2002 Nissan 350Z 3.5L Petrol · RL52 WOD

This 2002 Nissan 350Z passed its most recent MOT in April 2025 with 57,688 miles, but the advisory list is long and reflects a car that is being maintained to a minimum standard rather than proactively restored. The pass itself is not the whole story. The recurring mechanical pattern here is widespread underbody corrosion and progressive play in suspension ball joints. Every MOT since 2022 has noted slight corrosion in all underside steering, suspension, and braking components, and the exhaust system is also corroding. The anti-roll bar linkage ball joints have been flagged multiple times: the nearside front first appeared in 2022 and remains a slight play in 2025; both rear joints also now show slight play. This indicates that these wear items are being allowed to deteriorate slowly rather than being replaced. The trend for this car is stable but not improving. No advisory has escalated into a failure, and the same level of “slight” corrosion and “slight” play has persisted for years. That suggests the corrosion is not aggressively worsening, but it also means no corrective work has been done to eliminate it. For a 24-year-old car, this is a maintenance plateau rather than a restoration.