2009 Vauxhall Vivaro 2.0L Diesel · RX59 FNT

The vehicle is currently roadworthy but the maintenance history reveals a persistent trend of front-end suspension wear. The most recent test on 17 October 2025 at 266,876 miles saw the vehicle initially fail due to an ineffective windscreen wiper and multiple suspension defects. While it passed after repairs, the tester flagged the nearside front arm ball joint and both front upper suspension mounting bushes as having play. This indicates that while immediate failures are addressed, the front suspension assembly is actively degrading and likely nearing the end of its service life. At 266,876 miles, this 17-year-old Vauxhall Vivaro averaged approximately 15,700 miles per year. The data shows consistent high-mile usage, with 16,429 miles recorded between September 2023 and October 2024, and another 7,323 miles covered between October 2024 and October 2025. Such rapid accumulation on an older commercial vehicle places significant stress on the drivetrain and rubber-bound chassis components, which aligns with the recurring suspension issues noted in the record. A buyer must physically inspect the front suspension geometry, specifically checking for excessive movement in the ball joints and play in the strut top mounts. The previous failures in 2023 and 2025 show that the anti-roll bar bushes and Macpherson strut bearings are recurring points of failure. Furthermore, the 2023 failure for low parking brake efficiency and thin front pads suggests the braking system is only maintained when it reaches a critical threshold rather than on a preventative schedule. Given the high mileage, a thorough check for structural corrosion on the subframe and mounting points is essential, as the MOT record does not detail the current state of the chassis integrity.