2017 Ford Fiesta 1.5L Diesel · SC17 AAY

A clean three-test run culminating in a pass on 1 September 2025 with no defects recorded gives this Fiesta an outwardly tidy roadworthiness profile, but the history cannot be read as purely straightforward. On 21 September 2023 the vehicle failed on two major items, a non-functioning horn and a bonnet that could not be secured in the closed position, before passing again on 26 October 2023 with no advisories. The intervening pass two years earlier, on 23 September 2022, carried three advisories for nearside and offside front tyres worn close to the legal limit and on edge, plus slight play in the nearside front anti-roll bar linkage ball joint. The subsequent tests are silent on those items, which is consistent with the components having been replaced but is not the same as confirmation in the MOT record. Recorded mileage of 71,625 against a 2017 registration equates to roughly 7,958 miles per year, a broadly typical accumulation for a car of this age. The recorded mileages at the four MOT tests on file show steady progression with no sudden spikes or unexplained gaps, and there are no long periods off the road that would raise concerns about stale fuel, seized brakes, or a discharged battery. The mileage trajectory should not in itself cause alarm, although consumables such as brake pads and discs, clutch material, and suspension components will still have accumulated wear in line with that mileage band and the calendar years covered. For a prospective buyer, the horn and bonnet latch defects from 2023 warrant a quick functional check before purchase. Confirm the horn operates clearly from the steering wheel, listen for any single-tone click or stuck relay, and test that the bonnet primary catch engages positively with a firm click, that the safety catch releases cleanly, and that there is no excessive play when the bonnet is lifted at the corners, as worn bonnet hinges or a fatigued striker can recur. The 2022 advisories on the front tyres and anti-roll bar linkage ball joint are worth probing directly. Inspect the inner and outer edges of both front tyres for uneven wear, feathering, or scuffing that would suggest alignment or suspension geometry issues, and on a test drive listen for clonking or rattling from the front end over speed humps and rough surfaces, particularly from the nearside, where play in an anti-roll bar link or its bushes can transmit sharp knocks into the body. On the road, pay particular attention to steering response and cornering behaviour. A worn anti-roll bar link or its ball joint will commonly produce a single audible knock when turning into a kerb or driveway at low speed, vague or imprecise turn-in, and on uneven B-roads a secondary rattle transmitted through the bulkhead. Check that the front wheels respond crisply without delay or shudder, that the car tracks straight without pulling under braking, and that there is no vibration through the steering wheel that would point to a bent wheel, imbalanced tyre, or worn suspension bush allowing wheel hop. With the recent MOT record clean but containing that isolated 2023 failure and the 2022 advisory cluster, the priorities at viewing are verifying the security of the bonnet catch, confirming that the front tyres are current and wearing evenly, and pressing the car through tight low-speed turns to expose any deterioration in the anti-roll bar linkage that the MOT silence does not necessarily exclude.