2012 Nissan Qashqai 1.6L Diesel · PF12 FPY

A consistent theme running through this Qashqai's MOT history is deteriorating front suspension and steering hardware, with track rod ends and lower suspension arm ball joint dust covers recurring at almost every test since 2022. The most recent pass on 26 September 2025 flagged severely deteriorated dust covers on both front lower suspension arms alongside an oil leak noted as not excessive, indicating that while the vehicle remains legally roadworthy, the underlying wear pattern has not been resolved between tests. The trajectory is best described as stable rather than improving: the same minor advisories on the nearside and offside ball joint covers appeared in 2022 and again in 2023 track rod end play was recorded, and by the 2021 test the offside track rod end had actually progressed from advisory play to a Major defect with excessive play, causing a failure along with inoperative rear position and stop lamps. Five tests have been recorded since 2019, with one outright failure and a pattern of advisories clustering around steering and braking components, suggesting ongoing attention will be required in these areas. With 130,185 miles accumulated over roughly fourteen years, the vehicle has covered approximately 9,300 miles annually, which sits broadly within expected parameters for its age and sector. There are no significant gaps in the testing history that would indicate prolonged periods off the road, and the mileage progression between tests is consistent with steady year-round use rather than intermittent or low‑mileage storage. At this level of accumulated mileage, wear on consumables such as brake discs, pads, tyres, suspension bushes and CV joint boots is to be expected, and the record broadly reflects that reality without any surprising mileage jumps or anomalies that would warrant additional concern. For a prospective buyer, the front suspension and steering components should be the primary focus of any physical inspection and test drive. Listen and feel for knocking or clonking from the front end when traversing speed humps, uneven road surfaces or potholes, which would indicate that the worn ball joint dust covers flagged since that test have allowed contamination and accelerated wear of the ball joints themselves. The track rod end play recorded as both slight in 2023 and 2020 and excessive in 2021 is a recurring concern; with the vehicle now over five years past that failure, any wandering, vague steering response, or uneven tyre wear particularly on the front edges would suggest the joints require replacement. The CV boot cracking flagged on the offside front drive shaft in 2022 should also be checked for fresh grease contamination around the joint, as a torn boot rapidly destroys the CV joint internals. Given the brake disc pitting and pad wear advisories from 2020 and 2021, the test drive should include several firm stops from higher speed to assess for brake judder, vibration through the pedal, or pulling to one side, all of which would indicate the pitted discs have now worn beyond acceptable limits. Finally, the persistent oil leak noted at the 2025 test warrants a thorough under‑bonnet inspection for the source, whether from the rocker cover gasket, sump, or cam chain area, and a check of the undertray and surrounding components for oil contamination that could mask other developing issues or degrade rubber components over time.