2007 Alfa Romeo 147 1.9L Diesel · RV57 KXH

The Alfa Romeo 147 currently holds a valid MOT pass dated 20 March 2026 at 187,336 miles, but the maintenance trend over the preceding twelve months is clearly worsening. The vehicle failed on 17 March 2026 at 187,326 miles and again on 9 February 2026 at 187,297 miles, accumulating multiple serious defects in rapid succession before finally passing three days later. The most recent pass still carried advisories for play in the nearside front steering rack inner joint and perishing rear tyres, plus a corroded exhaust silencer. A pass with outstanding steering and tyre advisories, immediately following two consecutive failures, suggests the previous owner addressed only the minimum failure items rather than undertaking thorough preventative maintenance. The mileage pattern tells a notable story. Between the clean pass on 8 February 2025 at 180,607 miles and the first failure on 9 February 2026 at 187,297 miles, the car covered 6,690 miles in exactly one year. Yet in the following six weeks alone, between 9 February and 20 March 2026, the odometer advanced just 39 miles across three tests. This clustering of MOT attempts within a single month, after a full year of regular use, is consistent with a vehicle that developed sudden corrosion or mechanical issues late in its 2025–2026 cycle and required repeated retests to achieve compliance. The February 2026 failure raised a critical structural concern: the offside rear integral body structure was corroded to the extent that rigidity was significantly reduced, specifically at the sill mounting area. Although the March 2026 pass implies this was repaired, a buyer must inspect the offside rear sill and sub-frame in person, checking for fresh weld patches, seam sealer over-spray, or inconsistent paint that could indicate a cosmetic rather than structural repair. The February test also flagged front sub-frame corrosion and general underside corrosion, so a thorough inspection of all load-bearing mounting points is essential. Beyond the structural items, the recurring nearside front steering rack inner joint play has appeared in four of the last five tests, dating back to February 2024. This is a persistent fault that has never been permanently rectified. The rear tyres have also been flagged for cracking and perishing across two consecutive tests, indicating either age-related degradation or prolonged standing. A buyer should test-drive the car specifically for steering vagueness over rough surfaces and commission an independent inspection of the rack, inner track ends, and the condition of all suspension bushes and coil springs, which are likely fatigued at this mileage.