2012 Ford Fiesta 1.6L Petrol · FL12 VSE

The 2012 Ford Fiesta currently holds a valid MOT pass dated 3 March 2026 at 45,605 miles, yet the maintenance trend has deteriorated sharply in the weeks immediately preceding that certificate. The most recent test recorded a corroded nearside front coil spring, a defect that was absent from every prior annual test dating back to March 2023. Just eight days earlier, on 25 February 2026, the car failed on the same coil spring corrosion plus both front tyres below the 1.6mm legal minimum. The rapid emergence of these defects after four consecutive clean passes suggests a sudden decline in basic upkeep rather than a gradual wear pattern. The mileage profile is strikingly low for a fourteen-year-old vehicle. Between March 2023 at 31,672 miles and March 2026 at 45,605 miles, the car covered only 13,933 miles across three full years, averaging roughly 4,644 miles annually before that period and even less in the most recent months. The recorded mileage did not move at all between the 25 February 2026 failure and the 3 March 2026 pass, indicating the car likely sat unused between tests. Prolonged standing can accelerate corrosion on suspension components, brake discs, and exhaust systems, and may explain the sudden coil spring advisory after years of clean records. A buyer should inspect the front suspension carefully, focusing on the nearside coil spring for section thickness loss and cracking beyond the tester's advisory threshold. Both front tyres were illegal in February, so check whether replacements are now fitted and whether the offside tyre also shows uneven wear from prolonged misalignment. Examine the brake discs and calipers for surface corrosion consistent with a vehicle that sits idle, and check the underside exhaust and subframe mounting points for the same standing-rust pattern. The clean MOT history from 2023 through 2025 implies competent prior ownership, but the February 2026 failure and the advisory carried into the March pass point to deferred maintenance that a road test and a thorough underside inspection should verify before purchase.