2017 Mercedes-Benz E 1.9L Diesel · KT66 DYM

The most recent MOT, conducted on 28 January 2026 at 139,008 miles, passed with zero defects recorded. That clean result is only five months old as of today's date, so the vehicle currently holds a valid certificate through January 2027. The maintenance trend, however, tells a more complex story than the latest pass suggests. Earlier that same month, on 9 January 2026 at 138,704 miles, the car failed with excessively worn front suspension arm ball joints on both sides. A separate failure on 28 January 2026, conducted the same day as the eventual pass, flagged excessively worn front suspension arm pins or bushes on both nearside and offside. The fact that the car failed and then passed on the identical date at the identical mileage indicates a repair was carried out between those two tests. The underlying pattern is one of deteriorating front suspension components that were addressed reactively rather than proactively, followed by a clean bill of health. This E-Class has covered 139,008 miles over nine years, averaging roughly 15,445 miles per year, which sits on the higher side for a vehicle of this age. The mileage progression reveals a notable acceleration in use. Between the November 2023 test at 122,895 miles and the August 2024 test at 129,224 miles, the car added 6,329 miles in nine months. Then, from August 2024 to January 2026, a span of roughly seventeen months, it accumulated 9,784 miles. The gap between August 2024 and January 2026 is unusually long with no recorded tests in between, leaving a blind spot in the service history during a period when the suspension faults likely developed. The rapid accumulation combined with the long unmonitored interval suggests the car saw sustained heavy use without consistent annual inspection oversight. A buyer should treat the front suspension as the primary area of concern. The repeated failure points, specifically the front suspension arm ball joints and the corresponding pins or bushes on both sides, are load-bearing components that directly affect steering precision and tyre wear. Their failure within months of a clean 2024 pass indicates either aggressive driving over poor road surfaces or a lack of pre-emptive replacement during routine servicing. An in-person inspection should include a thorough check of the lower wishbone arms, ball joint dust boots for splits, and any play in the front wheel hubs. Given the high annual mileage and the long gap in test records, the condition of the front brake discs and pads, along with the inner tyre edges, should also be examined for uneven wear consistent with misaligned or worn suspension geometry.