2008 Peugeot 207 1.6L Diesel · CP57 FSJ

A clear pattern of suspension and underbody corrosion emerges across the MOT history of this eighteen year old Peugeot 207, accompanied by recurring front axle wear items that warrant close attention. The most recent test on 18 April 2026 was a pass accompanied by advisories for corroded rear coil springs, play in the steering rack inner joint, corrosion to both rear sill mounting areas, and general rear axle corrosion. This continues a trend visible in the 2025 tests, where the same rear sill and rear axle corrosion advisories were repeated across both the April failure and the subsequent retest pass. The earlier record includes two failures with major defects, one in April 2024 for split nearside front CV boots, an insecure offside front CV boot, and an ineffective nearside wiper, and one in March 2022 for an illuminated ABS warning lamp. Front suspension ball joint play was first flagged as an advisory in 2022, reappeared as an advisory in 2023, and progressed to a major failure in 2025 with the offside front ball joint recorded as excessively worn. The CV boot issue has been a persistent thread too, appearing as a minor in 2022 and 2023 before escalating to major non pass status in 2024. Mileage stands at 117,535 miles across eighteen years, giving an annual accumulation of roughly 6,530 miles, which is broadly typical for a car of this age. There are no extended gaps in the testing record that would suggest long periods off the road, and the mileage progression between tests appears steady and consistent. This level of use means that routine wear items such as tyres, brake components, suspension bushes, and CV joints have been exercised regularly rather than seizing up from disuse, but it also means that the consumable and chassis components have accumulated genuine wear over nearly two decades of service. For a prospective buyer, the most important areas to examine on a test drive relate directly to the items flagged in the MOT record. On the suspension, listen for clonking or knocking noises from the front end when traversing speed humps or potholes, particularly from the offside front where the ball joint was recorded as excessively worn, as any replacement lower arm or ball joint fitting will only be as good as the quality of the component used. Check for wandering or vagueness through the steering rack, which would corroborate the play noted in the inner joint, and feel for any judder or vibration through the steering wheel that might suggest worn front suspension components. With the rear coil springs now recorded as corroded, listen for any rear end sag or audible creaks over undulations, and visually inspect the spring seats for any loss of ride height or uneven stance. The underbody corrosion pattern deserves physical inspection on a ramp or over a pit before purchase. Both rear sills and the rear axle have been repeatedly flagged, so pay particular attention to surface rust, flaking, and any perforation around the rear suspension mounting points, the fuel and brake pipe runs along the chassis, and the subframe mounts. The CV boots on both front outer joints were recorded as split in 2024, so feel for any clicking or juddering under sharp acceleration or full lock and inspect the boots for fresh grease deposits or tears. The ABS warning lamp illuminated during the 2022 failure, so confirm that the lamp extinguishes promptly on ignition and does not return, and verify that the anti roll bar drop links, whose dust covers were severely deteriorated in 2022, have been replaced with intact gaiters. Finally, check the headlamp lenses which have been repeatedly noted as slightly defective, as heavy oxidation will reduce night time visibility and may justify replacement lenses.