2012 Citroen C1 1.0L Petrol · RO12 RMV

A pattern of recurring front-end wear advisories defines this C1's mechanical story, with the most recent test on 5 November 2025 passing but again flagging worn anti-roll bar linkage bushes at the front and a non-severe oil leak. Tracing back through 2024 and 2023, the same brake disc and pad advisories on the front axle appeared across multiple consecutive tests, with the 2023 inspection explicitly carrying a "STRONG ADVISE" notation for pitted inner brake disc faces and thinning pads, severe enough to be re-tested the same day and recorded as a fail with those same advisory items. The anti-roll bar bushes have now been flagged at three of the last four examinations, suggesting progressive deterioration rather than a one-off finding, and the oil leak advisory has come and gone in a pattern that points to a slow seep rather than a one-off gasket failure. Overall the trend is one of stable but chronic front-end wear that has not yet tipped into a category failure but is clearly worsening on the suspension links year on year. At roughly 40,489 miles across 14 years, this C1 has covered only about 2,892 miles annually, which is exceptionally low for its age and consistent with a vehicle that has either seen light irregular use or spent considerable periods stationary between test cycles. There are no extended gaps in the MOT record itself, with annual tests consistently filed between 2022 and 2025, indicating the car has not been laid up officially for any multi-year stretch, but the modest accumulation suggests the engine, gearbox and clutch have not been worked hard, while at the same time the underbody, brake calipers, exhaust hangers and suspension pivots will have endured long static periods where moisture can sit on ferrous surfaces and dry out rubber components. Mechanically, this usage profile typically means the major drivetrain internals should be largely unworn, but the ancillary service items and any rubber-bushed components tend to suffer more from age-related perishing than from mileage-based wear. For a prospective buyer, the front axle components flagged in the advisories are the priority items on the physical inspection. The recurring front brake disc and pad findings mean both inner disc faces should be measured with a gauge for remaining thickness and inspected for a distinct lip or corrosion pitting, while the caliper slide pins and carrier should be checked for free movement, as binding calipers on a low-mileage town car are a known source of uneven pad wear and pulling under braking. The anti-roll bar linkage bushes warrant a firm hand on each front wheel, rocking top to bottom and pushing laterally to detect any slack or clonking over speed humps, which would indicate the bushes have finally passed the MOT tolerance into excessive movement. On the test drive, listen for clonking or rattling from the front over uneven surfaces, feel for steering vagueness or a shimmy through the wheel under braking, and watch for any pull to one side that might confirm uneven front disc wear. The tyres and oil leak items should also be checked in person rather than taken on trust. Both nearside front and offside rear tyres have been flagged in recent years for wear limits, edge wear and perishing cracking, so all four should be examined closely for sidewall cracks, bulges or uneven shoulder wear, and the DOT date stamps confirmed as no older than around five years given the visible perishing. For the noted oil leak, a torch underneath the engine bay should be used to trace the source, paying particular attention to the cam cover gasket, sump plug area and any oil-wet residue on the lower exhaust downpipe or subframe, while the dipstick should be checked for level and colour on a level surface after the engine has been switched off for a few minutes. A final consideration is the rear of the vehicle for any corrosion around the rear axle mounting points and wheel arches, as C1s of this vintage are known to develop rust in those areas, even where the MOT record has not yet flagged it.