2007 Nissan Qashqai 1.6L Petrol · FV07 NLL

A chronic theme of suspension wear, corrosion and a lingering safety‑system fault dominates the vehicle’s MOT record, with multiple advisories on front and rear arm bushes and repeated warnings about the supplementary restraint system lamp. The latest MOT on 4 June 2026 recorded a pass overall but also logged a failure for the SRS warning lamp, meaning the airbag indicator is still out of service despite the oil‑leak advisory being deemed non‑excessive. At 101,141 miles over 19 years the annual mileage averages just over 5,300 mi, well below the typical usage for a vehicle of this age. The relatively low accumulation suggests light on‑road duty, but the pattern of yearly testing with no long gaps indicates the car has been kept on the road rather than stored idle for extended periods. Light usage reduces cumulative wear on drivetrain components, yet prolonged low mileage can allow seals and rubber components to dry out, which aligns with the recurring oil‑leak advisory and the split CV‑joint boot noted on the near‑side front inner drive‑shaft. The suspension arms have been flagged repeatedly: off‑side front lower arm pin/bush wear, off‑side rear and near‑side rear arm corrosion, and a near‑side front lower arm ball‑joint excess wear in 2023. On a test drive, listen for clunking or knocking over bumps, feel for any looseness in the steering column, and check that wheel alignment does not pull to one side. Visual inspection should verify that the arm bushes are not excessively rusted and that the CV‑joint boot on the near‑side front drive shaft is intact; a cracked boot will often be evident by grease splatter around the joint and may produce a clicking noise under acceleration. Tyre tread depth has been a safety issue, with a dangerous off‑side rear tyre in 2025 and a near‑side front tyre below 1.6 mm in 2023, both of which would have required immediate replacement. Verify current tyre tread with a depth gauge and look for uneven wear that could indicate suspension misalignment. The 2024 failure list also included multiple lighting faults (near‑side rear stop lamp, front position lamp, and headlamp aim), so confirm that all external lights illuminate correctly and are correctly aimed. Finally, the SRS warning lamp must be diagnosed and rectified before the vehicle is relied upon for road use, as the airbag system will not deploy in a crash while the fault persists. Addressing the oil leak, suspension corrosion, tyre condition and lighting issues will be essential to bring the car to a reliable and safe road‑worthy state.