2017 Renault Trafic 1.6L Diesel · MX67 WKD

The 2017 Renault Trafic passed its most recent MOT on 1 September 2025 at 116,514 miles, but the record reveals a maintenance pattern that is inconsistent rather than reliably improving. The vehicle has passed every test on the second attempt since 2023, yet each failure exposes a different category of defect, from suspension component wear to non-compliant lighting modifications. The September 2025 pass was secured with three active advisories, including an offside front inner brake pad wearing thin and an offside rear tyre worn to near the legal limit on its outer edge. These are consumable items, but their presence at a pass suggests the tester considered them marginal rather than critical. The overall trend is one of reactive repair rather than proactive upkeep, with no single recurring fault dominating but no clean bill of health either. The mileage accumulation is notably high for a nine-year-old van. Between the September 2023 test at 92,437 miles and the September 2025 test at 116,514 miles, the vehicle covered 24,077 miles in two years, averaging roughly 12,000 miles annually. That is consistent with sustained commercial or long-distance private use rather than light local driving. The 2023 failure at 92,394 miles involved a serious fluid leak from the nearside front shock absorber and excessively worn nearside front anti-roll bar linkage ball joint, both classic symptoms of high-mileage suspension stress. The fact that no suspension defects reappeared in 2024 or 2025 suggests those specific items were replaced, but the underlying wear pattern from sustained high mileage remains a factor for any prospective buyer. A buyer should focus the physical inspection on the front suspension and steering components. The 2023 failure for a leaking shock absorber and worn anti-roll bar linkage ball joint indicates the front end has already endured significant stress. Check for uneven tyre wear, clunking from drop links, and any fresh corrosion on subframe mounting points or coil spring seats. The offside rear tyre flagged in 2025 was worn on its outer edge, which can point to misalignment or a worn rear axle bush rather than simple neglect. Inspect the rear suspension bushes and beam axle for play or cracking. The lighting faults across 2024 and 2025 are less mechanically concerning but worth verifying. The 2024 failure cited incompatible LED bulbs in the headlamp and a non-functioning central stop lamp, both of which suggest aftermarket modifications rather than factory defects. Confirm the headlamp beam pattern is correct and that all stop lamps function as a single circuit. The repeated registration plate lamp advisory across multiple tests points to a minor wiring or bulb holder issue that may persist intermittently. None of these electrical items indicate a systemic fault, but they do suggest the previous owner addressed failures only when legally required rather than maintaining the vehicle comprehensively between tests.