2017 Suzuki Vitara 1.6L Petrol · CF66 EVR

Chronic tyre perishing across all four corners dominates the mechanical profile of this 2017 Suzuki Vitara and is the most important issue for a prospective buyer to weigh. Since 2024 every MOT has logged at least two advisory items for cracking or perishing rubber, and by February 2025 all four tyres were flagged simultaneously, with the front pair recurring again at the most recent test on 30 December 2025. Even though every test in the seven-year recorded history returned a pass, the persistence of the same advisory on a car that has covered barely 12,421 miles is unusual and points to age-related rubber degradation rather than wear from use. The other recurring note is a non-excessive oil leak first raised in February 2025, which warrants a close look at the engine and gearbox sealing areas given how little mileage the vehicle has covered. Taken together, the roadworthiness trend is stable in terms of pass or fail but the advisory pattern is genuinely worsening, with rubber and oil-seal condition now the defining concerns. The mileage profile of roughly 1,380 miles per year over nine years is exceptionally low and has direct mechanical consequences. At this rate of accumulation the engine, gearbox and final drive have been subjected to very few thermal cycles, the brakes will have suffered minimal pad and disc wear, and the suspension is unlikely to have fatigued in the way higher-mileage examples experience. However, long periods of standing bring their own risks, including dried and cracked rubber components such as tyre sidewalls, perished door and bonnet seals, stale brake fluid, degraded battery capacity, and internal corrosion in the cooling and exhaust systems. Because the annual mileage is so modest, any advisories that have appeared in MOT records are almost certainly age-related rather than wear-related, which is consistent with the four-tyre perishing issue and the small oil leak noted. Buyers should also note that a low recorded mileage reduces the statistical likelihood of high-mileage component failures but does not eliminate age-related degradation of seals, rubber mounts and corrosion-prone structural areas. A prospective buyer should carry out a focused inspection of the components repeatedly flagged in the MOT history. The tyres should be examined in person for sidewall cracking, checking that the production date stamps are not approaching the end of their service life regardless of tread depth, and any replacement set should ideally be a matched quartet to avoid rolling circumference differences. For the oil leak, it is worth inspecting the underside of the engine and gearbox for fresh seepage, asking when the oil and filter were last changed, and verifying that the oil level on the dipstick sits within the correct range. Given how little the vehicle has been driven, the brake fluid should be tested for moisture content and the 12V battery load-tested, as a car that has stood for long periods between uses is prone to both. The underbody should be examined on a ramp for any surface corrosion on the subframe, suspension arms and brake pipe runs, particularly behind the wheel arches. On a road test, particular attention should be paid to the symptoms associated with aged rubber components that an MOT advisory will not always reveal. Listen for clonks or knocks from the front suspension over speed humps and rough tarmac, which would indicate perished anti-roll bar bushes, wishbone bushes or top mounts. Steering should feel precise without looseness, vibration or pulling to one side, and the brake pedal should be firm with no sponginess or judder under firm application, which would suggest corroded discs given the likely age of the original set. A cold-start observation is worthwhile, watching the exhaust for excessive blue or white smoke that could indicate oil being burnt past aged valve stem seals, a common consequence of infrequent use. Finally, with such low annual mileage, it is sensible to confirm that the cam timing chain or belt, coolant and gearbox oil have all been replaced on a time rather than mileage basis, as these items degrade regardless of how few miles the Vitara has covered.