2004 Honda Jazz 1.3L Petrol · MJ54 RZB

The 2004 Honda Jazz presents a mixed maintenance picture. The most recent MOT, conducted on 31 October 2025 at 82,805 miles, passed but carried a long list of advisories that reveal deferred upkeep. The tester flagged worn front and rear brake discs, corroded rear coil springs, corroded rear sub-frame, worn front wishbone bushes, and corroded rear structure. A separate failure on the same day for headlamp aim and an illegible rear plate suggests the car was presented in poor cosmetic and lighting condition before being hastily rectified. The trend is not reassuring. Between November 2024 and October 2025, the car went from a clean pass to a catalogue of wear items, indicating the previous owner allowed basic maintenance to slip over the last year. The mileage pattern tells a different story. At roughly 3,764 miles per year over 22 years, this Jazz has led a quiet life. The jump from 72,886 miles in September 2023 to 79,454 miles in November 2024 represents about 6,568 miles in 14 months, a noticeable spike after what appears to have been very light use previously. The mileage then plateaued, with no meaningful increase between November 2024 and October 2025. That sudden burst followed by a full year of near-zero use raises questions about how the car was stored and whether long periods of standing contributed to the corrosion and perishing tyres now showing on the record. A buyer should treat the rear end with suspicion. The combination of corroded rear sub-frame, corroded rear coil springs, and corroded rear body structure points to prolonged exposure to moisture, possibly from outdoor storage or salted roads. None of these were flagged as critically weakened, but corrosion on a 22-year-old car can accelerate quickly. The rear sub-frame mounting points and spring seats need close inspection with a torch and a screwdriver. The worn front wishbone bushes and the excessive wear noted in the offside front Macpherson strut top bush suggest the front suspension has taken knocks. Check for uneven tyre wear and clunking over bumps. The braking system also needs attention. Worn and pitted rear inner brake discs appeared on both the pass and failure entries from October 2025, meaning the tester considered them borderline. Combined with worn front discs, this car likely needs a full set of pads and discs if it has not already been done. The rear tyres showing cracking and perishing, plus a cut in the nearside front outer tyre, are age-related rather than mileage-related. On a car that has sat unused, rubber deteriorates regardless of tread depth. Budget for a complete set of four tyres before any long journey.