2005 KIA Picanto 1.1L Petrol · DN05 TYS

A chronic pattern of rear suspension and braking wear defines this 2005 Kia Picanto. Both rear coil springs are flagged as corroded in the most recent test on 17 August 2026, with the nearside spring having carried this advisory since 2021 and recurring through 2022, indicating progressive corrosion rather than a transient issue. The braking system has also demanded attention: a dangerous defect was recorded in August 2023 for a leaking offside front-to-rear brake pipe, alongside significantly worn rear brake discs and thinning rear pads, and the offside rear shock absorber exhibited a serious fluid leak when it failed the following year in July 2024. The vehicle did pass at the most recent attempt, but only after a straight re-test on 3 July 2024 cleared the track rod end, shock absorber and registration plate defects, and the current pass includes an inoperative offside registration plate lamp, suggesting that minor electrical and corrosion concerns continue to surface. With 84,117 miles accumulated over roughly 21 years, annual mileage works out at approximately 4,000 miles, which is notably low for a vehicle of this age and points to either long stationary periods or genuinely light use. There are no extended gaps between MOT tests, with annual or near-annual inspections recorded consistently back to 2021, so the car has not been off the road for multi-year stretches. Lower annual mileage of this nature typically preserves engine and gearbox internals but accelerates corrosion of ferrous components such as springs, brake pipes and underbody metal, which aligns directly with the advisories and failures in the record. The relatively low accumulated mileage also explains why the front tyres were only flagged as worn on edge in 2024 and 2025 rather than repeatedly over many tests, and why brake wear items appeared clustered in a single year rather than spread out. A prospective buyer should treat the rear axle area as the priority inspection zone. The corroded rear coil springs should be examined for advanced section loss, and the spring seats on the rear axle should be checked for crumbling rubber or seating corrosion, as corroded springs on small city cars often indicate broader underfloor oxidation. The offside rear shock absorber, which was flagged with a serious fluid leak in 2024, warrants a check for continued seepage, uneven damping, or clonks over undulating surfaces, and the offside track rod end ball joint, replaced after the July 2024 failure, should be rocked by hand for any return of play. Given the dangerous brake pipe failure on the offside front-to-rear line in 2023, the entire brake pipe run, particularly along the chassis rails and underbody junctions, should be inspected for rust flaking, pinholes or fresh repairs, and the pedal should be tested for a firm feel without sponginess. On a road test, listen for any rear knocking or bottoming-out over speed humps, which would indicate the corroded springs have lost rate or the rear shocks are no longer controlling the axle. The car should be driven through a series of sharp left and right turns to detect clonking from the front suspension, a sign that the replaced track rod end or adjacent linkages have worn prematurely, and any steering pull or vagueness off-centre should be noted as a possible steering rack or geometry concern following the ball joint failure. Braking should be checked from higher speeds for any pull to one side, vibration through the pedal, or grinding noises, particularly at the rear where both discs were previously scored and pads were thin. Finally, verify that all registration plate lamps illuminate correctly, as the offside lamp was recorded inoperative at the latest test, and inspect the rear plate inscription for clarity, since this has previously been deemed illegible.