2012 KIA RIO 1.4L Petrol · JM02 ABM

The vehicle currently presents a deteriorating trend in mechanical maintenance despite a passing roadworthiness status. While it passed its most recent test in May 2026 at 103,448 miles, this followed a failure just four weeks prior involving multiple safety-critical defects. The transition from a clean record in 2024 and 2025 to a series of failures in 2026 suggests a shift from proactive maintenance to reactive repairs, where components are only addressed upon failing. At 103,448 miles, this 14-year-old Kia Rio has averaged approximately 7,400 miles per year, which is consistent with typical UK usage for its age. The mileage accumulation shows steady progress, with roughly 6,300 miles driven between April 2024 and 2025, and another 6,300 miles between April 2025 and May 2026. This consistent usage indicates the vehicle is driven regularly rather than sitting, but the age of the rubber components and hardware is now becoming apparent regardless of the relatively low mileage. A buyer must conduct a thorough inspection of the front suspension, as the May 2026 failure highlighted a severely deteriorated offside front arm ball joint dust cover. This type of wear often leads to premature joint failure and uneven tyre wear. Furthermore, the record shows the nearside front and rear tyres were reaching the legal limit with specific inner edge wear, which strongly indicates an alignment issue or worn shock absorbers. The offside rear tyre also showed signs of perishing and cracking, suggesting the rubber is reaching the age limit regardless of tread depth. The previous failure regarding the supplementary restraint system warning lamp indicates a past SRS fault code. Although the code was reportedly deleted to pass the test, this should be verified with a diagnostic scan to ensure no underlying faults remain. Attention should also be paid to the registration plate lamp and headlamp assemblies, as these were recurring points of electrical failure. Given the recent cluster of suspension and tyre issues, a physical check of the chassis for corrosion and the suspension bushings is essential to ensure no hidden structural damage has accompanied the mechanical wear.