2009 Ford Transit Connect 1.8L Diesel · FD59 CYE

The most recent MOT, conducted on 5 October 2021 at 187,797 miles, passed but flagged an offside front tyre worn close to the legal limit and a driver-side wing mirror taped on. That test is now nearly five years old, meaning the vehicle has sat without a valid MOT for a considerable period. The maintenance trend is not stable or improving. It is effectively unknown beyond late 2021, and the gap itself raises serious questions about how the vehicle has been stored or used since. The mileage progression tells a clear story of a working van that then stopped. Between August 2018 at 142,096 miles and October 2020 at 165,146 miles, the vehicle covered roughly 23,000 miles in two years, a steady pace. Then, between October 2020 and October 2021, it accumulated approximately 22,650 miles in a single year, which is high even for a commercial vehicle. After that final test, the recorded mileage remains frozen at 187,797. The van has either been standing idle for nearly five years or has been used without a valid MOT, both of which carry significant implications for its mechanical condition. A buyer should treat this vehicle as unroadworthy until proven otherwise. The 2020 failure identified corroded brake pipes, widespread underbody corrosion, worn front brake discs and pads, an oil leak, and a parking brake system operating well below required efficiency. These are not minor advisories. Corroded brake lines and structural underbody rust directly compromise safety-critical systems, and a parking brake below 50 percent efficiency is a serious deficiency. The fact that the van passed in 2021 suggests some remediation occurred, but without a recent test, there is no evidence those faults have not returned or worsened during prolonged storage. Before any purchase, a full underbody inspection is essential. Check all brake lines for fresh corrosion or weeping, examine the parking brake cables and calipers for seizure, and assess the condition of the exhaust, fuel lines, and suspension mounting points for rust jacking or perforation. The tyre date codes should be verified regardless of tread depth, as rubber degrades with age. A compression test and thorough fluid analysis would also be prudent given the extended period without documented operation. This vehicle's history suggests it was worked hard, repaired reactively, and then abandoned. Proceed with extreme caution.