2013 Hyundai IX35 1.7L Diesel · EA63 BOU

The 2013 Hyundai ix35 passed its most recent MOT on 2026-03-11 at 106,316 miles, but the maintenance trend is clearly worsening. The car failed the day before on 2026-03-10 at the identical recorded mileage before being retested and passed with advisories. Crucially, the same defects appeared in both the failure and the pass, indicating the underlying faults were not rectified but merely assessed as not severe enough to warrant a failure on the second attempt. The rear suspension arm bushes, corroded rear coil springs, worn front brake discs, and front tyres close to the legal limit all persisted across both tests. A new defect on the failure, a degraded offside front ball joint dust cover, was not mentioned on the pass, though this may simply reflect the retest scope rather than a repair. The mileage progression tells a story of very light recent use. The car covered 77,305 miles by August 2022, then reached 87,229 miles by August 2023, adding roughly 9,900 miles in that year. From August 2023 to March 2026, a span of over two and a half years, the mileage increased by only about 19,000 miles, averaging around 7,600 miles annually in that period. The identical 106,316-mile reading on both the 2026-03-10 failure and the 2026-03-11 pass confirms the vehicle has barely moved since. The 2025 test at 94,979 miles was clean, meaning the current cluster of defects has developed in the last 11,300 miles or so, concentrated in the most recent ownership period. The recurring suspension and braking advisories warrant close physical inspection. Both rear coil springs are corroded, and on a vehicle of this age and mileage, corrosion on load-bearing springs raises questions about structural integrity, particularly if the car has been used on salted roads or stored damp. The rear suspension arm bushes are worn on both sides, which, combined with corroded springs, suggests the rear end may have a tired, unsettled ride quality. The front brake discs are worn, pitted, or scored on both sides, indicating either deferred replacement or aggressive driving that has taken its toll on the braking system. A buyer should get underneath to check the condition of the rear subframe and mounting points for corrosion, inspect the coil springs for any cracking beyond surface rust, and assess whether the front brake discs have reached their minimum thickness specification. The front tyres were worn close to the legal limit and worn on edge at the most recent test, pointing to either misalignment or prolonged underinflation. Edge wear on both fronts is a classic sign of incorrect tracking, which would also accelerate wear on suspension bushes and ball joints. The degraded offside front ball joint dust cover flagged in the failure allows dirt and moisture into the joint, accelerating wear and potentially leading to a costly repair if the joint itself has been compromised. A buyer should verify the tyre replacement date, check the tracking and alignment, and inspect the ball joint for play. The clean 2025 test suggests the car was better maintained earlier, but the current state indicates deferred upkeep that will need addressing before long.