2011 Toyota Auris 1.8L Electric · FD11 GSV

A fifteen year old Toyota Auris with 122,713 miles on the odometer presents a roadworthiness picture dominated by a single, isolated braking failure rather than any chronic deterioration. The most recent test on 7 October 2025 returned a clean pass with no advisories, which is the first completely unblemished result recorded since the 2019 examination. Prior to that, the record carried a recurring theme of minor advisories and one dangerous failure at the nearside rear on 11 October 2024, when brake pads were found to be less than 1.5 mm thick. The same date also produced a paired pass result under the same advisory conditions, indicating that the vehicle was repaired and re-presented on the same day. Across the seven tests captured between 2019 and 2025, there is only one failure, and it is concentrated in a single component family rather than spread across multiple systems, suggesting the broader mechanical condition has remained largely stable. The mileage accumulation is broadly in line with the vehicle's age, averaging approximately 8,181 miles per year across its fifteen year life, which is typical for a privately used family hatchback of this era. Annual test intervals have been maintained consistently on a roughly twelve month cycle from 2019 onwards, with no significant gaps in testing history, meaning the recorded mileage can be considered reasonably continuous rather than reflecting long periods off the road. This steady, average rate of use implies that wear items such as brake friction material, tyres, suspension bushes, and exhaust components will have experienced moderate, predictable consumption rather than the accelerated wear associated with very high mileage or the standing-time degradation that affects very low mileage examples. The absence of any dramatic mileage jump between successive tests further supports a picture of ordinary, regular use. From a buyer's perspective, the dangerous rear brake pad failure recorded in October 2024 is the single most important flag to verify, as it indicates that friction material on that corner had been allowed to wear beyond the legal safety limit. Although the vehicle passed later that same day following replacement, the buyer should confirm exactly what work was carried out, whether the rear brake caliper was inspected for sticking or binding given that the pads wore prematurely, and whether the rear brake discs were replaced or just the pads, particularly since an advisory for nearside rear brake disc wear (noted as not excessive) was issued on the same day. A test drive should focus on any pulling to one side under moderate braking, a soft or spongy pedal feel, or any scraping or grinding noise from the rear wheels, all of which could indicate incomplete repair, seized caliper mechanism, or a handbrake that is no longer holding correctly. The nearside front tyre cut advisory from the same test is worth physically inspecting on the car to confirm the sidewall damage has not progressed into a deep gouge reaching the ply cords, as this would render the tyre illegal for road use regardless of its tread depth. The remaining advisory history centres on the front suspension and steering joints, with the offside front track rod end dust cover noted as damaged on both the 2022 and 2023 tests, alongside a separate offside front suspension arm ball joint dust cover flagged in 2022. On inspection, the buyer should jack the front of the vehicle or use a ramp to check these boots for splits, perished rubber, or fresh grease contamination, and then grasp the wheels at nine and three o'clock to feel for any play or clonking through the steering. Knock or squeak noises from the front end over speed bumps or uneven surfaces, particularly from the offside, would warrant further investigation of the lower suspension arms and anti-roll bar linkages, as deterioration of these dust covers typically precedes wear in the joints themselves. The offside rear shock absorber misting advisory from 2021, combined with fifteen years of service, means the rear damping should be evaluated by pushing down firmly on each rear corner and counting the number of oscillations before the body settles; more than one and a half bounces suggests the shocks have lost effectiveness. With the most recent test entirely clear, the immediate priorities are confirming the quality of the post-failure brake repair and keeping a close watch on the steering and suspension boots that have already begun to deteriorate.