2002 Honda CR-V 2.0L Petrol · LM02 EXO

A pattern of repeated suspension, lighting, and under-bonnet wear advisories punctuates the MOT history of this 24-year-old CR-V, alongside two recent failures that included a dangerous front brake pad finding and a major exhaust gas leak. The most recent test on 12 June 2026 returned a pass, but it carried advisories for headlamp lens product residue, an engine oil leak, and both child seats restricting adult belt inspection. Looking at the broader trajectory, the 2024 test recorded incorrect headlamp beam aims and an inoperative position lamp, while the June 2025 attempt failed outright on brake pads below 1.5 mm, a non-functioning rear stop lamp, and a fractured rear exhaust. The June 2025 retest passed cleanly, and the intervening year to 2026 saw only advisories rather than fresh majors, suggesting the immediate safety-critical defects have been addressed but the underlying pattern of component wear on a vehicle of this age and vintage remains visible in the record. Annual mileage of roughly 5,290 miles across a 24-year service life is exceptionally low and points to long periods of stationary storage interspersed with limited light use. The MOT record itself shows annual testing with no significant multi-year gaps, but the relationship between the recorded mileages suggests the vehicle has spent considerable time off the road. Mechanically, low-mileage examples of this age are prone to dry, hardened suspension bushes, seized brake calipers from corrosion, perishing drive shaft boots, and dried-out oil seals that then weep once the vehicle returns to regular use, all of which aligns with the recurring advisory themes in the history. Prospective buyers should pay particular attention to the front suspension components that have appeared in the 2021 and 2022 advisories, specifically the suspension arm pins or bushes flagged on both nearside and offside front assemblies. On a test drive, listen for clonks or knocks over uneven surfaces, feel for vagueness or wandering through the steering, and visually inspect the lower arms and anti-roll bar links for perished or perished rubber, splitting, or any evidence of fresh underseal being used to hide corrosion. The 2021 advisory noted a severely deteriorated offside front CV joint boot, so crouching at full steering lock to inspect the driveshaft gaiters for splits or fresh grease spray is worthwhile, and any rhythmic clicking or vibration under load would warrant close examination. The braking and exhaust items flagged in the 2025 failure also deserve specific checks given the vehicle's age. With front brake pads having been recorded below 1.5 mm only last year, the current pad and disc wear state should be measured directly, the caliper sliding pins and carriers inspected for seizure, and a test drive should confirm a firm pedal with no pulling to either side under firm application. The major exhaust leak recorded at the rear should be inspected for fresh repairs or replacement sections, and the engine oil leak advisory from the latest test merits a cold-start observation for drips, smoke from the engine bay, and any fresh staining on the sump, cam cover, or filter housing gaskets. Headlamp condition, given the repeated lens product advisories across 2023 and 2026, should also be assessed for restoration needs, as degraded beam pattern and aim were recorded as recently as 2024.