2016 Ford Fiesta 1.0L Petrol · EK16 UBH

The 2016 Ford Fiesta currently holds a valid MOT pass certificate dated 23 March 2026, recorded at 64,266 miles. The maintenance trend is broadly stable but shows a gradual shift from minor electrical niggles toward more substantive suspension wear. The most recent test cycle is particularly telling: the car failed its initial attempt on the same day for a non-functioning nearside stop lamp, then passed a retest after that bulb was replaced. However, the tester still flagged two advisories that remain unresolved. The offside front shock absorber is exhibiting a light misting of oil, indicating the damper seal is beginning to weep. More critically, the offside rear coil spring is corroded. These are not new problems; both were noted in the March 2026 pass certificate as well, meaning the owner chose to present the car for test without addressing them. A weeping damper and a corroded spring on the same axle suggest the rear suspension has been neglected, and the corrosion risk to the spring's structural integrity is a genuine concern under repeated load cycling. The mileage progression tells a consistent story of regular, moderate use. The car covered roughly 4,400 miles between May 2023 and April 2024, then about 9,000 miles between April 2024 and March 2026, indicating a step up in usage over the past two years. The current total of 64,266 miles over approximately ten years works out at around 6,400 miles per year, which is typical for a small urban or suburban hatchback. There are no suspicious gaps or sudden jumps in the odometer record that would suggest clocking or prolonged standing. The MOT history itself is fairly sparse, with only five recorded tests across the car's life, but the entries that do exist are logically spaced and the mileage increments are plausible. A buyer should focus their physical inspection on the rear suspension and the condition of the offside rear coil spring in particular. Surface rust on a coil spring can hide pitting that weakens the metal, and a fractured spring at speed is a serious handling risk. The weeping offside front shock absorber should be checked for damping effectiveness and whether the oil misting has worsened since March. Beyond the flagged items, the advisories from earlier years are worth verifying. The slightly distorted inner rim on the nearside front wheel noted in April 2025 could have introduced a slow tyre pressure loss or uneven tyre wear, so that wheel and tyre should be closely examined. The registration plate lamp fault from 2024 and the stop lamp failure from 2026 both point to minor electrical issues, but a broader check of the rear light cluster wiring and bulb holders is sensible given the age of the car. Brake components, tyre condition, and the underside for corrosion should all form part of a standard pre-purchase inspection on a ten-year-old Fiesta of this mileage.