2013 Vauxhall Corsa 1.2L Petrol · NJ63 SEY

A pattern of front suspension wear and an unresolved engine oil leak dominate the mechanical history of this 2013 Vauxhall Corsa. Across four of the seven recorded tests, the nearside front lower suspension arm pin or bush has been flagged as worn, first appearing as an advisory on the 2019 record and recurring on both the 2023 pre-failure and the 2023 pass, as well as the most recent pass on 3 November 2025. More critically, the vehicle has sustained two coil spring failures at the front, with the nearside spring fracturing on 13 October 2021 and the offside spring fracturing on 31 October 2023, the latter being the cause of the only major failure recorded. The oil leak advisory has likewise appeared repeatedly, noted in 2022, 2024, and again in 2025, suggesting an ongoing seepage that has not been rectified between tests. Despite these recurring issues, the car has achieved pass status on five occasions, with the latest test on 3 November 2025 showing no immediate failures but carrying forward both the persistent suspension arm wear and the engine oil leak as advisories. Recorded mileage of 79,459 over thirteen years equates to an average accumulation of roughly 6,112 miles annually, which sits broadly within typical usage expectations for a vehicle of this age and class. The testing record itself shows a notable gap between the 2019 pass and the 2021 entries, with no MOT recorded for 2020, which may indicate either an exemption period or that the vehicle was not presented for testing during that interval. The mileage progression is otherwise consistent, with no sudden spikes or implausibly low readings between consecutive tests, supporting a credible usage pattern rather than clock irregularities. At this mileage, consumables such as brake pads, discs, tyres, and ancillary drive belts will have seen multiple replacement cycles, while the higher-mileage nature of the chassis and engine components places greater importance on inspecting for age-related wear beyond what the MOT routinely covers. For a prospective buyer, the priority areas for physical inspection are the front suspension and the engine sealing. The repeated advisories on the nearside front lower arm bush suggest the component may now be approaching a point where replacement is required, so a test drive should include slow speed manoeuvres over uneven surfaces and speed bumps to listen for clonking or knocking from the front nearside corner, and the wheel should be rocked by hand to detect any lateral play in the arm pivot. Given two fractured coil springs in four years, the remaining front springs warrant a visual inspection from beneath the vehicle for any signs of cracking, paint marking, or sagging ride height, particularly offside front where the most recent fracture occurred. The engine oil leak should be located and assessed for severity; on the test drive, observe whether any blue smoke appears on startup or under load, and inspect the underside for fresh oil residue on the sump, cam cover gasket, or oil filter housing, as persistent seepage can accumulate on the exhaust and catalytic converter. On road behaviour, pay close attention to steering response and braking symmetry, as worn suspension components can introduce vagueness in the steering and uneven tyre wear, which the 2021 advisory noted on the nearside front tyre. Check the inner and outer edges of all four tyres for uneven wear patterns, particularly feathering or shoulder wear that would corroborate misalignment secondary to suspension wear. Listen for any binding, rubbing, or scraping from the front brakes, which can follow from weakened spring support altering caliper geometry. Finally, request sight of any previous rectification work addressing the oil leak, as a long-standing seepage left unattended can mask more serious issues such as crankcase pressurisation or rear main seal degradation, and confirmation of what has been replaced will clarify the residual mechanical risk.