2004 Vauxhall Astra 1.4L Petrol · CW04 NLX

The Vauxhall Astra shows an incomplete and concerning roadworthiness picture. The most recent test on 21 March 2023 recorded a failure at 92,791 miles with no defects listed, which suggests an administrative or presentation issue rather than a clean pass. Prior to that, the August 2021 record is contradictory: a failure at 88,192 miles on 27 August followed by a pass at 88,197 miles the same day, again with no defects noted. The maintenance trend cannot be called stable, worsening, or improving from this data because the DVSA entries carry no advisories or failure reasons, leaving the vehicle's true condition unverified. The odometer sat at 88,197 miles in August 2021 and rose to 92,791 miles by March 2023, a gain of 4,594 miles over roughly 19 months. Against a 22-year life and a long-term average near 4,200 miles per year, this usage is consistently low. The gap between the 2021 and 2023 tests spans over 18 months, and no MOT exists between, so the car may have stood unused or been off the road. Sparse records with zero advisories across three entries imply either very light use or that testers logged minimal detail, which limits any judgement on wear patterns. A buyer must treat the 2023 failure as a red flag despite the absent defect list. Book a full independent inspection before purchase. The tester should check structural integrity for corrosion, examine suspension bushes and coil springs for age-related fatigue, and measure brake disc and caliper condition given the car's likely periods of standing. Low mileage Vauxhalls of this era often hide perished rubber components and seized handbrake mechanisms when left idle. Verify the reason for the 2023 failure through the DVLA or test station, since the record gives no fault code. Confirm the 2021 same-day fail-and-pass was a retest, not a clerical error. Without those facts, the Astra's roadworthiness remains unproven on paper.