2005 Renault Clio 1.1L Petrol · PJ05 AEM

A twenty-one year old Renault Clio carrying this MOT record tells a story dominated by suspension and front-end wear rather than any single catastrophic defect. Across seven tests from 2020 to 2025 the vehicle has passed on four occasions and failed on two, with the most recent assessment on 8 October 2025 returning a pass alongside two advisories covering a non-excessive oil leak and a slightly worn nearside front top mount. Failures have clustered around the front suspension and steering: an offside front track rod end ball joint with excessive play recorded as a Major in October 2024, and on the same test an offside front lower suspension arm pin or bush noted as worn the year before. The 2021 test stands out as the most serious entry, with a fractured offside front coil spring flagged twice on the same inspection alongside defective headlamp glazing and an inoperative washer system. The pattern is one of chronic front-axle degradation that has produced repeat advisories on both sides of the front suspension across consecutive years. Recorded mileage of 37,353 miles over twenty-one years equates to an annual accumulation of roughly 1,779 miles, which is well below average for a vehicle of this age and points to either very light regular use or extended periods of standing. The MOT history itself shows testing in 2020, 2021 (twice in the same month), 2022, 2023, 2024 (twice in the same month) and 2025, indicating the car has been on the road consistently and presented for test every year. The low annual mileage means brake discs, pads, tyres, drive belts and many rubber components may have aged through time rather than wear, which on a 2005 car brings considerations of perished hoses, hardened bushes and degraded seals alongside the modest mechanical usage. The figure has clearly increased since 2020 as evidenced by repeated annual tests, but no exact mileage progression is recorded in the data supplied. For a prospective buyer the priority areas on inspection are the front suspension and steering components that have generated the bulk of the advisory and failure entries. The offside front coil spring fracture recorded in 2021 means a replacement spring should have been fitted; on a test drive listen for any clonking or crashing over bumps at low speed, which can indicate a fatigued spring on the nearside that has not yet fractured. The 2024 track rod end failure and the 2023 advisory on the offside front lower arm bush suggest the steering and front lower arm hardware warrants close physical examination: with the car on level ground, check for uneven tyre wear across the front pair, any knocking when turning lock to lock at low speed, and excessive wandering or vagueness in the steering that could indicate renewed ball joint play. The 2020 advisories of wear and pitting on both front brake discs combined with play detected at both front wheels underline that the front brake discs were already showing surface deterioration four years prior, so feel for brake judder under firm pedal application and inspect the discs visually for a pronounced lip or rust pitting at the friction surface. The persistent oil leak advisory from 2023 and 2025, described as not excessive, suggests a steady seepage from somewhere on the engine that has not been investigated and resolved across two test cycles. On inspection, look for fresh oil residue on the lower engine block, sump plug and turbo or cam cover areas depending on engine variant, and check the oil level on the dipstick for any drop between short drives. Top mount wear noted on the nearside front in the latest test can present as a clonking or creaking from the strut area when the steering is turned or when traversing speed humps, and is best assessed by pressing down on each front corner with the vehicle stationary to feel for any looseness. Finally, given the low annual mileage, verify that the clutch, air conditioning compressor, rear brake components and exhaust have been exercised, and confirm the headlamp lenses and washer system are fully functional as both were flagged as defective at the 2021 test.