2008 Mitsubishi Colt 1.1L Petrol · SA08 RFN

A consistent pattern of front-end wear and corrosion advisories dominates this Colt's MOT history, giving the vehicle a fairly defined mechanical character rather than a clean sheet. The most recent test on 15 March 2024 was a pass, but it carried advisories for both front tyres being worn close to the legal limit and on the edge, the same dual advisory that appeared back in November 2021. A windscreen chip or crack has been recorded as a minor defect across four consecutive tests from 2019 through 2024, suggesting it has neither worsened nor been repaired. The single failure on the record dates from December 2019, where the vehicle was presented with all rear stop lamps inoperative, classed as dangerous, alongside an incorrectly fitted offside front tyre and an oil leak flagged as not excessive. That failure represents the only outright non-pass event, but the surrounding advisories for anti-roll bar drop link play, exhaust gas leaks, and a corroded nearside rear suspension mounting area all point to a chassis that is beginning to show its age in the usual locations. With 74,551 miles recorded over approximately 18 years, annual mileage averages around 4,100 miles, which is low for the vehicle's age and consistent with light private use rather than regular commuting or motorway work. The testing record shows an MOT every year from 2018 through 2024, but there are stretches where the vehicle appears to have covered very little ground between visits, such as the November 2020 test following a January 2020 pass with only modest mileage accumulated. Low annual mileage reduces wear on major drivetrain and exhaust components but does not arrest the natural degradation of rubber suspension bushes, anti-roll bar linkages, brake hydraulic seals, or bodywork corrosion, all of which can deteriorate through age and exposure alone regardless of how few miles are covered. For a prospective buyer, the front anti-roll bar drop link wear is the single most repeatable flagged item, having appeared as an advisory in three consecutive tests between 2018 and 2020. On a road test, listen for clonking or rattling from the front end over uneven surfaces and pay particular attention to body roll and vagueness through direction changes, as worn drop link pins or bushes allow free play that undermines quick suspension response. The nearside rear sill corrosion noted in 2020 and the corroded rear suspension mounting area flagged in 2018 both warrant a physical inspection underneath the vehicle with a torch and ideally a ramp or lift, looking for any progression of surface rust into structural metal, particularly around jacking points, the rear subframe, and the inner wheel arches where salt can collect. The exhaust gas leak advisory from late 2020 is another item that warrants a cold-start check on a viewing, listening for any ticking or hissing from the manifold, downpipe, or front pipe gaskets that would indicate an active escape of gases. The tyres have been flagged for edge wear on the front pair in two separate tests, which can suggest incorrect tracking geometry, worn front suspension components, or simply under-inflation, so it is worth confirming that the tracking has been checked recently and that the current tyres are wearing evenly across the tread. The persistent windscreen damage should be inspected for any sign that it has propagated across the swept area of the driver's view, as a growing crack could move from a minor defect into an MOT failure. Finally, the 2019 oil leak advisory, while described as not excessive, is worth verifying by checking the underside of the engine and the area around the oil filter housing and cam cover gasket for fresh seepage on a cold engine.