2011 Honda Accord 2.2L Diesel · EJ60 TFK

The 2011 Honda Accord presents a mixed but broadly improving maintenance picture as of its most recent MOT on 11 July 2025 at 159,255 miles. The tester flagged only one minor advisory, front brake linings wearing thin, with a clean emissions result and no failures. This is a marked improvement over the chaotic double-test sequence in July 2023, where the car failed twice on the same mileage within 24 hours for serious defects including a leaking nearside rear shock absorber, an excessively loose engine mount, and tyres worn below the 1.6mm legal limit. The fact that the 2024 and 2025 tests both passed cleanly suggests the previous owner addressed those critical faults and has since maintained the vehicle to a reasonable standard. The trend is therefore one of recovery and stabilisation, though the underlying pattern of neglect prior to mid-2023 warrants caution. The mileage accumulation tells a consistent story. Between July 2023 at 146,110 miles and July 2024 at 151,560 miles, the car covered 5,450 miles in twelve months. The following year it added just 7,695 miles to reach 159,255 by July 2025. Over the full fifteen-year life that equates to roughly 10,617 miles per year, which is unremarkable for a car of this age and suggests regular rather than excessive use. There are no suspicious mileage gaps or implausible jumps in the record. The odometer readings progress logically across every test date, giving confidence that the service history is not being concealed through mileage anomalies. The 2024 test at 151,560 miles is the most informative for a prospective buyer. It revealed a cluster of suspension and braking advisories that, while not severe enough to fail the test, point to components approaching the end of their service life. The offside front upper suspension arm ball joint had slight play, the rear brake discs were worn, rear pads were wearing thin, and the offside rear service brake was binding. Combined with the earlier shock absorber failure and engine mount issue from 2023, this suggests the front and rear suspension assemblies have endured sustained stress and may need closer inspection. A buyer should have the suspension bushes, ball joints, coil springs, and drop links physically checked for play and deterioration, paying particular attention to the rear shock absorbers for any fresh oil weeping. Corrosion also appeared as an advisory in the 2024 test, noted as slight corrosion on rear surfaces and components. On a fifteen-year-old car with nearly 160,000 miles, underbody and subframe rust is a legitimate structural concern, especially around rear suspension mounting points, sills, and brake line runs. The gearbox oil leak flagged in 2024, though described as not excessive, should be traced to its source during a pre-purchase inspection. Brake binding on the rear offside recurred across both the 2023 and 2024 tests, which could indicate a sticking caliper, a collapsed flexible hose, or a handbrake cable issue that has not been fully resolved. Any buyer should test-drive the car and check for pulling under braking, uneven pad wear, or a handbrake that does not release cleanly. The front brake linings advisory in 2025 confirms that braking components remain a recurring consumable wear point on this example.