2013 Toyota Hilux 3.0L Diesel · RO13 EEU

A pattern of chronic advisories and two outright failures dominates the roadworthiness picture of this 2013 Toyota Hilux, with the most recent test on 25 November 2025 recording a pass but flagging four items of concern. The November 2025 advisories include an offside front tyre worn close to the legal limit and on edge, a corroded rear exhaust joint producing a slight blow, and slight play in both front lower suspension arm ball joints. This is not an isolated snapshot, as the same nearside front lower arm ball joint play was flagged in December 2023, suggesting the wear has been progressing across two test cycles. Combined with the 2024 failure for dangerously treaded rear tyres, an imbalanced rear brake axle, and defective nearside stop lamps, plus the November 2025 failure for an inoperative engine management warning lamp, an obviously incorrect headlamp beam image, an illegible front registration plate, and an electronic stability control fault, the record indicates recurring electrical, lighting, and braking concerns that a buyer cannot dismiss as one-off events. Annual mileage of roughly 10,587 miles is broadly typical for a thirteen-year-old working vehicle, but the recorded accumulation has been intermittent, with tests clustered in November and December across 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and twice in November 2025. The five-day gap between the failed retest and the subsequent pass in late 2025 indicates remedial work was carried out between those two visits, yet the underlying advisories on tyre wear and suspension play remained present at the pass. Front brake pads have been noted as wearing thin at both the 2023 and 2024 tests, and the underseal was described as muddy with slight corrosion in 2021. The combination of consistent annual use, repeated brake and suspension advisories, and an emerging exhaust corrosion issue points to a chassis and running gear that is now entering a phase where consumable and structural components demand closer scrutiny, particularly given that the rear brake imbalance in 2024 suggests uneven wear rather than simple pad replacement needs. For a prospective buyer, the most pressing items to physically inspect are the front lower suspension arm ball joints on both sides, given the repeated advisories for slight play on nearside and now offside. On a test drive, listen for clonking or knocking from the front end over speed humps, uneven road surfaces, and during full-lock manoeuvres, and feel for vagueness or looseness in the steering that does not self-centre cleanly. The brake pedal should be firm and the vehicle should pull up in a straight line without judder, since the 2024 record flagged a rear axle imbalance that could indicate a sticking caliper, a seized slider, or a hydraulic issue, and the 2023 and 2024 advisories on thin front pads mean the discs are also due for measurement to confirm they remain within wear limits rather than being renewed with the next pad change. The rear exhaust joint should be examined on a cold start for audible gas leakage, ticking under load, and visible soot around the joint, as a corroded joint can progress to a failed section box and a louder exhaust note within a typical MOT cycle. The November 2025 failure items warrant a diagnostic scan before purchase, as an illuminated or inoperative engine management lamp combined with an electronic stability control warning lamp typically indicates stored fault codes that need interrogating with a manufacturer-level or compatible OBD tool. A buyer should confirm the fault has been properly diagnosed and rectified rather than simply cleared, because intermittent emissions, throttle, or ABS sensor faults on a Hilux of this age commonly trace to oxygen sensors, ABS wheel speed sensors, or wiring corrosion. The stop lamp defects recorded in 2024, including a lamp adversely affected by the operation of another lamp, suggest a wiring or earth fault at the rear light cluster that should be verified has been permanently resolved. Finally, all four tyres should be inspected for even shoulder wear, as the recurring advisories for edge wear on front tyres indicate possible camber or tracking drift, and a thorough underside examination on a ramp is advisable to assess the corrosion potential flagged in 2021, particularly on the rear axle, exhaust hangers, and brake pipe runs where surface corrosion can progress to perforation on a vehicle of this age and mileage.