1997 Ford Escort 1.4L Petrol · P964 HHL

The 19 May 2023 MOT at 99,672 miles passed with no defects recorded, confirming the Escort stood roadworthy at its last official examination. The maintenance trend across the available history is stable in terms of logged faults, but the record shows a fail on 16 July 2019 at 98,810 miles and a fail followed by a pass on 23 May 2022 at 98,824 miles, both with no defects noted. Such anomalous entries undermine confidence in the completeness of the inspection trail. Mileage accumulation relative to the 29-year age is low, averaging roughly 3,400 miles per year. The 31 July 2018 test recorded 95,584 miles. By 16 July 2019 the odometer read 98,810, a plausible 3,226-mile gain. The next test on 23 May 2022 showed just 98,824 miles, meaning only 14 miles were covered in nearly three years of storage. A modest 848 miles then brought the car to its 2023 reading. This pattern reveals extended dormancy that often masks corrosion and seized mechanical parts. With no advisories or defects logged across any test, the MOT data offers no warning on suspension bushes, coil springs, brake discs, binding calipers, exhaust emissions or structural rust. A buyer must therefore commission a physical inspection of those components. The long standstill between 2019 and 2022 elevates the risk of perished rubber, clogged calipers and subframe corrosion despite the clean paper trail. The repeated fail entries lacking recorded reasons suggest previous owners treated MOT as a formality rather than a maintenance checkpoint, possibly correcting undocumented faults off-record. Verify the original certificates and seek evidence of routine servicing before purchase.