2012 Aston Martin Vantage 5.9L Petrol · KX12 AZT

The 2012 Aston Martin Vantage presents a mixed mechanical picture. The most recent MOT, conducted on 19 January 2023 at 21,530 miles, passed but flagged slight corrosion on both front brake hose ferrules and cracking or perishing on both front tyres. Comparing this to the 2022 test at 21,452 miles, where the tester noted corroded brake pipes into both front calipers alongside the same front tyre deterioration, suggests a worsening trend in front brake system corrosion and persistent front tyre degradation. The maintenance trajectory is not improving. Brake hose and pipe corrosion has progressed from the caliper connections in 2022 to the hose ferrules in 2023, indicating ongoing moisture ingress or age-related deterioration in the front braking circuit that demands attention. The mileage profile tells a clear story of extremely low usage. Across fourteen years, the vehicle has covered just 21,530 miles, averaging roughly 1,538 miles annually. The record shows only 247 miles added between the December 2020 test at 21,394 miles and the January 2023 test at 21,530 miles, a span of over two years. The gap between the May 2019 test at 21,283 miles and the December 2020 test at 21,394 miles similarly shows just 111 miles in eighteen months. This vehicle has spent extended periods stationary, which explains the recurring tyre perishing and cracking. Rubber components deteriorate with age and ozone exposure regardless of tread depth, and prolonged standing is the most likely cause of the sidewall damage flagged repeatedly on the front tyres. Buyers should focus their physical inspection on the front brake system. The progression from corroded caliper pipes in 2022 to corroded hose ferrules in 2023 points to a front brake assembly that has been absorbing moisture over multiple years of low use. Have a technician inspect the full length of front brake hoses, pipework, and caliper unions for pitting and wall thinning. The front tyres, despite likely retaining good tread, are almost certainly original or very old replacements given the repeated cracking advisories dating back to at least 2020. Budget for immediate replacement of both front tyres regardless of remaining tread, and confirm the date codes on the rears as well. Suspension bushes and coil springs should also be checked carefully. Low-mileage vehicles that stand for long periods often develop flat-spotted tyres, seized or binding calipers, and perished rubber bushes that would not appear on a higher-mileage example driven regularly.