2010 Vauxhall Combo 1.2L Diesel · FD10 TFU

A pattern of recurring advisories around the front brake hoses, steering linkage, and rear brake pipe corrosion has defined the mechanical history of this 2010 Vauxhall Combo, with two MOT failures recorded in the past four years both rooted in relatively straightforward but telling defects. The most recent attempt on 5 June 2025 resulted in a fail, driven by an inoperative engine management warning lamp, a non-functional horn, a failed nearside position lamp, incorrect headlamp aim, and a minor registration plate lamp issue. A similar scenario played out on 7 June 2022 when the vehicle failed on an engine MIL indication, insufficient windscreen washer fluid, and ineffective wiper operation, before passing the very next day once those items were addressed. Across the 2021 to 2024 tests the vehicle cleared, but each pass carried forward advisories on the same front brake hose ferrules, the nearside steering rack inner joint, and both rear brake pipes, suggesting that while none of these items have yet deteriorated to failure point, they represent a continuous wear narrative rather than one-off observations. With 191,803 miles accumulated over roughly fifteen and a half years on the road, the Combo has averaged close to 12,000 miles annually, which is a broadly typical figure for a commercial-derived vehicle of this type and age. There are, however, notable gaps in the testing record, with no MOT entry shown for 2020 and only single tests recorded in 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, which means the mileage progression between data points is uneven and harder to verify precisely. The combination of consistent annual usage at this rate and the advancing age of the vehicle means that consumable wear on suspension, braking, and drivetrain components should be assumed to be at the higher end of what one might expect, even where the MOT advisory list appears modest. For a prospective buyer, the priority mechanical concerns sit with the steering and braking assemblies. The nearside steering rack has carried a slight free play advisory at the inner joint across three consecutive tests, and the 2019 entry also noted slight wear at the steering column universal joint, so on a test drive any knocking or clunking from the column when turning, together with vagueness or a loose feeling around the straight-ahead position, would warrant close attention. The persistent advisories on both front brake hose ferrules showing slight corrosion, combined with front brake disc wear noted in 2021 and corroded rear brake pipes flagged in 2023 and 2024, indicate that a thorough inspection of the brake lines for surface rust, the hoses for cracking under the wheel arch, and the discs for lipping or judder under braking is essential. Given that brake judder and pedal pulsation tend to develop gradually, a firm pedal test from speed and a low-speed lock-to-lock brake application are advisable. The 2025 failure items also deserve a targeted physical check before purchase. The engine MIL being inoperative means the dashboard bulb itself may be faulty or the warning lamp circuit interrupted, which is not necessarily indicative of an underlying engine fault but does mean any current engine management issues would not be visible to the driver, so an independent diagnostic scan is strongly recommended. The horn, headlamp aim, and front position lamp failures are typically simple electrical fixes, but the fact that two of the recent failures clustered around basic lighting and washer function suggests that general electrical and trim-level maintenance may have lapsed. Finally, given the vehicle's age and the persistent brake pipe corrosion advisories, the underside should be examined on a ramp for any emerging structural corrosion around the rear axle, subframe mounting points, and the brake line runs, as these are the areas most likely to transition from advisory to fail status on the next test.