2007 Mitsubishi I 0.7L Petrol · FM07 NKP

Despite its nineteen years on the road, this Mitsubishi i presents a largely clean DVSA record, with the most recent test on 23 February 2026 returning a pass alongside a single advisory noting rust on both rear wheel arches. Prior to that, the car passed on 7 March 2025 and 5 March 2024 with no advisories or defects recorded at all, indicating a stable and consistent pattern of roadworthiness over the testing window. The only blemish is a failure on 2 March 2023, which was rectified at the same visit (the same date carries both a fail and a pass), involving a dangerous offside rear tyre with exposed ply or cords and a major front wiper non-clearance defect. There is no history of brake, suspension, exhaust, structural, or lighting failures anywhere in the record, and the advisory history is minimal, suggesting the vehicle has not been subject to chronic mechanical deterioration under test conditions. With 58,809 miles accumulated over roughly nineteen years, the annual mileage is very low at approximately 3,095 miles per year, which points to either light weekend or short-journey use or extended periods of standing. This kind of low-mileage usage profile tends to age the vehicle through environmental factors rather than mechanical wear, which is consistent with the surface corrosion beginning to appear on the rear wheel arches. Consumables such as brake discs, calipers, and flexible brake hoses are likely to have suffered surface oxidation rather than wear, and the coolant, brake fluid, and transmission oil may be older than the odometer reading suggests. Tyres on such a low-use vehicle can also age through sidewall hardening even if tread depth remains adequate. The rear wheel arch corrosion flagged in February 2026 is the principal area worth examining in detail, as it was not present in any of the previous tests and represents the start of an emerging issue. On inspection, the buyer should check both arches for bubbling under the paint, flaking at the seams, and any perforation that could allow moisture into the boot floor or rear inner structure. Corrosion at the arches can spread to the surrounding panel seams, the rear bumper mounting points, and the suspension strut tops, so it is worth tapping the surrounding metal for a hollow sound and inspecting the boot interior for dampness or rust on the spare wheel well. Given the car's age, the underside should also be examined for any emerging corrosion on subframe mounting points, brake pipe runs, and fuel lines, even though none of these areas have yet attracted advisories. On a test drive, attention should focus on the components most likely to have deteriorated from standing rather than wear. Listen for knocking or clonking from the suspension over bumps, particularly at the rear, which could indicate perished bushes, weakened coil springs, or top mount wear. The brakes should be tested for binding, particularly at the rear, as corroded caliper sliders and seized handbrake mechanisms are common on low-mileage vehicles of this age. The steering should be checked for wandering or uneven effort, the gearchange for any notchiness consistent with aged gearbox oil, and the wiper mechanism for the same non-clearance behaviour that caused the 2023 failure. Finally, confirm that the tyres are not only legal in tread depth but also free from sidewall cracking, as old tyres on a low-use car can be dangerous despite appearing serviceable.