2019 Renault Trafic 1.6L Diesel · DT19 AEA

The 2019 Renault Trafic passed its most recent MOT on 20 August 2025 at 87,047 miles, but the record reveals a maintenance pattern that is neither stable nor fully resolving. Three advisories carried forward from earlier years suggest deferred attention rather than active repair. The nearside front anti-roll bar D bush was flagged as worn in August 2025, the shock absorber on the same corner was noted with a light oil misting, and the nearside front track rod end had slight play. None of these items were new. The track rod end and steering rack inner joint were both flagged in July 2023, and the rack joint advisory reappeared in the August 2023 retest. This indicates a slow-developing steering and front-end wear issue that has persisted across two consecutive test cycles without being addressed. The mileage accumulation is high for a seven-year-old van. Between August 2022 at 57,539 miles and August 2025 at 87,047 miles, the vehicle covered 29,508 miles in three years, averaging just under 10,000 miles per year. The annual rate sits around 12,435 miles when measured from new, which is well above typical light-commercial use. That pace of wear places greater stress on consumable components, particularly tyres, brakes, and suspension bushes. The record supports this. In July 2023, both rear tyres were worn to the legal limit and the nearside rear had a puncturing nail. The oil level was also below minimum and had to be topped up before the test. These are not catastrophic failures, but they point to an owner who allowed basic upkeep to lapse between services. A buyer should focus the physical inspection on the front suspension and steering. The repeated advisories around the nearside track rod end, steering rack inner joint, and anti-roll bar bush suggest cumulative play that may now be more pronounced at 87,000 miles. Check for uneven tyre wear, clunking over bumps, and vague steering response. The light misting on the nearside front shock absorber warrants close examination; if the misting has progressed to a visible oil leak, the damper is losing damping efficiency and should be replaced. Inspect the rear brakes carefully. Although no brake defects appear in the record, high-mileage vans used for load-carrying often suffer from binding calipers and uneven disc wear that may not always trigger an MOT failure. Finally, look for corrosion on the subframe, sills, and around the rear spring mounts. The MOT record does not flag structural rust, but a vehicle doing 12,000-plus miles annually in UK road conditions is exposed to accelerated underbody deterioration that a single visual check can confirm or rule out.