2019 Renault Trafic SL28 Sport Energy DCI 2.0L Diesel · CE69 ETF

A pattern of brake and tyre wear problems sits at the centre of this Trafic's MOT record, with two of the last three tests ending in failure rather than pass. The November 2025 test is the most revealing because, despite recording a pass entry, it was paired with a failure on the same date for an inoperative or malfunction-indicating engine management warning lamp. That is not a mechanical defect in the traditional sense but it means a dashboard MIL is either not illuminating on ignition as it should, or it is illuminated constantly to signal an emissions or engine management fault. The November 2024 test followed a similar dual pattern, with a pass recorded alongside a failure for mismatched rear tyre sizes, a worn front anti-roll bar linkage ball joint, and a thin front brake pad advisory. Most concerning is the November 2022 test, which produced a Dangerous failure for front brake pads worn below 1.5 mm, the point at which a tester is obliged to flag the vehicle as unsafe to drive away. The recurrence of brake-related defects, including the parking brake efficiency advisory carried over from 2024, suggests the braking system is being worked hard and may need closer scrutiny than a clean-looking bodywork would imply. At 100,778 miles over roughly seven years, this Trafic is averaging about 14,400 miles per year, which is well above the typical light commercial vehicle average and points to sustained commercial or high-mileage private use. There are no extended gaps in the testing record, with annual entries from 2021 through 2025, which means the van has been in regular service throughout its life rather than left standing for long periods. That continuity is mechanically reassuring in one respect, as diesel vans left unused for months often suffer from damp in the intercooler, seized callipers, and exhaust condensate corrosion, but it does mean every wear item has been accumulating mileage at a steady rate. A van doing this kind of annual distance will typically be on its second or third set of front discs, second clutch in some cases, and well into the wear zone for suspension components, particularly at the front where the unladen weight of a panel van is concentrated. For a buyer, the front brake system should be the first port of call on any inspection. The 2022 dangerous pad failure and 2024 thin pad advisory together indicate that pad wear on this vehicle is not gradual but rapid, so check the current pad thickness against the backing plate and look at the disc wear ridge with a fingernail or torch, as grooved or lipped discs will usually need replacing alongside new pads. The parking brake advisory carried on the 2024 test means the rear drum or caliper mechanism is borderline and may need adjustment or new shoes, so when applying the handbrake with the vehicle stationary expect to feel the lever travel higher than normal or hear the mechanism clicking rather than holding cleanly. On the road, listen for any scraping or grinding from the front wheels on light braking, and watch for steering pull to one side which would suggest a binding caliper is dragging on one side while the other works normally. The November 2025 engine MIL defect is the most pressing item to resolve before purchase, because it can mask anything from a minor sensor fault to a DPF blockage, turbo issue, or injector problem on the 2.0 dCi engine, and any of these would be expensive on a van of this mileage. Ask the seller to confirm whether the warning lamp extinguishes on ignition and stays off, and whether any diagnostic trouble codes have been read and cleared recently, as a glowing MIL with no stored code often points to a recent garage reset rather than a fix. The 2024 anti-roll bar ball joint failure means the front suspension should be inspected with the wheel loaded, ideally on a ramp, looking for any play in the bar links or vertical movement at the wishbones, and on a test drive expect to hear clonks or knocks from the front end over speed humps and rough tarmac. Finally, check that all four tyres are the same size, brand, and at least matching tread depth, as the 2024 mismatched-tyre failure is the kind of defect that can reappear if a single replacement tyre has been fitted without checking the others.