1998 Ford Mondeo 2.5L Petrol · S954 AEV

The vehicle came through its most recent MOT on 3 May 2025 with no defects recorded after a same-day failure that also logged no defects, which points to a minor administrative or rectification issue rather than a mechanical fault. That clean result, following a similarly fault-free pass in May 2024, shows a stable maintenance trend with no worsening patterns or recurring advisory items. The test certificate is now over fifteen months old, however, so the car will require a fresh MOT before it can be driven legally. The mileage pattern tells an interesting story. The Mondeo covered only 34 miles between December 2021 and May 2024, which suggests it was either laid up or used very sparingly over that two-and-a-half-year stretch. It then added roughly 1,585 miles in the following year, bringing the odometer to 95,147 miles. Averaging around 3,400 miles per year across 28 years, the car has clearly led a light life, but long periods of standing can create their own problems, such as perished bushes, seized calipers, and corroded brake discs. Because the MOT history is clean and sparse, the absence of flagged faults should not be read as a guarantee of condition. A buyer needs to check the suspension closely, particularly the coil springs and bushes, which degrade with age rather than mileage. Brake discs and calipers deserve equal attention, given the likelihood of binding or surface corrosion after extended inactivity. Structural rust is the bigger risk on a 1998 Ford Mondeo, so inspect the sills, floor pans, and suspension mounting points thoroughly, even though recent tests recorded no corrosion. A pre-purchase inspection by a garage familiar with older vehicles would be money well spent, and an independent look at the cooling system and exhaust would complete the picture.