2021 Ford Ranger 2.0L Diesel · KA21 DEX

With a full DVSA pass certificate issued on 22 April 2026 and an identical clean pass from 17 April 2025, the Ranger presents a current and stable roadworthiness profile at first inspection. Underlying that clean sheet, however, is a cluster of advisories from the two earlier tests that point to known wear areas typical of a high-mileage working vehicle. The 16 April 2024 test recorded a single advisory concerning an offside front tyre worn on its inner tread, but the test before that on 27 February 2024 flagged three further items: brake fluid close to the minimum mark, front inner brake pads wearing thin, and both front tyres worn to or beyond the inner edge. Taken together, these advisories show that the front axle consumables were approaching the end of their service life in early 2024 and have since either been renewed or have not yet degraded far enough to register again. The absence of any further advisories on the 2025 and 2026 tests is a positive sign, but the underlying components are the same ones that flagged previously and warrant physical verification. At 117,885 miles on a 2021 registration, this Ranger is accumulating roughly 23,500 miles per year, which is well above the average for its age and consistent with prolonged commercial or fleet use. There are no conspicuous gaps between test dates that would suggest extended standing time, meaning the vehicle has been worked consistently and the engine, transmission and drivetrain have seen continuous load. High annual mileage of this nature accelerates the rate at which suspension bushes, coil springs, anti-roll bar links, wheel bearings, clutch material and turbocharger components reach the end of their design life, even when no single item has yet crossed an MOT failure threshold. The fact that the braking and tyre wear in 2024 was concentrated on the front axle is consistent with a laden or towing vehicle, as the front end bears the majority of braking effort and any nose-down attitude under load. Given the flagged history, a prospective buyer should focus the inspection on the front braking and steering geometry. With front inner pads previously noted as thinning, lift the vehicle or use a wheel-off inspection to confirm the current pad material depth and check the front discs for lip, hot spots or surface corrosion, as worn pads accelerate disc wear. The brake fluid advisory from 2024 suggests the fluid has not necessarily been changed, so verify the colour and date of the fluid in the reservoir and consider a fresh bleed regardless, since high-mileage working vehicles benefit from a two-year fluid cycle. With both front tyres previously worn to the inner edge, alignment is the prime suspect; on the test drive, listen for uneven road noise from the front tyres, feel for steering pull to either side, and watch the steering wheel for off-centre positioning, as camber wear of that pattern commonly indicates bent or worn suspension components rather than simple tyre rotation. Beyond the flagged items, the continuous high mileage makes a careful check of the suspension and drivetrain worthwhile. On a test drive over broken surfaces and speed bumps, listen for clonking from the front anti-roll bar drop links and bushes, knocking from the upper and lower wishbone bushes, and any slack in the steering rack or track rod ends that would show up as wander or a delayed steering response. Check the rear leaf springs for sagging or cracked leaves, particularly if the vehicle has been used for towing, and inspect the propshaft universal joints for vibration under load. On the engine side, inspect for oil seepage around the cam cover, turbo oil feed lines and front crankshaft seal, and on cold start listen for any timing chain rattle that often develops on high-mileage diesel units. Confirm the clutch bite point is high and consistent, watch for any blue smoke on overrun, and ensure the four-wheel-drive system engages and disengages cleanly, as these are the components most affected by the recorded usage pattern.