2009 Renault Trafic 2.0L Diesel · DU59 VOF

This 2009 Renault Trafic passed its most recent MOT on 18 December 2025 at 236,268 miles, but the maintenance trend is not reassuring. The pass came only one day after a failure on 17 December 2025 at 236,244 miles, indicating the previous owner addressed immediate fail items rather than undertaking thorough preventative work. Several advisories carried over from the failure, including slight play in the offside front track rod end ball joint, a deteriorated handbrake cable, and a damaged offside rear suspension mounting area on the floor. The offside front subframe mounting repair covered in underseal is a particular concern, as it suggests a structural repair has been concealed rather than properly resolved. The vehicle is currently roadworthy on paper, but the pattern points to reactive rather than proactive maintenance. The recorded mileage of 236,268 miles over approximately 17 years equates to roughly 13,898 miles per year, which is high for a light commercial vehicle of this age. The MOT history shows a notable gap between November 2023 at 231,442 miles and December 2024 at 231,918 miles, a span of over twelve months covering only 476 miles. This suggests the vehicle may have stood unused for an extended period, which can accelerate corrosion of brake lines, cables, and suspension components due to lack of use and dried-out seals. Mileage then jumped sharply to 236,268 miles by December 2025, an increase of 4,350 miles in under a year, indicating a return to heavier use. The sparse MOT record, with only five tests across three years, limits the ability to track long-term wear patterns reliably. A buyer should inspect the front suspension and steering carefully. The recurring advisories around track rod ends, Macpherson strut top bushes, and suspension arm bushes point to worn components that will affect handling and tyre wear. The offside front subframe mounting area, where a repair has been covered in underseal, warrants close examination by a qualified technician to verify structural integrity and rule out concealed corrosion or substandard welding. The handbrake cable deterioration flagged in both December 2025 tests suggests the parking brake system needs attention, and the offside rear brake pipe clipping issue from the failure raises questions about the security of the entire brake line run. Tyre condition has been flagged repeatedly, with wear close to the legal limit and cracking noted, indicating the vehicle may have been driven hard or left standing with flat-spotted tyres. The light misting of oil on the nearside front shock absorber, noted in November 2023, was not mentioned in later tests, but a physical inspection should confirm whether the damper has been replaced or is beginning to fail. Overall, this Trafic presents as a high-mileage work van that has received minimal cosmetic attention to its MOT pass rather than sustained mechanical care.