2005 Honda Civic 1.6L Petrol · DS05 VOU

The most recent MOT was on 2025-07-22 — just under 11 months ago — and it passed at 143,875 miles. However, it flagged the offside front tyre as worn close to the legal limit and showing edge wear, a defect that had already caused a failure two weeks earlier. There’s a clear and worsening pattern in the front suspension: the offside front lower suspension arm pin or bush was excessively worn in the July 2025 failure, following earlier warnings in 2023 about wear (though not yet excessive) and again in 2025 with a damaged ball joint dust cover. This shows progressive deterioration — not stable, and certainly not improving. The repeated exhaust emissions failures (in 2023 and 2025) also suggest an underlying engine management or fuelling issue that hasn’t been resolved. At 143,875 miles and 21 years old, the car averages just under 6,850 miles per year — broadly typical for its age. That suggests no extreme overuse, but also no unusually low mileage that might hint at long periods of inactivity. It’s a middle-ground figure: consistent use, likely meaning wear is real and cumulative, especially in suspension and tyres, but not necessarily indicative of abuse or neglect. The 2022 MOT was clean, and there’s no evidence of major recurring faults beyond those already noted — so the history isn’t alarmingly dense with defects, but the ones present are serious and persistent. Before buying, inspect the offside front suspension components in detail: look for play in the lower arm ball joint, cracks or collapse in the rubber bush, and signs of grease leakage or corrosion around the mounting points.