2010 Bentley Continental 6.0L Petrol · RJB 15

A consistent thread of front tyre wear advisories runs through this Continental's MOT record, beginning with the 2020 test and repeating at every subsequent examination until the June 2023 entry, which recorded a nearside front tyre with ply or cords exposed — a dangerous failure categorisation rather than a mere advisory. That dangerous defect, combined with a 2022 headlamp cleaning device failure, establishes the vehicle's roadworthiness profile as one with recurring consumable and lighting issues rather than structural or corrosion-related concerns. The most recent pass on 4 December 2025 was unencumbered by advisories of substance, though two minor items were recorded for the offside rear direction indicator and nearside rear indicator lens, suggesting the rear lamp cluster may be approaching the same intermittent degradation pattern seen on the offside unit in 2022. Across eight recorded tests there have been two failures and a steady stream of tyre-related advisories, with the trend over the last two years appearing relatively stable but not yet demonstrating a sustained period free of component flags. Against an age of sixteen years, the recorded 11,465 miles equates to an annual accumulation of roughly 717 miles, which is exceptionally low for any road vehicle and particularly so for a Continental that is engineered for high-speed touring rather than occasional use. There is a notable testing gap between February 2019 and July 2020, and a further short interval between the May 2022 and June 2023 tests, which taken alongside the modest mileage suggests the car has spent considerable periods either off the road or in very light intermittent use. Such a usage pattern carries specific mechanical implications: perishable rubber components including drive belts, coolant and brake hoses, suspension bushes, and tyre sidewalls degrade through age rather than mileage alone, and tyres fitted to a low-use vehicle are particularly prone to sidewall cracking and uneven shoulder wear from prolonged static loading. Brake discs and pads can also suffer from low-speed corrosion pitting on the friction surfaces, which may produce judder or vibration under heavy pedal application even when pad material remains adequate. For a prospective buyer, the front tyre wear pattern flagged across multiple tests warrants close inspection of the suspension geometry and steering components on a test drive. Listen for clonking or knocking from the front suspension over speed humps and uneven surfaces, which could indicate worn upper or lower wishbone bushes, anti-roll bar drop links, or top mount bearings — all common service items on a vehicle of this age and weight. Under braking, any pull to one side, vibration through the steering wheel, or a spongy pedal travel should be investigated, as the low annual mileage makes brake disc corrosion a realistic concern even though no brake-specific advisories appear on the MOT record. With the headlamp cleaning device having failed in 2022, confirm the current operation of the washers and that both units extend and retract correctly, as these are routinely inoperative due to seized nozzles or pump failures. On the test drive, particular attention should be paid to any warning lights on the instrument cluster, unusual transmission behaviour when selecting drive, and any signs of coolant or oil leakage from the engine bay, given that prolonged standing periods allow seals and gaskets to dry out and weep once the vehicle returns to regular use. The rear lamp cluster issues identified in the 2022 and 2025 tests point toward the LED indicator units, which on this model are known to suffer from individual LED bank failures rather than complete bulb outages. When inspecting the vehicle, cycle the indicators and hazard lights while walking around the rear of the car to confirm full illumination, and check that all rear lamp lenses are free from condensation, cracking, or water ingress that would accelerate the corrosion of internal contacts. Tyre condition should be assessed independently of the MOT pass, paying particular attention to the manufacturing date stamp on the sidewalls, as any tyre over five years old — regardless of tread depth — will have begun to harden and may show sidewall cracking, especially on a vehicle that has covered so few miles. Given the combination of very low usage, sixteen years of age, and a recorded dangerous tyre failure in 2023, a thorough pre-purchase inspection by a specialist familiar with the Continental platform is strongly advisable, with particular focus on the multi-link front suspension, brake discs for corrosion pitting, and a comprehensive electronic systems scan to identify any dormant fault codes that would not surface during a standard roadworthiness examination.