profile and the lack of recent inspection data, a thorough pre-purchase inspection at a specialist familiar with Ford products is strongly advisable, ideally including a compression test on the engine and a borescope inspection of the cylinders if accessible. On the road, test the gearbox for any harsh shifts or clutch slip, particularly on the manual variants where concentric slave cylinders are a known weak point, and check that all gears engage positively without crunching. Inspect the underside for corrosion on the subframe, suspension arms, and brake lines, as Mondeos of this age frequently develop surface and structural rust in the wheel arches, along the sills, and around the rear axle mounting points. Finally, verify that all fluid levels are correct, that there are no warning lights illuminated on the dashboard, and that the air conditioning and auxiliary electrical systems function as expected, as high mileage tends to expose electrical gremlins before any mechanical failure becomes apparent.