2009 Ford Kuga 2.0L Diesel · EX09 MYB

A seventeen-year-old Kuga with this kind of MOT history tells a fairly mixed mechanical story, with a recent trend that has clearly deteriorated. The most recent test on 4 October 2021 was recorded as both a pass and a fail on the same day, the pass carrying only a minor repeater lens defect and a deteriorated rear number plate, while the fail flagged dangerously low tread on both front tyres, a position lamp out, an incorrect colour side repeater, and the same repeater lens issue. Looking further back, a clean pass in 2020 was undermined by a same-day fail for an inoperative windscreen washer, an inoperative number plate lamp, and a rear fog lamp with an adversely affected lens. Earlier tests in 2016 and 2018 show a more stable picture, but the 2019 test recorded advisories on all four brake discs for pitting and scoring, plus front tyres wearing on the edges. Taken together, the record contains one fail for steering rack gaiter security, two fails for lighting and tyre issues, and a clear cluster of brake and tyre advisories that any prospective buyer needs to take seriously. Mileage accumulation over the recorded life of the vehicle averages out at roughly 7,250 miles per year, which is broadly typical for a car of this age and not in itself a red flag. There is, however, a noticeable gap in the MOT record, with no test entries between April 2019 and September 2020, and then another longer stretch between October 2021 and the present date. That later gap means the car has effectively been off the road for nearly five years from the last recorded DVSA test perspective, and although 123,269 miles at a 2019 test would still leave substantial work for suspension, brakes, tyres, rubber components, and underbody protection over the intervening years. Combined with the age of the vehicle, this raises the likelihood that age-related deterioration rather than mileage-related wear will be the dominant factor at any current inspection, particularly on rubber, fluids, and corrosion-prone components. For a physical inspection, priority should be given to the four brake discs that were all flagged in 2019 for pitting and scoring. With the car now significantly older and having covered further mileage, the buyer should expect either renewed lipping, further corrosion pitting, or discs that have worn past service limits, and brake pedal feel should be checked for judder under firm application. The 2021 dangerous tyre failures on both front tyres also need to be treated as a recurrent risk, as the 2016 advisories on perished rear tyres and uneven inner-edge wear, combined with 2019 front edge wear, suggest tracking or suspension geometry issues that have never been resolved. On a test drive, listen for knocking or clonking from the front suspension over speed humps and rough surfaces, pay attention to steering pull or uneven steering response, and check that the front tyres are wearing evenly across their width. A vehicle tracking inspection and a four-wheel alignment check would be a sensible precaution given the historical edge-wear pattern. The remaining specific items from the MOT record deserve attention during a pre-purchase inspection. The insecure offside steering rack gaiter flagged in 2016 is a known weakness on this generation of Kuga, and any inspection should include a close look under the bonnet and from beneath for fresh grease around the rack gaiters, as well as checking for play in the steering and any whining or groaning from the rack on full lock. Lighting and visibility items should be re-verified, as the 2020 and 2021 tests both produced failures for washer, number plate, fog lamp, and position lamp issues that tend to recur on older vehicles through simple connector and switch wear. Finally, given the multi-year lay-up implied by the missing recent tests, the buyer should plan for the cost of a full fluid and filter refresh, a new battery, fresh tyres regardless of apparent tread, and a thorough underbody inspection for corrosion around suspension mounting points, brake lines, and the subframe, as none of these areas will have been assessed by an MOT for several years.