2003 Ford Fiesta 1.2L Petrol · NC03 ABV

A clear and consistent mechanical narrative emerges from the MOT history of this 2003 Ford Fiesta, centred on a chronic and worsening braking and exhaust mounting issue that has now culminated in an outright failure. Across three consecutive tests spanning 2024, 2025, and 2026, the parking brake efficiency has been flagged as only just meeting the legal threshold, indicating a progressive deterioration of the rear brake actuation mechanism rather than a one-off observation. This culminated in the most recent attempt on 3 February 2026, where the vehicle failed on a major imbalance across the rear axle, a defect that suggests uneven hydraulic or mechanical operation between the nearside and offside rear brakes, potentially linked to binding calipers, stretched adjusters, or worn shoe material. On the same date, the car was presented for a retest and passed with the same advisories still outstanding. Additionally, a defective front exhaust mounting has been recorded on the most recent test, following a similar rear mounting advisory in 2024, pointing to repeated deterioration of the exhaust support rubbers, likely compounded by age and underbody corrosion. With 105,028 miles recorded over approximately 23 years, the Fiesta has covered an average of roughly 4,566 miles annually, which is notably low for a vehicle of its vintage and suggests either extended periods of light use or significant standing time between journeys. Such low accumulation rates typically mean less wear on major drivetrain components such as the clutch, gearbox, and engine internals, but they also raise the prospect of seized or deteriorated ancillary items including brake calipers, handbrake cables, and underbody fastenings due to lack of regular movement. The recorded mileage progression shows no unusual spikes or gaps in the supplied history, indicating consistent if sparse usage. For a prospective buyer, the low annual mileage is a reasonable indicator of mechanical preservation in terms of high-wear internals, though it makes the persistent brake and exhaust advisories more significant, as these defects would have developed over a relatively modest number of miles. Given the pattern of defects, particular attention should be paid to the rear braking system during any physical inspection and test drive. The driver should listen for scraping or grinding from the rear hubs, which could indicate worn shoes or backed-off adjusters, and feel for any pulling to one side under moderate braking, which would be consistent with the imbalance flagged at the last failure. The handbrake lever should be pulled firmly to confirm it holds on an incline without requiring excessive travel, and the cable should be checked for corrosion at its routing points beneath the vehicle, a common failure area on a 23 year old chassis. A test drive over uneven surfaces will also help reveal any knocking from the rear suspension, which on this generation of Fiesta often relates to perished bushes in the rear beam or trailing arms, components not directly flagged in the MOT record but worth probing given the vehicle's age. The exhaust system warrants its own inspection focus, given advisories on both the front and rear mountings across consecutive tests. With the vehicle raised, the exhaust should be manually rocked at the front mounting to assess the integrity of the rubber hanger, and the full system should be checked for corrosion at the joints, particularly where the front pipe meets the catalyst and where the rear silences are supported. On the road, any rattles heard on start-up or over bumps would suggest a collapsed mounting or a fractured pipe, both common findings on a Fiesta that has spent much of its life in service. The offside front tyre advisory carried over from the 2025 test and repeated in 2026 also warrants checking for uneven inner or outer shoulder wear, which on a front-wheel-drive hatchback of this age can point to worn suspension linkages or perished front strut top mounts. Verifying that replacement tyres are of consistent brand, size, and tread depth across both front corners will help confirm whether the wear pattern has been addressed since the last test.