2003 Mazda Bongo Friendee 2.0L Petrol · LE53 HNJ

This 2003 Mazda Bongo Friendee has just failed its MOT on 28 May 2026 after initially passing four days earlier. The failure was triggered by a single defect: the windscreen wiper does not clear the windscreen effectively. This is a straightforward safety issue that must be rectified before the vehicle can be driven legally, but it masks a far more concerning underlying pattern evident across the full MOT record. The real alarm is corrosion. Over the past year, the structural integrity of this van has deteriorated markedly. In June 2025, the MOT revealed serious corrosion in prescribed areas: the suspension mounting points on all four corners (both front and rear sills, inner sills, and inner arches) were excessively corroded and significantly reducing structural strength. The floor pan was also corroded and holed. These defects were serious enough to fail the vehicle. Eleven months later, at the May 2026 test, the corrosion pattern has shifted but persisted. The suspension mounting areas in the prescribed zones have apparently been repaired or resolved (the vehicle passed), but new corrosion has emerged: the front sub-frame is now noted as corroded but not seriously weakened, and the offside outer sill is corroded and holed outside the prescribed area.