2005 Toyota RAV-4 2.0L Diesel · HD54 HVZ

The 2005 Toyota RAV-4 most recently passed its MOT on the 8th of October 2025 at 100,489 miles, but the maintenance trend is best described as borderline rather than consistently improving. The vehicle failed on the 25th of September 2025 only two weeks prior, presenting serious structural and safety issues including a fractured nearside rear lower shock absorber mount and front brake discs worn to the point of serious weakening. While these critical failures were rectified for the subsequent pass, the tester still flagged extensive corrosion and wear across the suspension and chassis. The offside rear coil spring was corroded, the central front anti-roll bar was corroded, and multiple suspension arm bushes, Macpherson strut bushes, and all rear shock absorber bushes were deteriorated. A major exhaust leak was also noted at the September failure. The car is technically roadworthy today, but the sheer volume of advisories and the recent structural fracture suggest a vehicle that has been run hard or left standing, requiring close scrutiny. The mileage pattern is unusual and warrants careful interpretation. Between the 12th of September 2023 at 89,375 miles and the 4th of October 2024 at 93,856 miles, the vehicle covered roughly 4,481 miles in just over a year. However, from the 4th of October 2024 to the 8th of October 2025, the odometer moved only from 93,856 to 100,489 miles, a jump of 6,633 miles in a full year. Given the vehicle's age of roughly 21 years, the overall average sits at approximately 4,785 miles per year, which is exceptionally low. The MOT record shows no entries between 2023 and late 2024, and the most recent tests show the mileage plateauing at 100,489 miles. This pattern could indicate long periods of inactivity, which often accelerates rubber perishing, seal drying, and surface corrosion on brake components and suspension bushes, exactly the kind of deterioration the record documents. A buyer inspecting this vehicle in person should focus immediately on the rear suspension structural integrity. The September 2025 failure cited a fractured prescribed area on the nearside rear lower shock absorber mount, a critical load-bearing point. Even though the car passed two weeks later, the repair method must be verified. Look for signs of welding, fresh underseal, or mismatched paint on the rear subframe and suspension mounting points. The offside rear coil spring corrosion and the deteriorated rear shock absorber bushes also demand a physical check for cracking, sag, and play. Up front, the repeated advisories for worn suspension arm bushes, Macpherson strut top mount bushes, and a corroded anti-roll bar suggest the front end may feel vague or clunk over bumps. Have a garage put the car on a lift and check for free play in the front wishbones and anti-roll bar links. The braking system tells a story of neglect followed by urgent repair. The September 2025 failure recorded seriously weakened front brake discs and pads below 1.5 mm, yet the October pass noted only rear disc wear. This implies the front discs and pads were replaced just before the pass, but the rear discs were still flagged as worn and pitted. Check the rear disc thickness and run-out, and inspect the rear calipers for binding, a recurring theme from the 2024 tests. The tyre history is equally concerning. Across multiple tests, tyres have repeatedly worn to the legal limit on edges or shown cracking and perishing, including the offside rear tyre as recently as October 2025. This points to either chronic under-inflation, worn suspension geometry causing uneven camber wear, or both. Inspect all four tyres for inner and outer edge wear, sidewall cracking, and date codes. Given the vehicle's low mileage but severe corrosion and rubber deterioration, this RAV-4 likely needs a thorough suspension and brake overhaul to be considered reliably safe.