2008 Ford Fiesta 1.4L Diesel · DF07 CAM

The 2008 Ford Fiesta presents as a borderline case. The most recent MOT, passed on 19 November 2025 at 112,850 miles, shows the car is currently legal, but the maintenance trend is not stable. It is a cycle of failure and repair focused on basic consumables and lighting, masking a persistent underlying issue with corrosion. The tester flagged a single minor fault on the pass certificate, yet the preceding failure just a day earlier reveals a pattern of neglecting simple, low-cost items like a missing fuel cap and faulty wipers. This suggests reactive rather than preventative upkeep. The mileage accumulation of roughly 6,269 miles per year is typical for an eighteen-year-old supermini. The record shows a gap of approximately 4,645 miles between the November 2024 and November 2025 tests, indicating consistent but light annual use. There are no glaring mileage anomalies or significant gaps in the MOT record itself, but the MOT history only stretches back to 2023, offering a limited three-year window into the car's recent life. The mileage progression from 106,017 in late 2023 to 112,850 in late 2025 confirms steady, low-mileage use. A buyer must inspect the underside carefully. The November 2024 test explicitly noted corrosion on the underside and suspension components, a serious structural concern for a vehicle of this age. The recurring advisories on corroded brake pipes and a corroded brake hose ferrule point to a systemic rust problem within the braking system, not just a one-off issue. The fractured offside rear coil spring flagged in 2024 was repaired, but with both rear coil springs noted as corroded in the same test, the condition of the nearside unit is suspect. The front brake discs have been consistently worn and pitted across multiple tests, indicating the car has been driven hard or the discs are of poor quality. Beyond the structural risks, the electrical and mechanical faults are telling. The repeated headlamp aim failures suggest possible damage to the headlamp mounting or a botched bulb replacement. The recurring registration plate lamp fault points to a wiring or earth issue rather than simply a blown bulb. The worn front tyres appearing on the inner edges are a clear indicator of worn suspension bushes or tracking misalignment, likely linked to the corroded underbody. A prospective buyer should compression-test the engine, check for exhaust blow from the manifold given the age, and probe every suspension mounting point for rot before committing.