2007 Mazda 5 2.0L Diesel · FH07 XST

A nineteen-year-old Mazda 5 with this MOT profile carries a mixed but workable roadworthiness picture, dominated by persistent suspension and anti-lock brake system (ABS) concerns. The most recent test on 9 November 2021 ended in a failure, the second consecutive year the vehicle did not pass first time, with the ABS warning lamp illuminated and a supplementary restraint system (SRS) airbag warning lamp also indicating a fault. Underneath those major electronic items, the front suspension shows a clear pattern of wear: both offside and nearside front suspension arm pins or bushes were flagged as advisory wear in 2021, the rear coil springs were noted as corroded in 2019, and the front anti-roll bar D bushes were already at the excessive-wear failure threshold in 2019. A track rod end dust cover was also deteriorating. The earlier record shows intermittent clean passes, including a no-defect pass in 2018 and a brake-pad advisory in 2017, but the trend across the last four tests is one of accumulating advisories and recurring ABS-related defects rather than stable condition. Mileage reads 136,196 miles against roughly nineteen years of age, which equates to around 7,168 miles per year on average and sits close to the expected accumulation for a car of this vintage. The MOT history is not perfectly continuous, with a clear gap between the May 2017 test and the May 2018 retest, and another gap between the May 2019 tests and the November 2020 tests, so a degree of irregular use is evident, though there is no multi-year lay-up that would suggest prolonged standing. For a vehicle at this mileage, the recorded wear pattern is consistent with a chassis that has done substantial work on UK roads: the suspension, braking and underbody components have all had considerable life to absorb, and the advisories logged over the years tend to reflect that cumulative exposure rather than any single isolated event. For a prospective buyer, the front suspension is the area to inspect most carefully on a test drive. The 2021 advisories on both front suspension arm pins or bushes, combined with the 2019 anti-roll bar D bush failure on both sides, suggest that the lower wishbones and anti-roll bar mountings are nearing the end of their useful life. Listen for clonks or knocks from the front end over speed humps and uneven surfaces, and feel for any vagueness or rattle through the steering wheel on rough tarmac. Check the tyres for uneven inner-edge wear, which can point to worn suspension geometry rather than simply old rubber, and inspect the front coil springs for any sign of sagging, particularly if the car sits lower on one side. A bouncy or unsettled ride over undulations would reinforce the advisories already recorded. The braking and electronic systems warrant equally close attention given the repeated ABS lamp fault across the 2020 and 2021 tests, alongside the SRS warning lamp flagged in 2021. On a test drive, verify that both warning lamps extinguish promptly after the ignition is switched on, and if the seller has had the ABS module or wheel sensors rectified, request documentation of the repair, as the same fault appearing in consecutive years would normally require more than a simple reset. Check for any pulling under braking, a soft or spongy pedal, or any grinding from the front discs, since front brake pad wear was already flagged as thinning in 2017 and the discs may now be due for renewal. Finally, examine the rear coil spring area for surface corrosion where the 2019 advisory was raised, look under the car for any fresh oil misting from the engine or transmission, and inspect the track rod end dust boots for splits, as the 2021 advisory noted deterioration that, while not yet at failure point, will progress with continued use.