2012 Vauxhall Vivaro 2.0L Diesel · LP12 VBV

The vehicle most recently passed its MOT on 28 July 2026, just over a month before today’s date, but only after a failure recorded five days earlier on 23 July 2026. Across the four tests documented, two passes and two failures are recorded, which indicates an inconsistent rather than stable maintenance trajectory. The 2026 failure was driven by an insufficient windscreen washer supply, a straightforward fluid-level issue, while the 2025 failure carried far greater mechanical weight, with parking brake efficiency registering below 50 percent of the required value — a dangerous defect — alongside deep tyre cuts on three wheels and a headlamp aim defect. The fact that both tyres and the parking brake failed together in March 2025, followed by a clean pass in April 2025 with only a minor advisory on steering fluctuation, suggests remedial work was carried out, but the steering concern resurfaced by July 2026 as a play in the steering rack inner joint. Recorded mileage stands at 160,047 against a 2012 registration, averaging roughly 11,400 miles per year, which is broadly typical for a commercial van of this age. Gaps between tests make precise mileage progression impossible to chart, but the jump from a clean pass in October 2023 to the 2025 failures suggests the intervening period saw heavier use or deferred upkeep. The fact that three tyres were simultaneously condemned for cuts deep enough to expose the cords in 2025 points to prolonged neglect of basic consumables, and the two failed brake pads and steering rack advisories logged within days of each other in July 2026 indicate wear items are accumulating quickly at the rear axle and front steering assembly. A prospective buyer should physically examine the steering rack for any clonking, looseness or uneven tyre wear, particularly on the offside front, and budget for replacement inner track rod joints if any play is detected. The offside rear brakes, which have already attracted a thin-pad advisory, warrant a thorough inspection of the caliper mechanism for seizure and a measurement of the rear disc thickness, given the 2025 parking brake failure suggests the handbrake mechanism may still be marginal. Any oil staining on the sump or engine block should be monitored in case the currently non-excessive leak worsens, and a careful check of all four tyres for sidewall damage is advisable, as the 2025 record shows multiple cuts in a single test. Finally, a road test under load should be carried out to confirm the steering does not fluctuate under effort, addressing the advisory noted in April 2025.