2009 Mercedes Sprinter 2.1L Diesel · NK09 EUY

This 2009 Mercedes Sprinter passed its most recent MOT on 14 July 2025 at 178,814 miles, but the record reveals a maintenance pattern that is neither fully stable nor actively worsening. The vehicle failed a test just twelve days earlier on 2 July 2025 at 178,791 miles due to a parking brake efficiency deficiency and a non-working windscreen washer, both of which were rectified before the pass. The persistence of advisories across multiple consecutive tests, however, points to long-standing wear items that have been monitored rather than replaced. A slight oil leak, discoloured nearside repeater, slight steering rack free play, and worn rear anti-roll bar D bushes appeared in both the July 2025 tests and the July 2024 pass, indicating these conditions have been tolerated for at least a year without remedial work. The mileage progression is broadly consistent with the vehicle's age. Between the August 2021 test at 176,378 miles and the July 2023 test at 176,470 miles, only 92 miles were added across nearly two years, suggesting the vehicle stood idle or saw very limited use during that period. From July 2023 to July 2024, mileage rose by 689 miles, and from July 2024 to July 2025 by 1,655 miles. The current recorded mileage of 178,814 equates to roughly 10,500 miles per year over the vehicle's seventeen-year life, which is typical for a working commercial van. The sparse activity between 2021 and 2023 is worth noting, as prolonged standing can contribute to brake pipe corrosion and seized components, both of which feature in the history. The recurring advisory for slight steering rack free play, first flagged in July 2023 at 176,470 miles and repeated through both July 2025 tests, warrants close physical inspection. Excessive play in the nearside steering arm or rack internals can progress from a minor advisory to a dangerous looseness under load. The rear anti-roll bar D bushes have also been flagged consistently since at least July 2024, and while not causing excessive movement yet, worn bushes accelerate tyre wear and compromise rear axle stability. A buyer should jack the rear axle and check for play at the anti-roll bar links and inspect the rack boots for splits that could allow moisture ingress. Corrosion is the more structurally significant concern. The July 2024 test flagged slight corrosion to the ferrules on both front flexible brake hoses where they enter the calipers, and the 2023 and 2021 tests both noted a corroded rear brake pipe covered in grease or other material. Corroded brake pipe ferrules are a serious integrity risk as they can rupture under braking pressure, and the fact that the rear pipe was noted as covered in grease suggests a prior attempt to mask rather than repair the defect. Any prospective buyer should have the underside inspected with particular attention to the rear brake line run along the chassis, the condition of all flexible hoses, and the structural integrity of the chassis rails and outrusters around the rear suspension mounting points. The persistent slight oil leak, while not excessive, should also be traced to its source, as rear main seal or turbo oil feed leaks on this engine can worsen rapidly if left unaddressed.